Dennis Scott

Dennis Scott (Music Producer/Writer/Composer/Child Actor) Two-time Grammy Award winning Songwriter/producer/writer/performer Dennis Scott has left no corner of the children's music industry unexplored. His songs have been performed by such diverse artists as Faith Hill, Ray Charles, Sugarland, Allison Kraus, The Muppets, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, Trisha Yearwood, Donna Summer, Charlie Daniels Band, Shari Lewis, Jon Secada, Roberta Flack, Tanya Tucker, Gilbert Gottfried, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, Ben Vereen and others. He's won a Grammy, an Emmy and a Parent's Choice Award and has been nominated for Christian music's Dove award. You hear his work on radio, television, stage, audio books, home videos, recordings, and CD. He writes, produces, and composes custom songs and music for all aspects of the entertainment industry. "I've always been an ideas person and music has always played a prominent role in my life," says Scott. "I enjoy the creative process, so I'm constantly generating new ideas. At the same time, I like doing new projects for clients where I can contribute my own particular brand to the music." For the outgoing and animated Scott, who began his entertainment career at the age of 7 as an actor on Broadway and in television commercials, those challenges--and successes--come from the highly-specialized and lucrative field of children's entertainment In his first serious foray into the genre, Scott scored with a Grammy for his work as producer on Sesame Street Country (1981), a collection of country-flavored kid's tunes. He has had nonstop assignments since, including projects for The BBC, National Child Safety Council, Sony Kids, Walt Disney Records, Random House, Hal Leonard, Scholastic, and the Abingdon Press. His work is also featured on video games and various interactive toys. Scott-penned songs have been featured on television shows ranging from "Who's the Boss" and "The Guiding Light" to "Fame" and "Hee Haw." His "Always a Friend," performed by Ray Charles on an episode of ABC-TV's "Who's the Boss," generated an overwhelming number of inquiries to the show's producers and Scott continues to receive mail from brides asking to use the tune in their weddings. Scott wrote and produced the soundtrack for "Trollies Radio Show Sing-A-Long," which resulted in combined worldwide sales in excess of one million units. The follow-up video, "The All New Trollies Musical Adventure" (for which he also provided the voice of lead character "Rock'n Troll"), garnered him an Emmy Award (Music Composer/Arranger with Lyrics). Scott also earned a Parent's Choice Award for Best Video for Children for his "Ben Vereen's Sing- a-Long." Scott's song "Before You Grow" was personally chosen by Kathie Lee Gifford for inclusion on her 1997 Dove Award-nominated album "Lullabies for Little Ones." The song has also been performed by country songstress Faith Hill on an all-star album "Big Country for One and All." That project also featured The Charlie Daniels Band performing a Scott collaboration, "Playing in the Same Band." A native New Yorker, Scott relocated to Nashville following his work there on his Grammy winning "Sesame Street Country." "Nashville has such a creative and closely-knit music community," he says. "It has great recording studios, great talent and there's usually a parking spot. Who could ask for more?" Scott's own studio serves as the command center for the controlled chaos you would expect from a man whose assignments range from producing a theme song for TV show to coming with a up parodies for a prominent corporation's roast. Dennis has served a music director for the PBS series "Noddy" for which composed and produced over a hundred original songs. Drawing on his experience in the theatre, Dennis enjoys writing music and lyrics that helps develop the show's characters and move the action forward. He is also a contributing writer for "Sesame Street Live" and composed a new score for the "Clifford the Bog Red Dog" live touring show as well as Scholastic's "Magic School Bus." Dennis wears yet another hat. For over ten years he has played with a successful Beatles tribute band known as The WannaBeatles. They have appeared on national television and were Grammy Finalist for their album, "Fab Fan Memoirs - The Beatles Bond." Dennis' career took a pivotal turn when, after viewing a repeat episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," he embarked on an ambitious project to produce an album featuring Fred Rogers' songs performed by celebrity artists. That work resulted in a Grammy award for "Songs from the Neighborhood - Music and Memories." More awards came thirteen years later when Dennis created "Thank You, Mister Rogers - Music & Memories" featuring performances by Rita Wilson, Lee Greenwood, Sandi Patty, Kellie Pickler, Vanessa Williams, Jim Brickman, Jaci Velasquez, Micky Dolenz (of The Monkees), Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr (of The Fifth Dimension), The Cowsills, Tom Bergeron, and Jon Secada. But for Dennis, it's just another happy day at the playground. "When your childhood heroes are people like Danny Kaye, Jack Benny, and Jerry Lewis, you can't help but have a silly side to you. Creating and producing music, particularly children's music, allows me to be as silly and creative as I want to be... "Now that's my kind of job description!"