Biography
Composer Brian Bennett, a three-time Ivor Novello Award winner, first gained recognition as the drummer for The Shadows before establishing himself as one of Britain's foremost composers for film and television.
Born in London in 1940, Bennett became one of the most sought-after percussionists by the late 1950s. He was the resident drummer at the renowned '2 Is' club in Soho and a regular performer on Jack Good's groundbreaking TV show Oh Boy.
In 1961, he joined Cliff Richard and The Shadows, contributing many hit songs to their films, including Summer Holiday—earning his first Ivor Novello Award—Wonderful Life, and Finders Keepers.
During the 1970s, Bennett served as Cliff Richard's musical director and formed The Brian Bennett Orchestra, touring globally, including pioneering concerts in Russia. By the mid-1970s, he had become highly regarded as an arranger, conductor, and record producer, while also beginning to compose for film and television.
The 1980s saw him receive his second Novello Award for 25 years of service to music, as he composed and recorded scores for numerous programs such as Dallas, Knots Landing, Pulaski, The Royal Wedding, the BBC Golf theme, The Sweeney, Dennis Hopper’s film The American Way, and Terminal Choice starring Ellen Barkin and David McCallum.
In 1990, Bennett earned his third Ivor Novello Award for Best Score for a Television Series with The Ruth Rendell Mysteries. Throughout the 1990s and into 2000, his work remained in high demand, with commissions including The Knock, Nomads of the Wind, Global Sunrise, The Harpist, David Jason In His Element, Living Britain, and Dirty Work.
In 2001, he received the Gold Badge Award from the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters Society and won the Royal Television Society Craft & Design Award for Best Original Title Music for Murder In Mind in 2000/2001.
Bennett currently resides and works in Hertfordshire, where he operates his own recording studio and record label.
