Natchez native Glen Ballard was honored Thursday with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his accomplishments as a songwriter and producer.
Standing by his newly placed star on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, Ballard recalled the path from his Natchez home where he grew up to writing songs and producing music by such artists as Michael Jackson, Alanis Morrissette, Barbra Streisand, Aerosmith, Katy Perry and Ringo Starr.
“So it was a quixotic idea that I could ever find my way to here from Commerce Street in Natchez, Mississippi, to arrive at this moment,” Ballard said during the ceremony to unveil his star.
Ballard, 71, grew up in Natchez and graduated from Natchez High School in 1971. He is a six-time GRAMMY award-winning songwriter and producer, an Olivier Award winner and an Academy Award nominee.
Among those attending the ceremony Thursday were his sisters Wensel and Donna along with brother John – and Ballard’s “oldest and best friend” John Haile.
Born in Natchez, the son of Basil and Sallie Ballard began writing songs and performing in local bands in his early years. He studied literature at Ole Miss before coming to Hollywood right after college. He worked for Elton John and later Quincy Jones in his first decade in Los Angeles, becoming a staff songwriter at Universal and later became one of music’s most sought-after producers/songwriters.
Ballard co-wrote and arranged Man in the Mirror for Michael Jackson and co-wrote and produced the critically acclaimed Alanis Morrissette LP Jagged Little Pill — one of the best-selling records of all time at more than 33 million worldwide. Among the artists he has written songs for are Wilson Phillips, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, George Strait, Josh Groban, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Chaka Khan, Andrea Bocelli, Katy Perry, Ringo Starr, George Benson, Shakira, Idina Menzel and more.
Ballard co-wrote the musical score and was an executive producer for Netflix’s series The Eddy. In addition, he co-wrote the original songs for Back to the Future: The Musical – the 2022 Olivier Award winner for Best New Musical – which is now showing on Broadway.
Among Ballard’s recent visits to his hometown have been to receive the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration’s Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award in 2015 and to perform his songs with an orchestra at the Natchez Festival of Music in 2016.
He was inducted last year into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York.
Ballard’s Hollywood-based international production company Augury develops musical theater, episodic TV and streaming, feature films and live music events.
More information about Ballard and a video of his Walk of Fame star ceremony can viewed at: walkoffame.com/glen-ballard/
Great write up! Thanks, John Mott Coffey! It was also great to watch him give his remarks. We’re proud of our homeboy!