Aaron Zigman
Composer
A native of San Diego, AARON ZIGMAN (Composer) began training as a classical pianist
at age six with his mother, a pianist and harpist. While in his third year at UCLA, Zigman signed
a four-year songwriting contract with publishing giant Almo Irving and began writing,
producing, arranging and orchestrating for many of the top major artists in the record industry.
He was one of four songwriters on their staff and under their aegis; he penned songs for Carly
Simon and TV’s “Fame,” and co-wrote with David Lasley, Jerry Knight and Steve Cropper.
In 1983 at the age of 20, he began studying with his renowned cousin George Bassman, a
noted MGM composer who orchestrated for the “Wizard of Oz” and wrote the music for the
films “Marty” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice.” He penned the Tommy Dorsey classic
“Getting Sentimental Over You,” was the musical arranger for Lena Horne and Benny
Goodman, and orchestrated for the legendary Andre Kostelanetz.
Then in the mid-1980s, Zigman broke in as a studio musician, working with producers Don
Was, Gary Katz, Steely Dan and Stewart Levine. He started to get a name for himself as a
producer/writer and soon wrote a big hit in pop music called “Crush On You,” which was a
top-chart record for a group called The Jets. He then worked for Clive Davis and produced
and arranged for Aretha Franklin and Natalie Cole. He wrote, arranged and produced songs
for many of the top singers and artists in the industry, including Ray Charles, Sting, Phil
Collins, Dionne Warwick, Bozz Skaggs, Tina Turner, Seal, Carly Simon, the Pointer Sisters,
Huey Lewis, Jennifer Holliday, Patty LaBelle, Chicago, Natalie Cole and Christina Aguilera.
In the 1990s, Zigman entered the film industry; his work was featured on film soundtracks for
“Mulan,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Bird Cage,” “License to Kill,” “Caddyshack”
and “Pocahontas.”
Although his list of pop accomplishments was formidable, creating orchestral music was
still Zigman’s primary focus. It was inevitable that Zigman’s lifelong devotion to classical
music would eventually lead him to the film scoring stage. His big break came in 2000 when
film director Nick Cassavetes went to hear Zigman’s classical 35-minute symphonic tone
poem “Rabin” which was performed by the L.A. Jewish Symphony. The work was composed
in memory of Yitzhak Rabin, the late prime minister of the State of Israel. Cassavetes was
very moved and asked Zigman to score Denzel Washington's movie “John Q.”
Zigman followed this with the major box-office success “The Notebook,” his soundtrack
for which has sold a record number of albums.
Filmography Aaron Zigman
The Last Song by de Julie Anne Robinson - 2009
