After starting his songwriting career as a teenager Randy Newman began recording as a singer and pianist in 1968 with his self-titled album. Throughout the 1970s he released several other acclaimed albums such as: 12 Songs Sail Away and Good Old Boys. In addition to his solo recordings and regular international touring Newman began composing and scoring for films in the 1980s. The list of movies he has worked on since then includes The Natural Awakenings Ragtime all three Toy Story pictures Seabiscuit James and the Giant Peach A Bug s Life and most recently Disney/Pixar s Monsters University the prequel to Monsters Inc.(which he also scored).