Question: How long did it take you and Barbra Streisand to write "Evergreen"?

Paul Williams: Well, actually we didn't write it together. When I went to work on A Star Is Born, Barbra had already written the music that became "Evergreen". Before I wrote the songs that Barbra sang, Kenny Ascher and I wrote all the songs for Kris Kristopherson's character. The last song that I wrote some eight weeks later, was "Evergreen".

Question: Hey man what's up? I love your stuff and think yer the greatest, so what's next in the long life of Paul Williams?

Paul Williams: I have a new movie coming out, actually a couple of films. One is a very dark comedy called "Headless Body in Topless Bar" directed by a young man named James Bruce and starring among others, Taylor Nichols from Barcelona. It's a hostage comedy drama based on an actual New York Post Headline. I play an old alcoholic whose entire life is going to a topless bar. He's wheelchair bound and taken hostage at a robbery there.

There's also another film coming called "Marcus IV" a science fiction film with John Savage and stars Bentley Mitchum. I also have various television guest appearances in the can, including a two part "Dream On" and "A Walker Texas Ranger.."

Question: With all the songs you've written...do you have a favorite? And is it because it has sentimental value to you?

Paul Williams: Yeah, my favorite songs aren't necessarily the ones that became hits. Sometimes a song that was never a hit might be a favorite because of who recorded it. For example, there's a song called "A Perfect Love" (click here for the lyrics of this song) that Ray Charles recorded. Another called "Where Do I Go From Here," which Elvis recorded.

I don't think anyone remembers those songs but me, but they were real high points in my career to have singers that I idolized record something of mine. Also a song called "Dream Away"(click here for the lyrics of this song) that I wrote with John Williams that Frank Sinatra recorded.

Of the songs that are well known, I think my favorites are "I Won't Last A Day Without You" by the Carpenters, and probably my all-time favorite, "The Rainbow Connection" (click here for the lyrics of this song) by Kermit The Frog.

Question: Paul, What high school did you go to?

Paul Williams: I graduated from Woodrow Wilson in Long Beach, CA in, yikes, 1958!

Question: Did you start out singing or acting?

Paul Williams: I was an actor first. My first film in 1963 was a very strange comedy called "The Loved One". It was a film about the funeral business, which starred among others, Sir John Guilgud, my old friend Jonathan Winters, and Robert Morse. I played a boy genius.

Question: How did you first get hooked-up with Jim Henson? Your songs were just perfect for his characters!

Paul Williams: Thank you. I went to England in the mid '70s to do The Muppet Show. I was a huge fan of the muppets and subsequently fell in love with Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and the other muppeteers. Jim asked me if I'd be interested in writing the songs for a one hour cable show called "Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas." That was about three years before we joined forces again to make "Muppet Movie".

Although I had written the words and music to the songs in Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas, I knew I wanted to collaborate with Kenny Ascher on something as important as the Muppet's first feature. Kenny and I had written a song called "You and Me Against The World" together, and Jim thought he would make a great addition to our team.

It's amazing to think that just 12 years later I wound up making their Muppet feature with Jim's son Brian, as classy a man as his father was.

Question: Paul, I am a songwriter and find it difficult at times to compose if I don't have lyrics to "compose by". How do you write? Lyrics first, music first, or both?

Paul Williams: Usually when I collaborate with someone, they write a melody and give it to me to write lyrics to. When I write words and music myself I seem to get the beginning of the idea, words and music all together, but inevitably finish the music first. Writing lyrics is the harder task for me, even if it's perhaps, what I'm best known for.

Writing in Nashville seems to be the exception to that rule. In Nashville writers tend to get in a room together, lock the door, and not come out until they've got a song.

Question: What was it like working with Karen Carpenter? Was her voice as incredible in the studio as on the records?

Paul Williams: Yes. Karen was a great gift to all of us, and a terrible loss. I usually stay out of the studio when someone is recording my songs. My feeling is that they're not looking over my shoulder when I'm writing, so I shouldn't be looking over their shoulder when they're recording.

So most of Karen's recording was done with just her brother in the booth. But what a treat to hear her sing my songs! I remember when Roger Nichols and I heard "Rainy Days And Mondays" for the first time by Karen. We were so happy we cried.

Question: How did your upbringing relate to your success in the field of music?

Paul Williams: I was raised a construction brat, constantly moving from town to town. I think I always lived a large part of my life in my imagination, and in my own internal fantasy world. As I grew older, I think the songs I wrote in many cases were anthems for fantasy relationships. Of course, the older I get, I suppose the more real the songs become.

Question: Do you find today's songwriters, music, more violent and less romantic?

Paul Williams: There are so many different kinds of music being made, from the urban poetry of Rap and Hip Hop to the kind of hard core love songs that groups like Boyz II Men continue to sing. It's interesting that a simple twist of the dial can take you from such hard core gangster rap to a song like I Swear that is pure fantasy romance, and very beautiful I think.

Question: Did you write Watch Closely Now? That song is great.

Paul Williams: Yes. That was one of the first songs that Kenny Ascher and I wrote for A Star Is Born. The next to last song we wrote for A Star Is Born was called "With One More Look At You." I love the way those two songs work together in the finale of A Star Is Born. I'm very proud of that.

Question: Thanks for many years of wonderful music. I also look forward to your new work. I'd like to know the best way to get a composition or song heard by someone who might want to record it, produce it or bring it to an artist's attention? Thank you!

Paul Williams: I still think the best way to get a song to an artist is through a major publishing company. If you approach a publishing company with your songs, I might suggest a couple of things: 1) Send a tape of your songs to yourself registered mail before you play your material for anyone else. It's a cheap way to copyright your material. 2) Send a tape and lyric sheet of no more than three songs to any one publisher. Don't send them everything you've written, no matter how good you think it is.

There is an organization called The National Academy of Songwriters that publishes tip sheets of who's recording. You might investigate joining that organization.

Question: I really liked Phantom of the Paradise do you ever think of doing a sequel?