Gary Portnoy (born June 8, 1956) is an American musician and singer-songwriter from the state of New York best known for co-writing and singing the theme song for Cheers, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name". He also co-authored and sang the theme song to the NBC family sitcom Punky Brewster and composed the theme music for the long-running television series, Mr. Belvedere.
In the early 1980s, Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo set out to write a theme for Cheers. After their first two attempts were rejected, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" was selected.
Prior to that, Portnoy's songs had been recorded by various artists, including Dolly Parton's "Say Goodnight" (co-written by Susan Sheridan) and Air Supply's I'll Never Get Enough of You (co-written by Jeanne Napoli and Judy Quay). He also recorded and released a self-titled album in 1980 for Columbia Records.
Portnoy also wrote several songs for the NBC television series, Fame, including the Emmy-nominated track for Best Original Song, "I Still Believe In Me" (co-written by Susan Sheridan) as well as "It's Gonna Be a Long Night" (co-written by Estelle Levitt). Both songs were featured on the 1982 album, The Kids from "Fame". Portnoy also received an Emmy nomination for the Cheers theme, as well as six consecutive ASCAP awards during the 1980s for the Most Performed Television Themes of the year.
Maybe the world is blind,
Or just a little unkind.
Don't know.
Seems you can't be sure
Of anything anymore.
Although,
You maybe lonely and then,
One day you're smiling again.
Every time I turn around,
I see the girl that turns my world around.
Standing there...
Everytime I turn around,
Her spirit's lifting me right off the ground.
What's gonna be ?