Albums:
Bio:
Having written songs for Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, The Sisters of Mercy, The Jacksons, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Shawn Colvin, Roxanne Seeman may be seen as one of the more eclectic songwriters of the 21st century.
Roxanne received a B.A. at Columbia University in Oriental Studies, Arts and Language. She spent nights in New York jazz clubs and found her way into records when Dee Dee Bridgewater recorded the Ramsey Lewis instrumental "Tequila Mockingbird" with Seeman's lyrics. Larry Dunn of Earth, Wind & Fire wrote the tune and George Duke produced the record.
When asked what Roxanne has done with her education, "I wrote 'Walking On The Chinese Wall' with my partner, Billie Hughes. We met just after I returned from China and he from Japan. Feeling inspired by the East, Billie asked me to write something Chinese for a new piece he had composed."
Roxanne's partnership in 1983 with recording artist and songwriter/composer Billie Hughes marked the beginning of a long and successful career of recording, producing and songwriting.
"Walking On The Chinese Wall" is one of their most novel songs, resulting in the title track, chart single and video for Philip Bailey's "Chinese Wall" album produced by Phil Collins. In 1985, Philip Bailey received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Male Vocal for "Chinese Wall."
In September 2004, the first pop concert in history was staged on the Great Wall of China outside of Beijing with Alicia Keyes headlining. Roxanne Seeman and Billie Hughes' song "Walking On The Chinese Wall" by Philip Bailey produced by Phil Collins was the finale of the event and upcoming broadcast and DVD.
Roxanne has also achieved success in Europe and Asia, writing lyrics for international songs recognized as contemporary standards in their native language. Barbra Streisand recorded Seeman's "Let's Start Right Now", a Brasilian song with her original English lyric. "Let's Start Right Now" appeared as bonus song on Streisand's "If You Ever Leave Me" single.
In collaboration with Sarah Brightman and Frank Peterson, Seeman wrote "Harem", new, original English lyrics for Cancao do Mar, the Portuguese fado (written in 1956) featured in the film, Primal Fear. Sarah Brightmans Harem album stays in the Billboard top 10 Crossover Classical chart for over 80 weeks as Sarah Brightman spans the globe with the Harem World Tour, her PBS Harem Special broadcasts, and her Live From Las Vegas Harem World Tour DVD is released. Harem (Lehman & Rivera Mixes) dance single charts at ..1 on the Hot Dance Club Play Billboard Chart.
Phil Ramone produced Diane Schuur's "I'd Fly", a French song by Richard Cocciante with Roxanne's original English lyric."I'd Fly" has been recorded by several international artists in addition to the new release. "Pour Elle", the original French song, was a hit in French, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch. Ahmet Ertegun chose "I'd Fly" for Diane and also produced a recording.
Roxanne's works have been incorporated in film, television, video, and records. Her "So Hard To Know" was written by request for Chet Baker. It appears in the Oscar-nominated documentary "Let's Get Lost", Bruce Weber's tribute to Chet Baker's life and music.
From Williams Ross' theme for The Young Black Stallion, Roxanne and Gavin Greenaway developed and produced the song "Born To Ride" sung by Biana Tamimi, 11 year old actress of the movie, for the DVD release December 2004.
Roxanne wrote "Hold On To The Good Things" for "Stuart Little 2", recorded by Grammy-winning artist Shawn Colvin. "Hold On To The Good Things" appears as the second end-credit song.
With Earth, Wind & Fire, Seeman wrote "Cruisin'" for Spike Lee's "Get On The Bus." A collaboration with Eric Levi of ERA and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire resulted in the end-title song of the hit French film "La Vengeance d'Une Blonde".
February 19, 1994, “The Jackson Family Honors†live ABC telecast from Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel features Roxanne Seeman, Billie Hughes, and Jermaine Jackson’s song “If You’d Only Believe†thematically, with a finale performance including Michael Jackson, guest artists Celine Dion and others.
Seeman and Hughes' efforts achieved international fame in Japan in 1991; the couple wrote and produced Hughes' "Welcome to the Edge" ..1 single and album. "Welcome To The Edge" remained on Billboard's Japan Top 10 chart for four months, selling 520,000 copies. Seeman and Hughes received ..1 International Single of the Year at the NHK Grand Prix Awards in Japan (equivalent of the United States Grammy's).
Billie Hughes "Welcome to the Edge" album was released in Southeast Asia and the song has been recorded by numerous prominent Japanese and Chinese artists. In August 2004, Fuji TV releases "Mou Daremo Aisenai" with Billie Hughes "Welcome To The Edge" and "Ai To Lu Namae Nomo To Ni" with Billie Hughes "Dreamlove" on DVD.
In 1991, Bette Midler released Seeman & Hughes' "Night And Day", a chart single and music video. In the same year, "Welcome to the Edge" received an Emmy nomination for Best Original Song in the TV drama Santa Barbara. In 1992, Seeman and Hughes received a second Emmy nomination for Best Original Song for "Dreamlove" in the TV drama "Another World."
Roxanne has collaborated with many artists, composers and songwriters including Carmine Coppola, Arif Mardin, David Lasley, Richard Cocciante, William Ross, Gavin Greenaway, Jermaine Jackson, The Sisters of Mercy, Holly Knight, Maurice White and Philip Bailey. Her works have been produced by such luminaries as Phil Collins, Arif Mardin, Phil Ramone and Michael Omartian; and performed by Barbra Streisand, The Jacksons, Bette Midler, Chaka Khan, Chet Baker, Sarah Brightman, Melissa Manchester, Randy Crawford, The Four Tops, Phyllis Hyman, The Manhattans, Diane Schuur, the hit Japanese duo Wink and Billie Hughes, amongst many others.
Currently, Roxanne has been collaborating internationally with artists, producers, and writers throughout Europe and Asia.
The re-release of Bruce Weber's "Let's Get Lost" Chet Baker documentary was premiered in London on June 5th, 2008.
