by Steve Dorff
Retirement is not a word in my vocabulary. I feel as if every day poses a new challenge, whether it be reinventing myself musically for the thousandth time or just trying to write that one more great song that I haven’t dreamed up yet. I believe that when you run out of goals, that’s when your career is over. There are those awards I haven’t won, the James Bond movie that I’ve yet to be asked to score, the marquee on Broadway that has yet to put my show’s name on it, and the ultimate honor, as far as I am concerned: the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Every day I wake up to believe that these goals are within reach, and that motivates and inspires me to continue to do what I do.
My girls are older; they love having the house all to themselves with their friends when I’m gone for a short time, as long as I keep money on their ATM cards. I enjoy traveling a bit more, seeing new places, and also seeing a part of the business that was foreign to me for so long from the other side of the piano. I’ve gotten to meet many new people that I never would have crossed paths with, and, who knows, maybe in the near future I’ll meet my next ex-wife.
Again, retirement is not and never will be a part of my vocabulary. I still love writing a song when I have a fresh idea both musically and lyrically, I still love working with great artists and musicians in the studio, and, more than ever, I still enjoy sitting at the piano and getting back in touch with what set me on this journey in the first place. After everything I’ve been able to accomplish to this point of my career, as an arranger, producer, and composer, I am most proud of the fact that over four hundred artists from all over the world—almost fifty of them hall-of-famers—have honored me by singing songs I have written.
I think my mom and dad were proud, although my dad’s validation came much later than I would have wanted it to. Still, it resulted in me encouraging my kids, from a young age, to absolutely and unabashedly follow their dreams. And they know that I will support them in any and every way that I can. Unconditional support makes a difference.
My uncle Norman, the youngest of dad’s three brothers, is also proud. He is now a spry ninety-two years old, and the only living uncle I still have. Every time I see him, he asks me the same question:
“What is it you do again Stevie?”
I always give him the same answer:
“Uncle Norman, I make shit up.”
I sincerely hope that somewhere along the way I touched some people’s hearts and helped them get through whatever they might have been going through in their lives. Music can be a wonderful escape and salvation, as it was for me. God put the gift of song in my heart, and I hope that maybe my music made things a little bit better for people when they most needed to hear it.
Most of all, I’ll just keep waiting for the phone to ring to hear those words I’ll never get tired of hearing:
“Hey, Steve, we just cut one of your songs!”
Acknowledgments
To Stephen, Andrew, Callie, and Kaitlyn: where and how do I begin to tell my children how much they have meant to me in uncountable ways, and how they continue to inspire me every day of my life? Four totally individual and unique personalities, and yet the commonality of all having beautiful hearts. I so appreciate the special individual relationship I have with each of you. Without you in my world there would be no music, and no way I could ever be the person I am. Whether you know it or not, and I’m quite sure you do, being your dad has been the greatest gift, and most beautiful privilege, this life could ever have given me. I love you all so much, and wish all beautiful things for you always.
To Nancy: thank you for being the person you are, and for being there for me throughout the tough times when I was trying to find myself. You are very much alive in all of us.
To Lori: it means more than you know that we can be good friends and have each other’s backs. Thank you.
A very special thanks to all of the talented musicians and recording artists who have honored me by performing my music over the years, and to the songwriters who have shared their talents with me in those many rooms where these songs came to be.
For Snuff: thank you for the belief you had in me from the beginning, all of the many doors you opened, and for giving me a platform to shine. R.I.P.
To my dear friends, and family, too numerous to mention: thank you for the contributions you’ve made to my life.
Hey Colette . . . I could never have accomplished this without you. You made every part of this daunting process fun, and pushed me to remember things about my journey that I had either forgotten or didn’t want to revisit. Thank you!
To Backbeat Books: thank you for encouraging us to share this story. We hope it gives insight to other songwriters and creative people in the arts as to just how tough yet rewarding the struggle and journey can be.
To Michelle Zeitlin: thank you for your passion, patience, and chutzpah. We could not have done this without you.
To all of the contributors listed in this book and to the contributors who are not: Thank you. Thank you for everything. Special thanks to: Elaine Dorff, Henry Dorff, Sherry Gaffney, Gertrude Masse, Francis Dorff, Sharon Freedman, Bob Freedman, David Freedman, Zac Freedman, Dylan Freedman, Brooke Purdy, Hannah Hope, Kim Everett, Jen Prince, Jhenn Webberly, Max Purdy, Scout Purdy, Doug Purdy, Kerry Hart, Maureen Lewis, Sean Hanish, Alfred Molina, Francesca Ferrara, Vanessa Waters, Jade Sealey, Nickella Moschetti, Susan Ziegler, Tegan Summer, Mariana Marron, Myra Stevenson, Mark Hudis, Robyn Peterson, Miriam Von Freedman Troy, Moses Von Freedman Troy, Dippy Troy, Diane Troy, Sydney Bossert, Rebecca Eisenberg, Matthew Friedman, Deb Gallagher, Sue Stahl, Savannah Bloch, Briana Carman, Erica Steinlein, Christian Kennedy, Sundeep Morrison, Stephanie Stockton, Rebekah Burcham, Diana Dezube, Clair Colburn, Emilie Petrone, Ellen Braithwaite, Elan Smolar Eisenberg, Ari Smolar Eisenberg, Harrison Prince, Lyle Prince, August Prince, Gordon Prince, Ginny Hanson, Sally Flanzer, Jerry Flanzer, Joan Gottlieb, Michael Gottlieb, Karen Tenkoff, Claudia Horwitz, Carrie Clifford, Rooney Troy, Rachel Crowl, Tania Nolan, Danny Lippin, Rick Zieff, Margaret Nagle, Sailene Ossman, Jennifer Lee, Stefanie Vaimakis, Alli Steinberg, Merzy Eisenberg, Russ Eisenberg, Julie Eisenberg, Glen Sperling, Curtis Smolar, Carina Eisenberg, Adam Gascoine, Jill Gascoine, Amy Handelman, Steve Cassling, Christopher Cain, Clint Eastwood, Hugh Wilson, John Hughes, Eric Kaz, John Bettis, Linda Thompson, Allan Rich, Marty Panzer, Don Passman, Milton Brown, Margaret Brown, Bo Goldsen, Maribeth Derry, Jim David, Paul Williams, Chris Ledesma, Jim Ed Norman, Shayne Fair, Lenny Roberts, Rick Riccio, John Guess, Doug Rider, Michael Woodrum, Greg Reneau, Sandi Naidoo, Shari Sutcliffe, Debbi Datz, Glen Datz, Dominic Mantuano, Warren Wiebe, Patti Zimmitti, Jay Landers, Bobby Tomberlin, Terri Bjerre, Bruce Phillips, Joe McGuire, Don Stalker, Peter Svenson, Bruce Hinton, Frances Preston, Ron Anton, BMI, Don Blocker, Bill Lowery, Ira Jaffe, Gary Lemel, Cotton Carrier, Doug Frank, Michael Gorfaine, Sam Schwartz, Cheryl Tiano, Roxanne Lippel, Yale Farar, Herb Bernstein, Brad Mallie, Dr. Issac Adatto, Maxine, and Julia and Oren Waters.
Andrew Marshall Dorff
DECEMBER 16, 1976–DECEMBER 19, 2016
On December 19, 2016, I received a phone call that every parent dreads and no parent should ever get. My son Andrew Dorff passed away tragically in an accident while starting his vacation in the Caribbean.
A life cut way too short, but a life so fully and well lived. Andrew spent every waking minute loving what he did. He loved love, he loved playing with words and writing songs with people he considered his heroes, his fellow songwriters. He loved Nashville, and he very much considered it home. He loved his Universal Music family, and all of the many friends he made in the Nashville community.
Most of all, he loved his brother, and he loved his two little sisters, and I know how much he loved me. He told me two or three times a day for forty years.
I couldn’t be more proud of all of his musical accomplishments, but I am so much more proud of the genuine person Andrew was. Genuine, sweet, g
enerous, honest, caring, and loving. I will forever miss his amazing sense of humor; his weekly analysis of the NFL games on Sunday; discussing the endless differences between men and women, even though he seemed to have a much better handle on women than I ever did; and, of course, the many talks we had about songs and music.
At a young age, somewhat in the shadows of his big brother and dad, Andrew Dorff stepped out from those shadows and found the light . . . and, with his own voice, he created a body of work that will live on for decades to come. For forty years I’ve had the honor of being Andrew’s dad. He has brought me nothing but love and joy, and he was simply the best brother, friend, and son that any person could ever hope for.
I like to think that Andrew was an angel loaned to all who knew him and loved him for those forty years. His bright light will forever shine in every heart he ever touched, and I will carry his love in my heart for the rest of my days.
Discography and Accolades
Steve Dorff Songs As Recorded By:
Aaron Neville
“A Little Thing Called Life”
The Tattooed Heart
Al Caiola
“Infinity Blue”
Infinity Blue
Alison Krauss
“The World from Way Up Here”
Annabelle’s Wish
Amanda Marshall
“This Could Take All Night”
Tin Cup
Andy Williams
“Every Time I See Laureen”
Oliver’s Story
Anne Murray
“I Just Fall in Love Again”
New Kind of Feeling
Anne Murray
“I Don’t Think I’m Ready for You”
Heart Over Mind
Anne Murray
“You Set My Dreams to Music”
Somebody’s Waiting
Anne Murray
“If I Ever Fall in Love Again” (w/ Kenny Rogers)
Greatest Hits Vol. II
Barbara Fairchild
“Let Me Love You Once Before You Go”
Mississippi
Barbra Streisand
“I’d Want It to Be You” (w/ Blake Shelton)
Partners
Barbra Streisand
“Higher Ground”
Higher Ground
Barbra Streisand
“It Must Be You”
A Love Like Ours
Beth Neilson Chapman
“In the Moment You Were Mine”
You Hold the Key
Bill Medley
“Friday Night’s a Great Time for Football”
The Last Boy Scout
Billy Dean
“Once in a While”
8 Seconds
Billy Joe Royal
“Summertime Skies”
Summertime Skies
B. J. Thomas
“As Long as We Got Each Other”
Growing Pains
B. J. Thomas
“Expression of Faith”
Back Forward
B. J. Thomas
“Skyline”
Lunch
B. J. Thomas
“We Almost Had It All”
Best of B. J. Thomas
Brenda Lee
“Ruby’s Lounge”
L.A. Sessions
Cactus Brothers
“I’m Gonna Right a Great Country Wrong”
Pure Country
Carol Burnett
“Perfectly Alone”
Lunch
Carpenters
“I Just Fall in Love Again”
Passage
Carpenters
“If I Had You”
Lovelines
Céline Dion
“Miracle”
Miracle
Chad Everett
“You Set My Dreams To Music”
Chad
Charlie Rich
“I’ll Wake You Up When I Get Home”
Every Which Way but Loose
Cher
“Pirate”
Cherished
Christopher Cross
“Swept Away”
Back of My Mind
Christopher Cross
“Is There Something”
Best of Christopher Cross
Clay Walker
“My Heart Will Never Know”
If I Could Make a Living
Clay Walker
“Hypnotize the Moon”
Hypnotize the Moon
Clint Eastwood
“Barroom Buddies”
Bronco Billy
Clint Eastwood
“Beers to You” (w/ Ray Charles)
Any Which Way You Can
Con Hunley
“Oh Girl” (Producer)
Oh Girl
Crystal Gale
“There’s No Love Like Our Love” (w/ Gary Morris)
What If We Fall in Love?
Cymarron
“Start Again”
Rings
David Frizzell
“You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” (w/ Shelly West)
Any Which Way You Can
David Frizzell
“I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home”
The Family’s Fine, But This One’s All Mine
David Frizzell
“Another Honky-Tonk Night on Broadway”
The David Frizzell & Shelly West Album
Davis Gaines
“Time Stands Still”
Lunch
Davis Gaines
“I’ll Love You Back to Life”
Against the Tide
Dionne Warwick
“Easy Love”
No Night So Long
Dolly Parton
“Dump the Dude”
Rainbow
Dolly Parton
“Silent Night”; “Something Bigger Than Me”
Annabelle’s Wish
Donny Osmond
“Echo of Your Whisper”
Four
Dorsey Burnette
“It Happens Everytime”
Dorsey Burnette
Dottie West
“Woman in Love With You”
New Horizons
Dusty Springfield
“Let Me Love You Once Before You Go”
Let Me Love You Once Before You Go
Dusty Springfield
“I Just Fall in Love Again”
Living Without Your Love
Dusty Springfield
“As Long as We Got Each Other”
Growing Pains
Dusty Springfield
“You Set My Dreams to Music”
Something Special
Eddy Arnold
“If Only”
Yes
Eddie Rabbitt
“Every Which Way but Loose”
Every Which Way but Loose
Engelbert Humperdinck
“Definition of Love”; “True Love at Last”
Definition of Love
Eric Carmen
“As Long as We Got Each Other” (w/ Louise Mandrell)
Tonight You’re Mine
Faith Prince
“I’m No Angel”
Lunch
Gary Morris
“Lasso the Moon”
Rustler’s Rhapsody
George Howard
“Spenser: For Hire”
A Nice Place to Be
George Strait
“I Cross My Heart�
��; “Heartland”
Pure Country
George Strait
“The Man in Love with You”
Easy Come, Easy Go
Gladys Knight
“Double or Nothing”
Rocky IV
Glen Campbell
“Any Which Way You Can”
Any Which Way You Can
Glen Campbell
“Any Which Way You Can”
It’s the World Gone Crazy
Greg Lake
“Let Me Love You Once”
Greg Lake
Jackie Wilson
“Where There Is Love”; “Love Changed Her Face”
This Love Is Real
Jennifer Warnes
“As Long as We Got Each Other”
Growing Pains
Jermaine Jackson
“Take Good Care of My Heart” (w/ Whitney Houston)
Jermaine Jackson
Joan Kennedy
“Higher Ground”
Higher Ground
Joe Diffie
“The Way It Never Was”
Mi Amigo
Joe Odom
“Angel Child”
If You Knew Her Like I Do
John Anderson
“I Ride Alone”
Rustler’s Rhapsody
John Travolta
“You Set My Dreams to Music”
Can’t Let You Go
Johnny Mathis
“Never Giving Up on You”
Different Kinda Different
Judy Collins
“Liberte”
Portrait of an American Girl
Katrina Elam
“Dream Big”
“Love Will Still Be There”
Pure Country 2: The Gift
Kenny Loggins
“Double or Nothing”
Rocky IV Soundtrack
Kenny Rogers
“Through the Years”
Share Your Love
Kenny Rogers
“I Want a Son”
Love Will Turn You Around
Kenny Rogers
“After All This Time”
They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To
Kenny Rogers
“If I Ever Fall in Love”
Something Inside So Strong
Kim Carnes
“Waiting for the Pain to Go Away”
Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes