About the Authors

Co-author Richard Gibbs holds two trumpets in cross-formation and grins mischievously at the camera

Richard Gibbs

Richard K. Gibbs is a composer of over seventy feature film scores and various television series, ranging from Say Anything, Dr. Dolittle, Battlestar Galactica, and The Simpsons to 10 Things I Hate About You and Queen of the Damned. He was the keyboard player in the seminal L.A. band Oingo Boingo and worked as a session keyboardist for hundreds of projects and artists like Tom Waits, Robert Palmer, and War. Richard toured with Chaka Khan as her music director, and went to Argentina on tour with Tom Jones. He also served as music director for all of Tracey Ullman’s series and for Muppets Tonight, for which he wrote the theme. In 2023 Richard was honored to be elected as a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, otherwise known as the Oscars.

Beyond his accomplishments in music, Gibbs has forged significant accomplishments in business and philanthropy. His world-class Woodshed Recording studio in Malibu, California is a beloved creative space that has hosted a large selection of celebrated artists. Gibbs is the Founder of Armory of Harmony, an innovative nonprofit project that upcycles decommissioned weapons into musical instruments. Gibbs also founded the Composers Breakfast Club, a unique weekly gathering that brings together composers, music industry professionals, and people from around the world to share insights and experiences and inspire each other.

The accolade that makes him beam with pride? They made a Muppet of him named Richard.

Black and white photo of a beaming Richard Gibbs with dark curly hair, and the muppet named after him.
A woman with curly hair and glasses smiling, wearing a green academic gown, standing in front of a church altar with candelabras and candles visible in the background.
A woman with curly hair and glasses smiling, wearing a green academic gown, standing in front of a church altar with candelabras and candles visible in the background.

Rev. Dr. Mary Grace Gibbs-DuPree

The Rev. Dr. Mary Grace Gibbs-DuPree holds an M.A. in religion from Georgia State University and a Ph.D. in the history of religion from Emory University. Her areas of research include classical and Biblical languages, monastic history, and medieval manuscript illumination as well as the early writings of Christian women. She has taught ancient and medieval history at Emory University and Anglican ecclesiology and ethics at Bexley-Seabury Seminary, but much of her current writing and speaking focuses on issues related to disability in the church and the world. She is a priest in the Episcopal Church, serving Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on the outskirts of Atlanta.