Jay_Gruska

Jay Gruska

Jay Gruska

American songwriter and composer (born 1952)


Jay Gruska (/ˈɡrʌskə/; born April 23, 1952) is an American songwriter and composer best known for his film and television scoring, and for writing hit songs for a variety of artists. He has composed musical scores for dozens of TV dramas, with over 500 hours of shows played internationally.

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Gruska has received three Emmy Award nominations, one Genie Award nomination, and nine ASCAP awards. Some of his best-known scores are for the TV shows Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Charmed, and Supernatural.[1]

Career

Gruska started his career as a singer/songwriter. He was briefly a member of Three Dog Night in 1976, replacing Danny Hutton, until the group disbanded. He had recording contracts with ABC Records and Warner Bros. Records with the band Maxus,[2] for which he was the lead singer and songwriter. Warner Bros. Records later released his solo album Which One of Us Is Me, which Gruska also produced.

Gruska is also known for co-writing the hit duet "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)" for Jermaine and Michael Jackson; the Gloria Loring/Carl Anderson duet "Friends and Lovers" (also released in a country version under the title "Both To Each Other (Friends and Lovers)," performed by Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt); and Amy Grant's "Good for Me".[3][4][5]

In November 2014, the 200th episode of Supernatural, titled "Fan Fiction", aired on The CW.[6] Gruska wrote and produced two songs for the episode (co-writing the lyrics with screenwriter Robbie Thompson). Within 24 hours after the episode aired, one of the songs, "The Road So Far", was #3 on the iTunes soundtrack chart and #57 among all songs on iTunes.

Personal life

Gruska is the father of Barbara and Ethan Gruska, the members of the pop music duo The Belle Brigade.[7]

Awards and nominations

Awards

  • 2014: ASCAP Film/TV Award - Score, Supernatural
  • 2010: ASCAP Film/TV Award - Score, Supernatural
  • 1998: ASCAP Film/TV Award - Score, Charmed
  • 1993: ASCAP Pop Award - "Good for Me"
  • 1988: ASCAP Country Award - "Friends & Lovers (Both to Each Other)"
  • 1988: ASCAP Pop Award - "Friends & Lovers (Both to Each Other)"
  • 1987: ASCAP Country Award - "Friends & Lovers (Both to Each Other)"
  • 1987: ASCAP Pop Award - "Friends & Lovers (Both to Each Other)"

Nominations

Discography

Solo releases

  • Gruska on Gruska (1974)[9]
  • Which One of Us Is Me (1984)[9]

With Three Dog Night

With Maxus

  • Maxus (1981)[9]

Film and television

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Songwriting credits

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References

  1. "JAY GRUSKA on Adult Contemporary Music in Japan" bekkoame.ne.jp. Accessed 12 November 2014.
  2. "2009 Presenters - LimmundLA." Archived 2015-01-19 at the Wayback Machine Limmundla. Accessed 12 November 2014.
  3. Copyright Encyclopedia Copyright Encyclopedia. Accessed 12 November 2014.
  4. "'Being Earnest' Review" triviana arts & entertainment, theater. Accessed 12 November 2014.
  5. "Genie Award Nominees 1989". Cinema Canada. February–March 1989. pp. 27–35.
  6. "Jay Gruska". Sessiondays. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  7. Michael Tops Billboard Charts for Dance/Club Songs Archived 2014-11-12 at archive.today michaeljackson.com. Accessed 12 November 2014.
  8. Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts 1986 billboard.com. Accessed 12 November 2014.
  9. Billboard Country Charts 1986 billboard.com. Accessed 12 November 2014.

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