Richard Bellis
- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
Born in Pasadena, California, Richard Bellis began his show business
career as a child actor. He worked in movies and television until the
age of 12, then turned all his attentions toward music and left acting
behind. Within months of graduating from high school, he became musical
director for the touring version of the popular rock-and-roll showcase
Shindig! (1964). This was followed
by a stint with Johnny Mathis and ten
years of arranging and conducting for several Las Vegas headliners. In
1976 Bellis left the road and began scoring films on a full-time basis.
He won an Emmy for the score of
Stephen King's
It (1990) and Emmy nominations for
HBO's
Doublecrossed (1991) and
ABC's
Double, Double Toil and Trouble (1993).
In addition to his film scoring career, Bellis is past president of the
Society of Composers and Lyricists; served on the faculty of the
University of Southern California for 17 years, where he lectured in
the Scoring for Television and Motion Pictures program; and acts as
host/mentor for ASCAP's annual Film Scoring Workshop.
