Michael Lehmann Boddicker (born January 19, 1953) is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. He is a three times National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (N.A.R.A.S.) Most Valuable Player "Synthesizer" and MVP Emeritus, he was awarded a Grammy as a songwriter for "Imagination" from Flashdance in 1984. He is the president of The Lehmann Boddicker Group.
Early life and education Boddicker grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.Michael Boddicker profile @iowarocknroll.com Retrieved 5-19-2011. His parents, Arlene Estelle (née Reyman) and Gerald "Jerry" Valentine Boddicker operated a music school and store in Cedar Rapids, which served students in all of Eastern Iowa. His mother was a nationally recognized accordionist.
While still attending Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids in 1971, Boddicker enrolled full-time at the local Coe College, studying electronic music. By 1972, he continued studies at Coe College, focused on music composition and he started taking jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin. By 1973, he enrolled in 20th-century composition at the University of Iowa. That same year in 1973, Michael purchased a powerful portable semi-modular synthesizer, the ARP 2600.
By 1974, Michael moved to Los Angeles and found Paul Beaver as a mentor.
Career He was able to purchase a Minimoog and a Moog System 15 modular synthesizer by 1975. As a result of his purchase, he was asked by Bob Moog (the founder of Moog Music) to demonstrate their newest synthesizer, the Polymoog, at the 1975 summer NAMM Show.
He quickly found work as a session musician, and by 1977 appeared playing synthesizer, vocoder, accordion and keyboards on albums by many notables such as Quincy Jones, Randy Newman, The Manhattan Transfer and The Bee Gees.
One of Boddicker's earliest soundtrack collaborations of note was a score for a short experimental claymation film made by Gumby creator Art Clokey entitled "Mandala" (released in 1977). Soon after that he entered the mainstream with work on such films as Saturday Night Fever, Battlestar Galactica and The Wiz.
Boddicker is a Board Member of The Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), of Beverly Hills, California. He owns an audio post production facility, Sol7 (aka Sol Seven), in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
In 2019, he co-founded the Los Angeles synthesizer music festival, Synthplex.
Personal life Boddicker was married to Cassandra Lee Jensen, from 1972 to 1980, ending in divorce. Boddicker officially changed his name to Michael Lehmann Boddicker when he married singer/conductor/actress Edie Lehmann on October 15, 1995 in Hollywood, California. He has four children, two of the children he had were with Edie Lehmann. They live in Southern California.
He sued Michael Jackson's estate in 2016, alleging that he was unpaid for work and services provided early in his professional relationship with Michael Jackson.
Awards He was awarded a Grammy Award as a songwriter for "Imagination," from the movie Flashdance in 1984.
Boddicker was voted most valuable synthesizer player in 1981, 1982, 1984 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In 1991, in recognition of his achievements, contributions and furtherance of electronic music in the recording industry, he was presented with an honorary doctorate of music from Coe College.Winter Courier 2004 , p. 22, PDF. Coe College. Retrieved on 9 March 2008. In 2003, Boddicker was inducted to the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
Film music Among his film score credits as a composer are The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), the score for The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986), and additional music for Bulletproof (1996), The Magic Egg: A Computer Odyssey (1984) an animated film, Get Crazy (1983), White Water Summer (1987), F/X2 (1991) with Lalo Schifrin, and Starfire (1992).
His contributions as a composer can also be heard in the film Battlestar Galactica (1978) which include the Battlestar Galactica theme song produced and arranged by Michael Boddicker. Freejack (1992), Michael Jackson's "Black or White" (music video), and "HIStory" (music video) video produced by and additional music underscore and "THE FLY" eleven cues to augment or replace the original score.
Artists that have recorded his songs and compositions include Lani Hall ("Go For The Heart"), Earth, Wind and Fire ("Opening Raise Tour"), Patti Austin ("Oh, No Margarita"), Michael Jackson ("Captain EO & HIStory Unveiling"), Isao Tomita's & YMO's Hideki Matsutake ("Automatic Collect", "Automatic Correct & Plan"), Kitaro ("The Silk Road"), Laura Branigan (Imagination) and David Hasselhoff.
He also performed on soundtrack of the Horizons attraction Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park.
Performer As a session musician he played synthesizer on, among others, Michael Jackson's This Is It, HIStory, Thriller, Bad, Off the Wall''', Dangerous, Black or White, and We Are the World; Earth, Wind & Fire's Let's Groove; Lionel Richie's Hello, You Are, Running with the Night; Dazz Band's Let It Whip; Randy Newman's The Natural and Short People; Kenny Loggins' Footloose; Cyndi Lauper's The Goonies 'R' Good Enough; Barbra Streisand's Somewhere; Cheap Trick's Surrender; The Jacksons' Shake Your Body; Pointer Sisters' He's So Shy; and Diana Ross's Missing You''.A complete discography is available at Discogs - Michael Boddicker. +Select list, as performerYearSongAlbumArtist(s)PerformedNotes1976I Heard That!!Quincy Jones1976I'll Be Good to YouThe Brothers Johnson1977Roots (1977 miniseries) soundtrackVariousSynthesizer With Quincy Jones, performed on keyboard.1977Little CriminalsRandy NewmanSynthesizernamed as "Mike Boddicker"1977SupermanBarbra Streisandnamed as "Mike Boddicker"1978Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!Quincy JonesSynthesizer1978Please Don't Keep Me WaitingTotally HotOlivia Newton-JohnSynthesizer Dancin' 'Round and 'Round1979Rock With YouOff the WallMichael JacksonSynthesizerSynthesizers with Greg Phillinganes.Off The WallI Can't Help It1979No One HomeLalo Schifrin1979One VoiceOne VoiceBarry ManilowSynthesizer(Why Don't We Try) A Slow DanceRainShipsYou Could Show MeI Don't Want To Walk Without YouWho's Been Sleeping In My BedWhere Are They NowBobbie Lee (What's The Difference, I Gotta Live)When I Wanted YouSunday Father1979It's Money That I LoveBorn AgainRandy NewmanSynthesizerThe Story Of A Rock And Roll BandPretty BoyMr. SheepSpiesHalf A ManWilliam BrownPants1980He Who Rides the TigerBernie TaupinSynthesizer, keyboards, programming1981LandslidePhysicalOlivia Newton-JohnSynthesizer Stranger's TouchFallingLove Make Me StrongSynthesizer, piano, vocoderSilvery RainSynthesizerCarried AwayPPG Wave 2The Promise (The Dolphin Song)1982Let It WhipDazz Band1982You AreLionel RichieLionel Richie1982MusclesDiana RossSynthesizer 1982Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'ThrillerMichael JacksonSynthesizer, background vocalsBaby Be MineBillie JeanEmulatorHuman NatureP.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)Emulator, vocoder The Lady in My LifeEmulatorThis Is ItMichael Jackson1983I Love L.A.Trouble In ParadiseRandy NewmanSynthesizers1984Chicago 17Chicago1984Missing YouDiana Ross1984Penny LoverCan't Slow DownLionel RichieRunning with the NightSynthesizer, vocoderStuck on You19841100 Bel Air PlaceJulio IglesiasKeyboards1985We Are The WorldUSA For Africa, variousSynthesizer, programming(Grammy Award Winner).1985The Goonies 'R' Good EnoughCyndi LauperCyndi LauperSynthesizer1985Greatest Love Of AllWhitney HoustonWhitney Houston1985SomewhereThe Broadway AlbumBarbra Streisand(Grammy Award Winner)1986Chicago 18Chicago1986They Don't Make Them Like They Used ToTough Guys (movie soundtrack)Kenny Rogers1986Dancing on the CeilingLionel Richie(Grammy Award Winner)1987BadMichael Jackson1989Back on the BlockBack on the BlockQuincy Jonesdrum machineSetembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)M1 pads, synth padsI'll Be Good to YouSynthesizer, programmingThe Places You Find LoveBirdland1991Black Or WhiteDangerousMichael JacksonJamHeal the WorldWill You Be ThereKeep The FaithGone Too Soon1995Earth Song (single)1995HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I1996They Don't Care About Us
Music department for television +Select list, as music department for televisionYear(s)Television seriesPerformedNotes1982–1983St. ElsewhereSynthesizer22 episodes1982–1985Knight RiderSynthesizer43 episodes1984Night CourtSynthesizer13 episodes1985–1986Family TiesSynthesizer24 episodes2001Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration (television special)Keyboards1 episode2002–2003Will & GraceSynthesizer24 episodes2003BoomtownSynthesizer6 episodes2004–2005The SimpsonsSynthesizer21 episodes2014–2015ScandalSynthesizer22 episodes
References
External links
Intel Artist Profile Michael Boddicker Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection (2013)