(FOX 2) - Allee Willis, a songwriter whose work included the Broadway musical \"The Color Purple\" as well as the theme song from the TV show \"Friends\" and Earth, Wind & Fire's \"September,\" has died. She was 72.<\/p>\n
Her publicist told The New York Times the cause of death was a cardiac event.<\/p>\n
She leaves behind countless works, but when she appeared on FOX 2 earlier this year she said the hit song 'September' put her on the map and gave her financial independence.<\/p>\n
Willis was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. She won a Grammy more than 30 years ago and had been nominated for Tony and Emmy awards.<\/p>\n
Willis grew up in Detroit on the sounds of Motown.<\/p>\n
\"Allee was a big songwriter,\" says Thomas McDonough. \"She couldn't sing, and she couldn't could not do a musical note but that woman could write.\"<\/p>\n
Like so many around the globe, music producer, TV host and record label owner Thomas McDonough woke up Christmas Day to learn that Allee, a native Detroiter who went to Mumford High School had passed away.<\/p>\n
She leaves behind countless works, but when she appeared on FOX 2 earlier this year she said the hit song \"September\" put her on the map and gave her financial independence.<\/p>\n
\"By the end of the year that started with the food stamps, I had sold over 10 million records,\" she told us.<\/p>\n
Thomas says for Willis, her heart was always in Detroit even when she relocated to California - and part of her love for Detroit was Motown.<\/p>\n
\"I was obsessed with Motown as a kid, which I think a lot of kids living in Detroit were,\" she told us on The Nine.<\/p>\n
Those who knew Willis say her connection to Motown was through a large number of musicians who worked there.<\/p>\n
\"She wrote with all the Motown writers way back when, but she didn't get credit for all the songs because she was co-writing on them,\" McDonough says.<\/p>\n
And although Willis leaves behind a massive amount of work, Thomas says she will also be remembered for having a kind heart.<\/p>\n
\"The woman was very giving; she would give you the shirt off her back.\"<\/p>\n
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Songwriter and Detroit native Allee Willis dies at 72 - FOX 2 Detroit<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (FOX 2) - Allee Willis, a songwriter whose work included the Broadway musical \"The Color Purple\" as well as the theme song from the TV show \"Friends\" and Earth, Wind & Fire's \"September,\" has died. She was 72. Her publicist told The New York Times the cause of death was a cardiac event Continue reading