Tributes have been pouring in across the Internet, remembering the late legend Robin Williams. Now Alan Menken, the composer for Disney's Aladdin, for which Williams voiced the character Genie, has penned a letter on Billboard in Williams' memory.
"Robin Williams, who committed suicide Aug. 11 at 63, appeared in our lives like a comet streaking across the sky; a brilliant, adorable, hilarious, compassionate, vulnerable manifestation of the human condition. It was as if baring his soul with spontaneous humor was his only defense," Menken wrote. "Performing an amazing high-wire act, the only net was our love -- unbeknownst to us. And my God, how we all loved him!"
Menken went on to talk about how he met Williams in 1991 when he joined Aladdin to voice the Genie. He admitted that he was skeptical of Williams ability to fulfill the role.
"Awed and thrilled to have the opportunity to work with him, my first reaction was concern," he wrote. "Genie was conceived as a hip Harlem jazz singer, like Fats Waller or Cab Calloway. Would Robin be able to sing like Fats?"
He said he didn't remember any "zany antics or a touching connection" with Robins, but rather saw him as a professional working hard to prepare.
"When it came time for Robin to do his thing, the burst of imagination, endless parade of character voices, hilarity and sheer energy were astounding," he recalled. "Take after take of brilliant material poured out of him and our minds reeled from the possibilities. After a few hours we thanked Robin profusely. And that was it. Robin was gone."
Read the full tribute over at Billboard, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!
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