Brian Bennett is a renowned composer, three-time winner of the prestigious Ivor Novello Award, and a prominent figure in the music industry. Initially, he gained fame as the drummer for The Shadows, but he has since established himself as one of Britain's leading writers of music for pictures.
Born in London in 1940, Brian was already an accomplished percussionist by the late 1950s. He was the drummer in residence at the legendary '2 Is' in Soho and a regular performer on Jack Good's groundbreaking TV show Oh Boy.
In 1961, he joined Cliff Richard and The Shadows, writing many hit songs for the band's films, including Summer Holiday, Wonderful Life, and Finders Keepers. He won his first Ivor Novello Award for his work on Summer Holiday.
Throughout the 1970s, Brian continued to work with Cliff Richard as his musical director and formed The Brian Bennett Orchestra, touring the world and performing in Russia. During this period, he also began to establish himself as an arranger, conductor, and record producer, and started composing for film and television.
In the 1980s, Brian was awarded his second Ivor Novello Award for his 25 years of service to music. He was busy writing and recording music for a wide range of programs, 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, Brian 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 high demand, with recent commissions including The Knock, Nomads of the Wind, Global Sunrise, The Harpist, David Jason In His Element, Living Britain, and Dirty Work.
In 2001, Brian was honored with the Gold Badge Award given by the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters Society. He also won the Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards 2000/2001 for Best Original Title Music for Murder In Mind.
Today, Brian lives and works in Hertfordshire, where he runs his own recording studio and record label.
