There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.
As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jimmy Dunne.
Jimmy Dunne is a Celebrity Songwriter, Producer, and Author of “Jimmy Dunne Says.” A modern-day Renaissance man, Jimmy Dunne is a songwriter with dozens of gold and platinum records — with songs on twenty-eight million records worldwide. His themes, scores, and songs have graced over a thousand television episodes, several hit movies, university alma maters, and songs in the Olympic Games. He’s had screenwriting and producing credits on hit television series, written an award-winning children’s book, recorded numerous solo records as a piano artist, and founded successful music and branding companies. Now, he shares his new memoir “Jimmy Dunne Says,” which is a collection of-feel good stories and life-lessons, how to navigate this very tumultuous climate we are all living in with a little more ease and a plethora of compelling stories from his life.
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?
I’m the luckiest guy in the world continuing to enjoy an eclectic career, spinning various plates in the worlds of arts and business.
Anything that ever happened to me all goes back to my growing up days in La Grange, Illinois — raised in an Irish, Catholic family of seven kids in a town swimming with kids, parks, happy, sports, churches and schools, and spectacular loving families.
And I hit the jackpot, being born into the best one of all. Fantastic brothers and sisters, and a mom and dad who loved us and respected us.
The soil in La Grange, Illinois was so hearty. So full of good stuff. Maple and elm trees blanketed the homes of my best pals, of dads who took the train every day to downtown Chicago, and of moms who selflessly devoted their lives to the joy of their kids.
Lucky, lucky me.
The last job I had was shoveling my neighbor’s driveway in high school.
Since then, every other job has been something I’ve felt privileged to be able to do.
In high school, busboy gigs snowballed into playing the piano at the country club and at lots of other spots in town. Barely being good enough to play on the Kentucky tennis team allowed me to teach tennis in the summer months at the suburban country clubs — and being the Head Tennis Professional at one of them.
College days at U. of Kentucky were an amazing canvas. For academics in the arts and sciences, for love, for friendships, for music, and for learning a lot about how life works.
After college at U. of Kentucky, I drove my part-car, part-tin can Mazda GLC out to California — where I didn’t know one single person. But I had a bellyful of dreams about a life in songwriting and television.
Good grades afforded me to get a job when I drove into Los Angeles as the Tutor of the SAE Fraternity at USC. For a whopping $1,500 for the year.
I don’t think I ever tutored a single fraternity kid, but I did meet a handful of the greatest guys who have become my best pals in my life.
A dad of a little boy who I taught tennis lessons in the suburbs got me an interview with TV producer Garry Marshall — the biggest TV producer in the country. Garry was writing and producing “Happy Days,” “Laverne and Shirley,” and many, many more.
He didn’t give me a job, but I talked him into a deal. I’d teach him tennis for 50 minutes — and he’d give me a 5-minute writing lesson.
The 5-minute ‘writing lessons’ quickly evolved into 10 minutes, into an hour. After a few months, it was pouring rain, and Garry said to come over anyways, and we sat in his kitchen, and he ‘opened the vault’ to all the scripts he had written on all TV shows and films. All with a clear perspective on ‘the art of story.’
Turned into a lifetime mentorship on the art of storytelling — and a whole lot more. As a green 22-year-old kid, he gave me “keys” to the Paramount doors — sound stages, music studios, editing rooms, writing rooms, casting offices, executive offices, you name it. He said, “All the keys do is open the door. You gotta do the rest.”
A “golpher” job on “Happy Days” evolved into writing and producing shows; and writing songs, scores, and themes for many hit shows at Paramount and all around town.
While landing music in over a thousand television episodes and a number of hit films, I got some lucky breaks with some songs I was writing for various artists in the pop and country worlds.
Anne Murray and Dave Loggins (from the band “Boston”) had a big country hit with “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” with legendary producer Jim Ed Norman, who went on to generously arrange and record other hits for me as well. Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson cut the same song with Clive Davis, which won a bunch of awards.
Loverboy, Janet Jackson (on “Fame” at the time), “Take Six” (Grammy-winning record), and many others cut songs across the Pop, Rock, R&B, and Country worlds.
Along the way, I’ve had the absolute honor of collaborating with many heroes and many of the most talented creative songwriters, producers, arrangers, artists, and musicians in the country.
Kenny Rogers had a hit with “When You Put Your Heart in It,” also the Official Song of USA Gymnastics. It was performed at the White House, on numerous network specials, and on the American Music Awards (with the entire gold-medal team performing on stage). It was a fun ride with Kenny and those talented kids.
It continues to be a ride full of surprises — with collaborations and opportunities across genres and disciplines in the arts and sciences that I never, ever imagined.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The first “gig” was in an eighth-grade rock band, “The Sunsetters.” I borrowed a Farfisa organ from David Hasselhoff (from “Bay Watch”), who lived a block away.
I just joined the band that weekend, so I didn’t know any of the songs for a “sock hop” at Cletus Grade School in town. So I didn’t plug the Farfisa organ in — and just faked it.
After our big set of four songs, four cute girls were standing on the edge of the stage, looking up at me and telling me I was fabulous. That’s when I knew I wanted to be in the music business.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
It sounds so corny, but it’s true. There is no substitute for hard work.
This kid, a few years older than me, was at Notre Dame at the time and a town hero. Had it all going on. I asked him how he did it. He said something I never forgot. “I just show up,” he said. “Show up to class. Show up to work out. To do my homework. To go to bed. I show up.”
There’s something to that.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
First thought would be the first two people I ever met. My Mom and Dad.
As my Mom said, “The only gift greater than love you can give your child is respect.”
My dad taught me how to play every sport known to man. “Sports” was a broad word. Included things like being an altar boy. Shoveling snow. Shaking hands.
Every day as a kid as I’d head out the back door, my dad would be smiling giving me a light crack on the back of the head, “Don’t forget to be a Dunne.” My mom would follow me out to my bike. Hug me and tell me, “Be nice.”
It was that one-two punch. Stuck to my ribs.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
One of my favorite country songwriters, Rory Bourke, used to say, “Songwriters are God’s psychiatrists.”
The challenge of writing a song is to, out of the thin air, create something that’s three minutes long — that emotionally moves a complete stranger in some way. Makes ’em cry, inspires ’em, pumps ’em up, something.
But the joy, the high, when it works, is so incredibly rewarding.
Success, in a few creative areas along the way, has afforded me to continue to pursue things that both try to make the world a better place — while tapping into gifts I was lucky enough to be born with.
I’m very grateful.
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
The book I recently wrote, “Jimmy Dunne Says,” is really a response to the times. To these brittle, anxious days with an unprecedented divisiveness in our country. And it’s all creating a layer of soot in the air in family relationships, friends’ relationships, work behaviors, you name it.
The book is a collection of short essays meant to remind us that life is so incredibly wonderful. That we are all so blessed — in so, so many ways.
And how the best way to give back is to give back right in our own backyards.
In our relationships with our families. Our friends. Our neighbors. Our towns.
The book really isn’t stories about me; it’s stories that hopefully pull readers back into moments in their own lives.
The book has only been out a few months, and the response has been amazing. I’m so incredibly excited that the book is hitting a nerve…
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
Here’s one.
Lorraine Colich.
She’s 97. Plays in our town’s bocce leagues — I founded the league and run it. The leagues are in Veterans Gardens in the town park in Pacific Palisades.
A number of stories in print, on TV, and across new media have gone viral all over the country about these bocce leagues. Many of the players and teams are senior citizens — seniors in their seventies, eighties, and nineties.
Over a thousand folks in town in the past three years have played in the bocce leagues! It’s absolutely crazy. Beyond my wildest imagination.
As Billy Crystal said at our ground-breaking event, “Seniors are the fastest-growing demographic in our wonderful town.”
But here’s the wild thing. It has nothing to do with bocce.
It’s a yearning to belong. It’s about yearning for community in our lives.
It’s a medicine to that age-old saying that “the biggest killer of old people is loneliness.”
Lorraine won the biggest award in the league last year. Stood up in front of a few hundred in the league at the Awards Party with her award.
Took the mic and said with a tear in her eye, “Two years ago, my husband died. And my son died. My friends were all dead. I had a lot of serious medical problems. I looked in the mirror and decided maybe it was time to go.
And who would have guessed. Along came… bocce.
Next thing you know, I’m on a team. In a uniform. Met new friends. At dinner parties, traveling away on weekends…
My Award? All of you are my Award.”
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Regarding my book? Sure!
- Buy books as gifts for your family and friends!
- Go out to dinner with your best pals, and all make toasts to yourself — talking about absolutely wonderful and beautiful you are.
Why do you think music, in particular, has the power to create social change and create a positive impact on humanity?
Music is so pure.
There’s something that I learned about storytelling, in any form, a long, long time ago.
If it’s not emotionally truthful, you have no shot.
But every once in a great, great while, you catch one. You catch a song.
It starts with a great melody. A melody that takes you somewhere. And, then, with that melody as your frame, you tell a story that is a reflection of who you are — and expresses something real. Something lasting. Something authentic.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started?”
- It’s okay if you wet your pants in right field in little league games. Nobody remembers. Almost nobody.
- Wake up early. The birds have it right.
- Invest real, real early in Microsoft, Tesla, Apple and NVIDIA.
- Never settle for anything but extraordinary, In your work. In your integrity. In your relationships. In everything.
- Don’t believe your parents. Your teachers. Your friends. Listen to them all. Very carefully. Then believe in yourself.
You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I’d be happiest guy in the world if “Jimmy Dunne Says” hit a nerve like “Chicken Soup for the Soul.”
A lot of sparks are flying. I’m really excited.
I’m leaning in right now to do everything I can, and use every relationship I can — to see where this can go.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
Probably a quote from one of my greatest heroes, Mr. Rogers.
“There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.”
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the U.S. with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Here are a few I’d absolutely love to have a private breakfast with. If you can arrange it, I owe you big.
Carl Sagan. Will Rogers. Albert Einstein. Jesus of Nazareth. Patrick William Dunne. Beethoven. Eratosthenes. Joseph Campbell. Mr. Rogers. Democritus. My Mom and Dad.
Unfortunately, they’re not so easy to reach. But “tag ‘em.”
You never know!
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
Music Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Jimmy Dunne Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.