Biography of Jimmy Dunne
A modern-day Renaissance Man, Jimmy Dunne comfortably crisscrosses the worlds of art and business as a songwriter and composer, author, television writer and producer, screenwriter, music producer, music artist, and business entrepreneur.
Jimmy’s songs are on 28,000,000 records worldwide. His themes, scores, and songs have graced over 1,000 television episodes, several hit movies, many university alma maters, sports federations, presidential campaigns, and songs in the Olympic Games.
Along with Grammy and Emmy nominations; Billboard, CMA, Cashbox, ACM, Juno, and Big Country Awards; BMI and Ascap Songwriter and Publisher Awards; his songs have garnered multiple gold, platinum, and multi-platinum records from countries around the globe.
Credits include songs for Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers, “Pretty Woman,” Take 6 (Grammy-winning record), Janet Jackson, Loverboy, “Princess Diaries II,” “Nothing in Common,” Jermaine Jackson, Anne Murray, “Fame,” Dave Loggins, “Dear God,” “ABC Wide World of ABC Sports,” “NBC Sports,” and “Mother’s Day.”
Numerous television credits include writing and producing credits for primetime ABC hit series’; including Paramount Pictures’ “Happy Days.” Screenwriting credits include feature films for Universal Studios, Disney, Touchstone, Columbia Pictures, and HBO.
As a solo piano artist, Dunne’s piano recordings are on 50+ records in countries around the world.
Jimmy is the author of award-winning The Shepherd’s Story, a children’s book on Loyola Press.
Jimmy has released a new book, Jimmy Dunne Says, published by Post Hill Press and Simon & Schuster. Jimmy Dunne Says is also read by Jimmy Dunne on Audible.com.
Jimmy recently founded USA Bocce—and is responsible for single-handedly blossoming bocce at country clubs, hotels, parks, business centers, restaurants, and homes throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Jimmy Dunne is the Founder of Inspire, a music and branding firm responsible for celebrated corporate and retail national branding campaigns, including those for Whole Foods Market, Staples, JC Penney, Caruso, Office Depot, CBRE, USA Gymnastics, American Greetings, Claire’s Accessories, Hudson Booksellers, Legg Mason, Visa, UPS, Kimberly-Clark, and many more.
Inspire is focusing on the evolving space of creating alma maters, fight songs, and anthems for numerous leading universities (including campaigns with SMU, UC Merced, Claremont McKenna, and Pepperdine).
At Pepperdine University, Jimmy is also its university’s Director of Traditions, working in the President’s office to invent and revitalize various campus-wide branding, cultural, and fundraising activities.
Jimmy has produced many large-scale multi-media events, including MS Society, Sheriff’s Youth Foundation, and Whole Foods at “Austin City Limit’s” Moody Theatre.
In the foundation world, as a Principal for the Los Angeles County’s Sheriff’s Youth Foundation, serving thousands of inner-city youth, Jimmy increased revenues by 82% and reimagined every arm of the foundation.
Dunne has been a keynote speaker at numerous music industry, media industry, and corporate conferences and events—lecturing at UCLA, USC, and SMU (and is on the SMU Meadows School of Journalism Advisory Board). Along with founding multiple youth sports conferences, Jimmy is very active in community leadership roles—and was honored as Pacific Palisades’ ‘Citizen of the Year.’
Jimmy has recently been honored as an inductee in the 2025 University of Kentucky’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Jimmy is in the Lyons Township High School’s Hall of Fame, as well as in the Kentucky Epsilon Hall of Fame.
Dunne graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa from the University of Kentucky; with double-major Honors Program Degrees in Journalism and Business, while double-minoring in Music Composition and Communications.
Dunne is married to award-winning interior designer Catherine Bailly Dunne; they have two daughters—and live in Pacific Palisades, California.