Andrew Lloyd Webber

He was born on March 22, 1948, in South Kensington in London, England, the first of two sons of William Lloyd Webber, an organist and composer. His mother, Jean Johnstone, was a pianist and violinist. Young Andrew Lloyd Webber learned to play various musical instruments at home and began composing at an early age. He continued his music studies at Westminster School, where his father was an organist. At the age of 9, young Andrew was able to play the organ and assisted his father during performances.

From the 1960s to 2000s Lloyd Webber has been constantly updating his style as an eclectic blend of musical genres ranging from classical to rock, pop, and jazz, and with inclusion of electro-acoustic music and choral-like numbers in his musicals.

In 1964 he went to Oxford University as a Queens Scholar of history.

In 1965 he met lyricist Tim Rice and dropped out of school to compose musicals and pop songs.

In 1968 he had his first success with the West End production of 'Joseph and the Amasing Techicolor Dreamcoat'.

Andrew Lloyd Webber shot to fame in 1971 with the opening of his rock opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. His next successful collaboration with Tim Rice was the musical biopic 'Evita', based on the true story of Eva Peron of Argentina. Andrew Lloyd Webber has been constantly updating the genre of musical theatre.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is arguably the most successful composer of our time. He is best known for stage and film adaptations of his musicals Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Cats (1994), Evita (1996), and The Phantom of the Opera (2004).

Wrote song "It's Easy For You," recorded by Elvis Presley during his last session in October 29, 1976. It was released in Elvis' last album "Moody Blue" in 1977.

Has won Broadway's Tony Award three times: in 1980, as Best Score (Musical), his music with lyrics by Tim Rice, for "Evita;" in 1983, as Best Score, his music with lyrics by T.S. Eliot, for "Cats;" and in 1995, as Best Original Musical Score, his music with lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, for "Sunset Boulevard." He was Tony-nominated eight other times: in 1972, as Best Score, him as Composer and Rice as Lyricist, for "Jesus Christ Superstar;" in 1982, as Best Score, his music with Rice's lyrics, for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat;" in 1986, as Best Score, with collaborators Black and Richard Maltby Jr.., for "Song & Dance;" in 1987, as Best Score, his music with lyrics by Richard Stilgoe for "Starlight Express;" in 1988, as Best Book (Musical) with collaborator Stilgoe and Best Score (Musical), with collaborators Stilgoe and Charles Hart for "The Phantom of the Opera;" and in 1990, as Best Score (Musical), his music with lyrics by Black and Hart, and Best Book (Musicl) for "Aspects of Love."

In 1981 he delivered 'Cats', based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and other poems by T. S. Eliot. It was produced at New London Theatre, where stage was designed as a giant junkyard with large-scale bottles and cans scattered around a huge tire representing a playground for cats dressed in exotic costumes who would come and go through the aisles.

The record-breaking production of 'Cats' was on stage for 21 seasons, from 1981 - 2002, and became one of the most popular musicals of all time. It played the total of 8,949 performances in London and 7,485 in New York.

In 1986 Andrew Lloyd Webber released his most successful musical, 'The Phantom of the Opera', based on the eponymous book by Gaston Leroux with the English lyrics by Charles Hart. 'The Phantom of the Opera' became the highest grossing entertainment event of all time, with total worldwide gross of 3,3 billion dollars and attendance of 80 million. It is also the longest running Broadway musical of all time and the most financially successful Broadway show in history. 'The Phantom of the Opera' was translated into several languages and was produced in more than twenty countries as "clones" of the original production, using similar staging, direction, costumes concept and sets design.

Among his other awards are seven Tonys and three Grammys, including his 1986 Grammy Award for Requiem in the category of best classical composition.

He was knighted Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1992, and was created an honorary life peer in 1997 as Baron Lloyd-Webber, of Syndmonton in the County of Hampshire.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995.

He won the 1996 Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song for Evita (1996), and received two more Oscar nominations.

Lord Lloyd-Webber is no longer a Member of the Lords, but sat in the House under this title between 26th February 1997 and 17th October 2017. His full title is The Lord Lloyd-Webber, and his given name is Andrew Lloyd Webber.

He was awarded the 2000 London Critics Circle Theatre Award for Best New Musical for "The Beautiful Game" with Ben Elton at the Cambridge Theatre.

He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Best New Musical for "The Beautiful Game."

His musical, "Cats" at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2003 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Musical Production.

He was nominated for a 2004 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Outstanding Musical Production of 2003 for both "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Tell Me on A Sunday," both performed in London's West End.

Awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2006, with Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, Steven Spielberg, and Zubin Mehta.

Ranked #5 in the 2008 Telegraph's list "the 100 most powerful people in British culture".

The Sunday Times List estimated his net worth at $1.2 billion. [2009]

His musical, "Cats" at the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for the 2011 Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Production of a Musical.

His musical, "Jesus Christ Superstar," at the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2015 Joseph Jefferson Non-Equity Award for Musical Production.

Attended the wedding of media mogul Rupert Murdoch to former model Jerry Hall in 2016.