Brian Bennett

Composer Brian Bennett is the three times winner of the Ivor Novello Award. Initially achieving fame as drummer with The Shadows, he has since forged a career as one of Britain's leading writers of music to picture. Brian was born in London in 1940 and by the late 1950s was one of the most sought-after percussionists around. He was drummer in residence at the legendary '2 Is' in Soho and a regular on Jack Good's ground breaking TV show Oh Boy.

In 1961, he was invited to join Cliff Richard and The Shadows and wrote many of the hit songs from the films, including Summer Holiday (for which he won his first Ivor Novello award), Wonderful Life and Finders Keepers.

In the 1970s, he became Cliff Richard's musical director and formed The Brian Bennett Orchestra touring the world including the first concerts to be staged in Russia.

By the mid 1970s, Brian was in demand as an arranger, conductor and record producer and had already started composing for film and television.

During the 1980s, he was awarded his second Novello award (for 25 years services to music) and was busy writing and recording music for a wide range of programmes including Dallas, Knotts Landing, Pulaski, The Royal Wedding, BBC Golf theme, The Sweeney, Dennis Hopper's film The American Way and Ellen Barkin and David MacCallum's Terminal Choice.

In 1990, he won his third Ivor Novello award for Best Score For A Television Series (The Ruth Rendell Mysteries).

From the 1990s to 2000, he was in demand more than ever, recent commissions including the long-running series The Knock, Nomads of the Wind, Global Sunrise, The Harpist, David Jason In His Element, Living Britain and Dirty Work.

In 2001, Brian was the proud recipient of the Gold Badge Award given by the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters Society.

He was awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Music.