Alan Menken is a prominent member of the rather lengthy list of people who have inspired me to pursue a career in storytelling. Regardless of whether you recognize his name, if you've seen any movie from the period referred to as The Disney Renaissance, you are familiar with Menken's work. Have you ever belted "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid? Or hummed to "Beauty and the Beast"? Or thought "A Friend Like Me" from Aladdin was absolutely hilarious? Then you owe a massive "thank you" to the real-life Disney Duo: Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.
I've put together a short list of facts about Alan Menken so you can become familiar with a man whose creativity has shaped countless childhoods.
1. Menken is the son of a piano-playing dentist father and an actress/dancer/playwright mother.
2. He thought he would become a dentist like his father.
Instead, Menken graduated with a degree in Musicology in 1971.
3. He and Howard Ashman wrote a musical called "Little Shop of Horrors"
For the 1986 musical film adaptation, Menken received his first Oscar nomination.
4. Menken wrote the music for The Little Mermaid (1989)
Menkon won his first Oscar for "Under the Sea" and for Best Score.
5. Menken and Ashman wrote the music for Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Again, Menken won an Academy Award for Best Song and Best Score. Additionally, Ashman was awarded the Oscar for Best Song posthumously, as he had passed away before the premiere of Beauty and the Beast.
6. Alan composed the music for Aladdin (1992)
He was awarded the Oscar for Best Song (A Whole New World) and Best Score.
7. He composed the music for Pocahontas (1995)
He was awarded the Oscar for Best Song (Colors of the Wind) and Best Score for a Musical or Comedy.
8. He composed the music for "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996) and "Hercules" (1997)
9. He composed the music for "Enchanted" (2007) and Tangled (2010).
Menken was again nominated for Academy Awards for his work on these films. More importantly, though, you can blame him whenever you get "That's How You Know" stuck in your head.
