RIP Joseph Brooks

c.m. Suicide


Joseph Brooks (March 11, 1938 – May 22, 2011) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, and composer. He composed the hit song "You Light Up My Life" for the film of the same name that he also wrote, directed, and produced.


In the 1960s Brooks was a composer of advertising jingles, including highly successful ones for Pepsi, "You've Got a Lot to Live", and Maxwell House, "Good to the Last Drop Feeling".


In October 1977 "You Light Up My Life" reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 popularity charts where it held the top position for 10 consecutive weeks, which was then the longest run at #1 in the chart's history. With sales of over four million copies in the United States alone, the song ultimately became the biggest hit of the 1970s. It also hit #1 Adult Contemporary and was even a Top 10 "Country" single. The passionate ballad also earned Brooks a Grammy Award for Song of the Year as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award and an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Award. The song was Debby Boone's first solo hit record and only Top 40 Pop hit.


Brooks also composed music for the film The Lords of Flatbush and co-produced Eddie and the Cruisers.


He had received numerous Clio Awards for his jingles, as well as a People's Choice Award.


In June 2009, Joseph Brooks was accused of sexual assault by four different women over incidents that occurred between March and May 2008. He allegedly lured the women to his apartment to audition for movie roles. Often, the women responded to a notice that Brooks had posted on Craigslist and flew to New York from across the United States at Brooks’ expense, the dis­trict attorney’s account said. He was indicted on June 23, 2009. He was being tried by Manhattan's state Supreme Court for 91 counts and charged with rape, sexual abuse, criminal sexual act, assault, and other charges.


He is survived by two children, Amanda and Nicholas. Nicholas was at the time of Brooks' death awaiting trial in New York City on the charge of murder.

Sources: Wiki, Us