Happy Birthday Marc Shaiman

Born this day in 1959, Marc Shaiman rose to prominence as an arranger and musical director for Bette Midler in the mid-1980s, even appearing in a cameo as her piano player in Beaches (1988); he co-produced Midler's biggest hit to date, Wind Beneath My Wings which comes from the soundtrack to that movie.

Shaiman has since parlayed his early success into a career composing music for the movies, most often comedies, beginning with Broadcast News (1987) and including such recent classics as The Addams Family (1991), The First Wives Club (1996), and Team America: World Police (2004). While early in his career he often worked with Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner, and Garry Marshall, in recent years Shaiman is known for his work with Matt Stone and Trey Parker, co-writing such enduring classics as Uncle Fucka and Blame Canada.

Already the winner of a Tony and a Grammy for his work on the musical Hairspray, he has likewise won an Emmy for his work with Billy Crystal on the Academy Awards telecast. Despite five Oscar nominations he's never won, proof that there's no gay Mafia running Hollywood.

Since 1979 his collaborator in life as well as at work has been Scott Wittman.
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