Giorgio Moroder

Composer and producer Giorgio Moroder was awarded the SCL Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th Annual SCL Holiday Dinner.

The presentation included a highlight of works for film, a special message from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Jam, and a disco dance party.

Giorgio Moroder is the founder of disco and an electronic music trailblazer. Originally from Val Gardena-Dolomiti, Italy, Moroder spent his early years in music touring Europe; playing bass and guitar in pop-oriented ensembles. He first gained popularity in Munich, where in 1969, his single “Looky Looky” was awarded a gold disc. He eventually teamed up with Pete Bellotte on Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby,” the song that is now credited with starting the worldwide disco craze. Other big names in music that Moroder has worked with include Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Cher, Roger Daltrey, Janet Jackson, Freddy Mercury, David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Cheap Trick, and Pat Benatar. Among his biggest hits are Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” and “I Feel Love,” Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone,” David Bowie’s “Putting Out the Fire,” and Blondie’s “Call Me.”

Moroder is also responsible for some of the most classic film scores to date including Scarface and Midnight Express, as well as timeless soundtrack numbers like “Take My Breath Away” (Top Gun), Irene Cara’s “Flashdance,” Blondie’s “Call Me” (American Gigolo), as well as compositions on films such as The NeverEnding Story, Superman III, Rambo III, and Beverly Hills Cop II. From these, Moroder has accumulated three Academy Awards®, four Golden Globes®, four Grammys®, and more than 100 gold and platinum records. Moroder was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2004.

Moroder’s creativity has also entered the realms of sports and global affairs. He wrote the songs “Reach Out” for the 1984 Olympics, “Hand in Hand” for the 1988 Olympics, the worldwide hit song “Un Estate Italiana” for the 1990 Soccer World Cup in Italy, and “Forever Friends” for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2013, he collaborated on the song “Giorgio by Moroder” with the acclaimed electronic duo, Daft Punk, ushering in a resurgence of Moroder’s work and earning his 3rd Grammy award.More recently, Moroder has performed around the world at shows including Vivid Fest, Moogfest, Wireless Festival, Les Ardentes, and Pacha Ibiza. He swung back into the spotlight in 2013 as a guest collaborator on the Grammy Award-winning Daft Punk album Random Access Memories (Album of the Year). Moroder’s album Deja Vu, released by Sony/RCA in 2015, featured collaborations with Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Charli XCX, Matthew Koma, Mikky Ekko, Sia, and more. The album reached number one in the US on the Billboard dance/electronic charts. In the spring of 2019, Moroder embarked on his first live tour in Europe, performing the highlights from his prolific career in 15 cities. At 84 years old, Moroder still has his hands in the center of EDM culture, and his music continues to inspire audiences worldwide.