'Friends' Theme Song Writer Allee Willis Passes Away After Suffering Cardiac Arrest

The Friends fandom was touched by tragedy this week when beloved songwriter Allee Willis passed away on Christmas Eve from a cardiac arrest. The 72-year-old artist was well known for the writing the sitcom’s theme song "I'll Be There For You,” as well as and Earth Wind & Fire's "September."

E! News reports that the iconic band posted on their official Twitter account, “Allee Willis was a one-of-a-kind creative genius, Her love, spirit and artistry are forever woven into the fabric and legacy of Earth, Wind & Fire. She will be sorely missed. Rest in Love."

Willis was born in Detroit, Michigan. Though she had a long and successful career, she surprisingly never learned to read or play a musical instrument, developing her craft by sitting outside Motown Records as a kid.

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Allee Willis, the Detroit native and award-winning songwriter who penned hits like Earth, Wind & Fire's "September" and the Friends theme song, died Tuesday at her Los Angeles home. She was 72. Link in bio. #alleewillis #detroit #detroitmusic

A post shared by Detroit Metro Times (@metrotimes) on Dec 25, 2019 at 5:46am PST

Willis studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After college, she moved to New York City and worked as a secretary at Columbia Records before turning to songwriting and performing.

We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time.