WHAT is the SANDY McKNIGHT SONGWRITERS FUND?

Born in Brooklyn on July 1, 1953, Sandy attended Brooklyn Tech and Lafayette High School, and upon moving upstate as a teenager, graduated from Germantown High School in 1972. It was in Brooklyn that Sandy first developed the interests that would infuse his life: rock music and songwriting, his ironic, playful sense of humor, baseball (The NY Mets!), and a spirit of mischief and non-conformity.

He took these passions with him everywhere. After a move west, a first marriage, and the birth of his son, Alex, Sandy met his wife Liv at a songwriting workshop in LA. Kindred spirits, they married in 1997, becoming best friends and creative collaborators for decades. They co-created songs, musicals, events, and their signature long-running variety show, The Berserkshires (formerly Saturday Night Liv hosted by Liv Cummins). They were working on a new band he created, The Sirens, when Sandy passed away on May 22,2024. The Sirens is a living legacy to Sandy, as his melodic, heartfelt tunes songs - and Liv’s, and their co-writes - are performed by three magical muses, Wanda Houston, Elizabeth Berliner (Jaane Doe), and Liv herself.

Sandy was a 50-year veteran in the music business: writer, bass player, producer, and solo artist. He toured with multiple bands including The Truants and Numbers; worked with notable artists including Dennis Diken (Smithereens), Todd Rundgren, Earl Slick, Graham Maby, and ‘80s TV legend John Davidson; wrote hundreds of songs; and released myriad albums, including a 66-song set, How I Changed the World, and recently, San Fernando Blast, with guitarist/producer Fernando Perdomo (Echo in the Canyon). His songs appeared in movies and TV shows, including Colbert and the 2012 film Petunia. But he was, first and foremost, a songwriter. He wrote songs easily, often almost accidentally, recording more than thirty albums of his work. He was a skilled craftsman -- yet instinctual. His songs were tuneful, witty, heartfelt, fun, grand, and personal.

Animated by the music and humor gods, Sandy’s life was all creation, all the time: from songs, books, musicals, films, and shows; to word pivots and puns (he called his friend Terry, who house-cleaned, “Terry Cloth”); to art organizations and gathering spaces (movie nights, the BOOM Room, deck parties, songwriter festivals); to never-ending collaborations in all those genres with Liv. He created community with other artists, advanced the indie music scene with his label, 22 Records (producing, for example, pop!ternatives, a collection of original tunes by area artists); taught adult and youth workshops; and produced events through his non-profit, Columbia Arts Team (CAT), co-founded with Christina Dellea (Hillsdale, NY) and wife Liv. His creations connected him to others, and strangers to each other.

It is in Sandy’s spirit of generosity and love that Liv and others founded the Sandy McKnight Songwriters Fund – to continue his dedication to creating spaces for artists to thrive, and to building community through original music. Thank you for building this community with us!