Academy Award-winning songwriters from the film "Dirty Dancing" will present an interactive live chat where the benefits raised will go towards the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in memory of the movie's star Patrick Swayze.
Here are excerpts from an interview with Academy Award-winning songwriters John DeNicola and Franke Previte for "Dirty Dancing" and the iconic song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" in 1987.
KRIS: What do you think about the film continues to resonate so many years later? What about the music touches a universal human chord?
FP:“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things that came together, stars aligning. You know with the right Patrick Swayze moment and (featured actress) Jennifer (Grey). And the right little story and then the song and then connecting it with (the singing) star from the 60’s Bill Medley and Jennifer Warren.
"So there were a lot of connecting factors. I think the time of innocence that it was portraying had a lot to do with it and it just related."
KRIS: Tell me about this new version of "Hungry Eyes" and how it focuses on the social distancing protocols.
John DeNicola, Academy Award-winning songwriter: "I did an homage to it with an acoustic guitar and a vocal and some French horn. We asked all my friends, family and healthcare workers to take their iPhone and turn it sideways and film themselves with their face masks on for five seconds we edited that all together. And what comes thru is the human connection and the subtle thing of the subtle message to wear a mask."
KRIS: You guys will be having a chat and interact live event on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100. What is this event and how important is it?
FP: "We would love for people to come to this Master class and how they can come to it is rockcamp.com/masterclass. You can actually talk to us. You know it’ll be a Zoom masterclass where if you have a question - someone has a question about Dirty Dancing - wants to talk to Lisa Swayze, John and I, that’s what this is about.
“I think it will be very interesting for Dirty Dancing fans and even if people are into songwriting as John will break it down. It's about an hour long and all of that money to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Its a crazy disease that took away our friend and we are trying to do everything that we can to help people."
To purchase a ticket, go to this link here.
To listen to the new song "One World" go here.
To listen to the new version of Hungry Eyes.
And other new music from John DeNicola can be found here.
