Stacy Widelitz On Writing A “Dirty Dancing” Staple With Patrick Swayze, Winger, Long Island, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter & More
Stacy Widelitz first started working steadily as a musician as a teenager based in the Long Island, New York town of Plainview. He ultimately moved to Los Angeles after penning his first national TV theme at the age of 24 for The Richard Simmons Show. Once based in L.A., he would make a new friend named Patrick Swayze with whom he co-wrote the song “She’s Like The Wind.” The track, as sung by Swayze, wound up on the best-selling Dirty Dancing soundtrack and would lead to Widelitz becoming in an in-demand composer, songwriter, arranger and pianist for film and television for decades to follow.
Since relocated to Nashville, Stacy Widelitz has remained busy within the musical world, but not just as a writer and performer. He got involved in the broader arts community and local government, and in 2016, he ran for office. Widelitz served 4 years as Commissioner in the City of Oak Hill, Tennessee. Furthermore, he has served as Board President of the Nashville Film Festival, ALIAS Chamber Ensemble, Leadership Music and Nashville Opera, and is currently President of Nashville Opera Guild. In recent years, Widelitz has also found success (and proper representation) as a photographer.
On March 4, 2021, I had the pleasure of interviewing Stacy Widelitz via Zoom, as embedded below. Our conversation began with discussion about his Long Island roots — which interestingly included comedy writer Gary Apple and Winger drummer Rod Morgenstein — and eventually moved along to all facets of his career. More on Widelitz can be found online at www.stacywidelitz.com, www.instagram.com/stacywidelitz and www.theartscompany.com/stacy-widelitz.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
Related Posts
Meet Katal1st: Nashville-based Musician, Producer, and Writer →
R&B Legend Jon B and Songstress Jazmine Kicked Off CinePark and MediaCast365’s Partnership at ‘For The Crew’ New Years Eve →
Zeus Network’s Baddies and RocNation’s Kalan.FrFr Attend Sexyy Red OOKA x seven9 After Party →
