Simply: A Lifetime of Lyrics

by Bruce Kimmel

Bruce Kimmel has had a long and varied career as an actor, director, writer, and Grammy-nominated record producer. But whenever people have heard one of his songs, the invariable response is, "I had no idea you wrote songs." And so, for his twentieth book and third book of non-fiction, Kimmel presents a book of his lyrics, lyrics written over five and-
a-half decades.

Kimmel began writing music and lyrics when he was fifteen. Since then, has written many musicals, has written songs for cable TV and films, including his 1970s cult movie musical smash, The First Nudie Musical, and is still the only person to have ever had a backer's audition for a show on national television, specifically his first original musical, Start at the Top, on The Merv Griffin Show. This book's title, Simply, is the title of his MAC Award-winning song. Many of his songs have been recorded, many of his shows have cast albums, and this book is filled with lyrics that are funny, touching, and clever. They are lyrics that tell stories, and they are lyrics that are filled with craft and style. But it's not only the lyrics, it's the stories behind the lyrics - how the songs were shaped, details about the shows and films, and explanations of how and why he writes in the way he does.

Culled from his shows, films, TV shows, and standalone songs, these lyrics are indeed a lifetime of lyrics and a lifetime in lyrics.

534 pages, Hardcover

Published April 7, 2020

About the author

Bruce Kimmel wrote, directed and starred in the cult movie hit, The First Nudie Musical (available on a Special Edition Blu-ray). He also co-created (with David Wechter) the story for the hit film, The Faculty, directed by Robert Rodriguez. As an actor, Mr. Kimmel guest-starred on most of the long-running television shows of the 1970s.

Since 1993, Mr. Kimmel has been one of the leading producers of theatre music on CD, having produced over 180 albums. He was nominated for a Grammy for producing the revival cast album of Hello, Dolly! and his album with jazz pianist Fred Hersch, I Never Told You, was also nominated for a Grammy. He has produced solo albums for Petula Clark, Helen Reddy, Jason Graae, Liz Callaway, Christiane Noll, Rebecca Luker, Brent Barrett, Sally Mayes, and many others. He has a successful record label, Kritzerland.

His musical, The Brain From Planet X (written with David Wechter) has been seen in Los Angeles, New York, the UK, Canada (in both French and English), Australia and other fun places. Most recently, he is the creator/writer/director of the new short form comedy series Sami, now showing on Amazon Prime Video and garnering rave reviews and several festival wins around the country for Best Web Series.

Mr. Kimmel is the author of twenty-seven books – his acclaimed Benjamin Kritzer trilogy (Benjamin Kritzer, Kritzerland, and Kritzer Time), the mysteries Writer’s Block and Rewind, his seven Adriana Hofstetter mysteries (Murder At Hollywood High, Murder At The Grove, Murder At The Hollywood Historical Society, and Murder At The Masquers, Murder at the School Musical, Murder at the Hollywood Division, and Murder at the Magic Castle), Patrick Bronstein Presents, Thrill Ride, his collection of short fiction, How To Write A Dirty Book and Other Stories, Red Gold, his two memoirs (There's Mel, There's Woody, and There's You - My Life In The Slow Lane and the follow up, Album Produced By... More of my Rollercoaster Life). GEE, Simply: A Lifetime of Lyrics, Some Days Are Murder, and its sequel, Tis the Season to Be Murdered, Preview Harvey, the new Benjamin Kritzer novel, Kritzer World, Directed by, Vegas Can Be Murder, and Richard and Me.