Born in Pasadena, California, Richard Bellis began his show business career as a child actor. He worked in movies and television until the age of 12, then turned all his attentions toward music and left acting behind. Within months of graduating from high school, he became musical director for the touring version of the popular rock-and-roll showcase Shindig! (1964). This was followed by a stint with Johnny Mathis and ten years of arranging and conducting for several Las Vegas headliners. In 1976 Bellis left the road and began scoring films on a full-time basis. He won an Emmy for the score of Stephen King's Ça (1990) and Emmy nominations for HBO's La stratégie de l'infiltration (1991) and ABC's Doubles jumelles, doubles problèmes (1993). In addition to his film scoring career, Bellis is past president of the Society of Composers and Lyricists; served on the faculty of the University of Southern California for 17 years, where he lectured in the Scoring for Television and Motion Pictures program; and acts as host/mentor for ASCAP's annual Film Scoring Workshop.