#ThrowbackThursday: “Friend Like Me” by Robin Williams

As I’m sure you are aware by now, earlier this week the world lost a great comedian and actor in Robin Williams. What makes this sudden loss even tougher to stomach is that it seems that the 63-year-old Williams took his own life by committing suicide. It is no secret that Robin Williams struggled for some time with depression. He spoke about it openly at times during interviews. It is also no secret that he struggled with alcohol and drug addiction in his life. Perhaps his past battles with addiction were born out of him trying to self-medicate in an effort to try and cope with his depression. We may never know the reasons as to why Robin Williams apparently took his own life earlier this week, and with it the smiles he brought to so many of our faces, but we can use this tragic loss of life as an opportunity to celebrate a very memorable part of his career, and shine a light on the very dark issues of depression and suicide.

In the year 2011 alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 39,581 Americans committed suicide. That is an astoundingly high number. To put it in perspective, more people die in suicides than in car accidents in each year. It means that on average in 2011, 108 people took their own lives each day. The rate of suicide in this country is quite sobering when you actually sit back and truly realize how prevalent it is in our society. While Robin Williams’ apparent suicide has left the whole country reeling with heartache, there are over 100 other suicides that occur each and every day that go largely unnoticed but are just as tragic and heartbreaking for the families that are left dealing with their effects. Many of these suicides are directly linked to depression, which is a mental health condition that affects a reported 1 in 10 Americans according to the CDC. While there is often a stigma associated with depression, it is recognized as a disease. It can occur in people due to genetics as well as environmental reasons. If there is any proverbial “silver lining” that can come out of the tragic death of Robin Williams, I believe that it will come with our society taking a step back and using his  death as an opportunity to reflect and have a real discussion about the serious issues of depression and suicide.

With that being said, I would like to take this time to remember Robin Williams in the more joyous light of  when he lent his voice to the animated character of the Genie for Wa;t Disney Pictures’ 31st Animated classic, Aladdin. In the 1992 film Robin used his unique brand of quick witted humor to bring the shape shifting fast talking, and ultimately sensitive personality to life. The film’s directors Ron Clements and John Musker were inspired by Robin’s comedy stylings when creating the version of Aladdin’s Genie that we know today. Clements and Musker looked to Robin’s stand up comedy for inspiration to help turn the Genie into what they called a “transforming stand up comedian.” To help sell Robin on the project the Genie’s animator, Eric Goldberg even used one of his old stand up comedy albums as the voice of an early animation test to present to Robin. Robin’s ability to transform into different characters with improv greatly influenced the animators when using his recording sessions for inspiration. This unique contemporary  style of humor was then cast upon the look and feel of the entire film, taking Disney animation into new territory both with the film’s story and music.

Robin contributed two songs to the film’s Grammy Award winning soundtrack. Those songs were, “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali.” Both were greatly influenced by Robin’s driving force behind the Genie’s personality. I have chosen to focus on “Friend Like Me”, the Genie’s theme, which can also serves as the soundtrack  to Robin’s loving and out going personality put into the character that we remember so well.

 The song was originally designed as a big band-styled number. However, after Robin  was cast, it was retooled as a more comedic , pop culture-filled song. It would later go on to earn an  Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Williams was also awarded a Special Achievement Award for the role at the 1993 Golden Globe Awards. The soundtrack album for Aladdin is still  is one of the best-selling soundtrack albums to an animated film, with 2,481,000 copies sold in the U.S.

Finally “Friend Like Me” was used this week to pay tribute to Robin one final time by the cast of the recently launched Broadway production of Aladdin. On Tuesday night after their performance of the show, the cast got together to sing “Friend Like Me” after a some touching words from James Monroe Iglehart, who plays the Genie in the show. Disney’s tribute to Williams continues this weekend as the Aladdin film will be broadcast as a special presentation on Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior on August 16th.

So it is with a heavy heart, in light of the death of Robin Williams, that we remember “Friend Like Me” from the 1992 Disney animated film Aladdin. I hope that you enjoy the song, but I also hope that you take the time to think about how the issues of depression and suicide affects so many Americans on a daily basis. And If you or someone you know is struggling with depression and/or suicidal thoughts, I would encourage you to reach out and seek the professional help that is available to you by calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. There are trained professionals available no matter the time of day who can help talk you or your loved one’s through whatever is going on. I’m sure that Robin Williams would encourage you to make the call as well.