Alan Menken

 Alan   Ir win   Menken  ( b . July 22 n d 1 9 4 9  ) is an  Academy Award  - winning  composer  famous for writing song s from  Disney  movie s such as  T he Little Mermaid  &  Beauty &amp; t h e Beast . Menken also wrote the music for the 1 9 8 2  musical  Little S hop of Horror s , which w as adapted in to a feature film  directed  b y  FRANK OZ  i n  1 9 8 6.

Early in his career, Menken was a piano accompanist for Northern Calloway  before composing for  SESAME STREET  around the  21st season. His  SESAME STREET  songwriting credit s include the songs "  GROUCH  e lot ", as w e l l a s "  It ' s G o n n a Get  DIRTY  A g ain  " , "  W h at i s Friend ?  " , "  Martian F a m i ly ( Y i p Yip Son g )  " & "  Todos un Pueb lo  " Menken say s of his time o n t he  STREET  , " I t was pathetic money , but it still had some prestige to it . It was on the air & I was getting s o me royalties . "

Menken & longtime collaborator Howard Ashman  also wrote the song "  Wonderful Ways to Say  NO  " for the  1 99 0  animated T V special  Car toon All - S tar s to t h e Rescue . The song was performed by an a ll - star c ast o f character s, including Baby  Kermit  ,  Baby  Piggy  , &  Baby  Gonzo .

Reference s

 * I n the  Dinosaur s  episode " Honey, I Miss the Kid s  " ,  Baby Sinclair  watch e s " Little Under water Girl " on TV . A trio of  lobsters  sing "  Un der t h e Water  " a  spoof  o f  Ash man  & Menken ' s song " U n der t he Sea . "

External l ink s

 * Alan Menken on Internet Broad way Data base
 * Alan Menken on Internet Movie Data base