Donald Blackstone (born 21 June 1938) known by pen name Don Black is an English lyricist. His works have included numerous musicals, movie, television themes and hit

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

s. He has provided lyrics for John Barry,

Charles Strouse Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as '' Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Applause'', and '' Annie''. Life and career Strouse was born in New York City, to Jewis ...

, Matt Monro, Andrew Lloyd Webber,

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

Hoyt Curtin Hoyt Stoddard Curtin (September 9, 1922 – December 3, 2000) was an American composer and music producer, the primary musical director for the Hanna-Barbera animation studio from its beginnings with '' The Ruff & Reddy Show'' in 1957 until his re ...

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

, Jule Styne,

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, Elmer Bernstein, Michel Legrand, Hayley Westenra, A. R. Rahman, Marvin Hamlisch and

Debbie Wiseman Debbie Wiseman, OBE (born 10 May 1963) is a British composer for film and television, known also as a conductor and a radio and television presenter. Biography Wiseman was born in London. She studied at Trinity College of Music Junior Depart ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

stated that "Black is perhaps best-known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and for the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

theme songs he co-wrote with composer John Barry: ' Thunderball', ' Diamonds Are Forever' and ' The Man with the Golden Gun'."

Early life

He was born Donald Blackstone in London, the youngest of five children of Russian Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, Morris and Betsy (née Kersh) Blackstone. His father worked as a garment presser and his mother in a clothes shop and during his childhood the family lived in a council flat in Tornay House, Shore Place,

South Hackney South Hackney is an area of Hackney in London, England within the Borough of Hackney. It is about northeast of Charing Cross. The Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy on the corner of Victoria Park Road and Lammas Walk utilises the buildings of ...

. He attended Cassland Road School and enjoyed visits to the Hackney Empire, which was then a music hall and to the cinema to watch James Cagney films.London Magazine Celebrity Homes - Don Black
. Retrieved 18 December 2015.John Nathan
"Don Black: Star lyricist puts a productive life into words"
''

The Jewish Chronicle ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'', 2 September 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2015.

Career

Early career

He began his music industry career as an office boy with a music publishing firm, and later worked as a song-plugger. He also had a brief spell as a comic. He was personal manager to the singer Matt Monro for many years and also provided songs for him (usually writing English language

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...

to continental songs). These included "Walk Away" and "If I Never Sing Another Song" (music:

Udo Jürgens Udo Jürgens (born Jürgen Udo Bockelmann; 30 September 1934 – 21 December 2014) was an Austrian composer and singer of popular music whose career spanned over 50 years. He won the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 for Austria, composed close ...

) and "For Mamma" (music:

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

Film work

Black's first film work was the lyrics for the theme of the James Bond entry '' Thunderball'' (1965). His association with the Bond series continued over several decades, with '' Diamonds Are Forever'' and '' The Man with the Golden Gun'', in collaboration with John Barry, and Surrender for ''

Tomorrow Never Dies ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' is a 1997 spy film, the eighteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode from a screenplay ...

'' and '' The World Is Not Enough'', in collaboration with David Arnold. Black's film work culminated when he collaborated with Barry on the

title song A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

of 1966's ''

Born Free ''Born Free'' is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, another real-life couple who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood, and released her in ...

'', which won the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for Best Song and provided a hit for Matt Monro. Pianist Roger Williams made the US Top 40 with an instrumental version. The song was nominated for Song of the Year at the 1967 Grammy Awards. The movie's producer, Sam Jaffe, was not impressed with the song, fearing that Black had made too much of a political comment in the lyric, and initially had the film printed without it on the soundtrack. When it became a US hit, he relented and had the film reprinted, commenting to Black, "It grows on you," after the song won the Oscar. Black later collaborated with Barry on '' The Tamarind Seed'', ''

Out of Africa ''Out of Africa'' is a memoir by the Danish author Karen Blixen. The book, first published in 1937, recounts events of the seventeen years when Blixen made her home in Kenya, then called British East Africa. The book is a lyrical meditation on ...

'', ''

Dances with Wolves ''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel '' Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the ...

'', and an ill-fated Broadway musical, ''

The Little Prince and the Aviator ''The Little Prince and the Aviator'' is a musical with a book by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Don Black, and music by John Barry. Based on the classic book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the musical deviates from the original in that aviator Toni, wh ...

''. In 1967, Lulu took the Black-

Mark London Mark London (born 30 January 1940) is a Canadian-born British soundtrack composer, songwriter and music producer. He is perhaps best known as composer of the song "To Sir with Love". History Mark London was born in Montreal, Quebec, and initial ...

of the film '' To Sir, with Love'' to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Black received his second Oscar nomination for Best Song with the title theme, written with Elmer Bernstein, of the 1969 John Wayne

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

, '' True Grit''. That same year, he partnered with Quincy Jones for the theme song of the

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

film, ''

The Italian Job ''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 British comedy caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley, directed by Peter Collinson, and starring Michael Caine. The film's plot centres around Cockney criminal Charlie Croker, r ...

'', "On Days Like These". He received a third Oscar nomination for the

of the 1972 film '' Ben'', a US No. 1 hit for Michael Jackson, which Black had written with Walter Scharf. Further Oscar nominations came for "Wherever Love Takes Me" (music: Elmer Bernstein), from 1974 film ''

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

'', and "Come to Me" (music:

) from 1976's ''

The Pink Panther Strikes Again ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' is a 1976 comedy film. The fifth film in ''The Pink Panther'' series, its plot picks up three years after '' The Return of the Pink Panther'', with former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) about t ...

''. In addition, Black teamed with Charles Strouse on the songs "Growing Up Isn't Easy" and "Anything Can Happen on Halloween" for the 1986 HBO film '' The Worst Witch'', based on the children's book by

Jill Murphy Jill Murphy (5 July 1949 – 18 August 2021) was a British author and illustrator of children's books. First published in 1974 at the age of 24, she was best known for the ''Worst Witch'' novels and ''Large Family'' picture books, with sales amo ...

. Walt Disney commissioned him to write songs for the direct-to-video film '' Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas''.

Musical theatre

Black's stage credits include the musicals '' Billy'' (music: John Barry), '' Bar Mitzvah Boy'' (music: Jule Styne), '' Dear Anyone'' (music: Geoff Stephens), ''Budgie'' (music:

Mort Shuman Mortimer Shuman (12 November 1938 – 2 November 1991) was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas". He also wrote and sang many songs in French, such as " ...

) and several Andrew Lloyd Webber shows: the 1979 song-cycle, '' Tell Me on a Sunday'', which was performed by Marti Webb (whom Black also managed for a time); ''

Aspects of Love ''Aspects of Love'' is a musical with music and book by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart. It is based on the 1955 novella of the same name by David Garnett. The piece focuses on the romantic entanglements of actr ...

'', which propelled

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of ''Les Misérables'', and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in ...

to stardom; and, together with Christopher Hampton, the musical adaptation of the

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Hol ...

film ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in ...

''. The latter brought Black and Hampton a Tony Award for Best Book. ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' was incorporated into '' Song and Dance''. This was later adapted for a Broadway production starring

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

, for which she won a Tony award as Best Actress in a Musical. Sarah Brightman performed for a video recording of the show at the end of its West End run and also released " Unexpected Song", from that musical, as a single. With Geoff Stephens he produced a concept album of a "revuesical" entitled ''Off The Wall''. In 2002, he worked with the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n composer A. R. Rahman on the musical '' Bombay Dreams''. In 2004, Black's second musical collaboration with Hampton,

Frank Wildhorn Frank Wildhorn (born November 29, 1958) is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical ''Jekyll & Hyde'' ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the #1 International hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for Whitne ...

's ''

Dracula, the Musical ''Dracula, the Musical'' is a musical based on the original 1897 Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. The show had its regional premiere at the La Jolla Pl ...

'', debuted on Broadway. He also collaborated with John Barry once more, on the musical ''Brighton Rock''. Based on the Graham Greene novel, it debuted at the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diver ...

, London, in 2004. In 2006, Black created the lyrics for the musical adaptation of the book '' Feather Boy'', for the National Theatre in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. In 2011, Black wrote the lyrics alongside composer Frank Wildhorn for the 2011 Broadway production of '' Bonnie & Clyde'', which premiered at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on 22 November 2011 and closed four weeks later due to poor ticket sales, despite the general public giving the show high praise for its score and the lead actors Jeremy Jordan (as

Clyde Barrow Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...

) and Laura Osnes (as Bonnie Parker). The cast recording, however, became one of Wildhorn and Black's most successful musical scores. In 2013, he again worked with Christopher Hampton and Andrew Lloyd Webber on '' Stephen Ward the Musical''. In 2015, he wrote the lyrics for ''Mrs Henderson Presents'', with

George Fenton George Richard Ian Howe (born 19 October 1949), known professionally as George Fenton, is an English composer. Best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, he has received five Academy Award nominations, several Ivor No ...

and Simon Chamberlin composing the music. In 2019, he collaborated with David Arnold on the music for a television version of ''

The Tiger Who Came to Tea ''The Tiger Who Came to Tea'' is a short children's story, first published by William Collins, Sons in 1968, written and illustrated by Judith Kerr. The book concerns a girl called Sophie, her mother, and an anthropomorphised tiger who invites hi ...

''. In 2020, he was reported to be working on a musical version of ''

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten ...

'', and reworking the show ''Feather Boy''.

Radio broadcasting

Black presented a Sunday night show on BBC Radio 2 from 2013 to 2020, which featured classic songs and songwriters of the 20th century, paid a weekly tribute to Matt Monro, whom he managed, and included many of his showbiz encounter stories. He took over this slot from the late David Jacobs.

Legacy

In 1993, Play It Again released ''Born Free – The Don Black Songbook'', which remains the only album to date which consists solely of songs co-written by the lyricist. In 2007, Black was inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

. That same year, Black was credited on " Sexy Lady", the 2007 debut single and hit for rapper Yung Berg, which sampled the Black-Barry theme for ''Diamonds Are Forever''. On 17 August 2008, the tribute concert ''Lyrics by Don Black'' was held at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

, featuring performances of Black's songs by a selection of guest artists. The evening, hosted by

Michael Parkinson Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...

and recorded for broadcast by BBC Radio 2, included an exclusive performance of two songs from Black's new musical, ''The Count of Monte Cristo''. The concert included contributions from

Lee Mead Lee Stephen Mead (born 14 July 1981) is an English musical theatre, television actor and occasional singer, best known for winning the title role in the 2007 West End revival of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' through the BBC T ...

Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...

Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1946) is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 198 ...

Craig David Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single " Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, ''Born to Do It'', was released in 2000, after which he has re ...

, Maria Friedman, Joe Longthorne,

, Peter Grant, Raza Jaffrey, Matt Rawle,

Ryan Molloy Ryan Molloy (born 21 November 1972) is a British singer, songwriter and actor, who replaced Holly Johnson as the lead singer in Frankie Goes to Hollywood for a charity concert in 2004. He has also been successful in musical theatre, appearing ...

, Marti Webb, Jonathan Ansell, Hayley Westenra, Phil Campbell and

Mica Paris Michelle Antoinette Wallen (born 27 April 1969), known professionally as Mica Paris (), is an English singer, presenter and actress. Paris was born in Islington in North London, but moved to Brockley, South London, when she was nine. She rel ...

. The singers were accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Mike Dixon and with guest conductors Michel Legrand and David Arnold. In October 2013, a special concert to celebrate Black's work was held at London's Royal Festival Hall, featuring a lengthy interview with the composer by

Michael Grade Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth, (born 8 March 1943) is an English television executive and businessman. He has held a number of senior roles in television, including controller of BBC1 (1984–1986), chief executive of Channel 4 (1 ...

, interspersed by performances of his songs by artists such as

, Maria Friedman,

Katie Melua Ketevan Katie Melua (; ka, ქეთევან "ქეთი" მელუა, ; born 16 September 1984) is a Georgian and British singer and songwriter. She was born in Kutaisi and raised in Belfast and London. Under the management of com ...

, and Marti Webb. The concert was recorded for television and first shown on BBC Four in early January 2014.

Personal life

Black lives in London, England. His wife of nearly 60 years, Shirley, died in March 2018. In May 2020, he was treated in hospital for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

. Black's elder brother, Michael Black, a showbusiness booking agent, was married to singer Julie Rogers until his death in November 2018.

Musical theatre credits

* ''

Maybe That's Your Problem Maybe may refer to: Music Albums * Maybe (Sharon O'Neill album), ''Maybe'' (Sharon O'Neill album), 1981 * ''Maybe'', a 1970 album by The Three Degrees Songs * Maybe (Allan Flynn and Frank Madden song), "Maybe" (Allan Flynn and Frank Madden song) ...

'' (1971) – co-written with Walter Scharf and Lionel Chetwynd * '' Billy'' (1974) – music by John Barry, adapted by

Dick Clement Dick Clement (born 5 September 1937) is an English writer, director and producer. He became known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais for television series including '' The Likely Lads'', ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?' ...

and Ian La Frenais * '' Bar Mitzvah Boy'' (1978) – music by Jule Styne, book by

Jack Rosenthal Jack Morris Rosenthal (8 September 1931 – 29 May 2004) was an English playwright. He wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations. ...

* '' Tell Me on a Sunday'' (1979, revised 2003), later incorporated into ''Song & Dance'' (1982) – music by Andrew Lloyd Webber * ''

Abbacadabra ''ABBAcadabra'' is a French children's musical based on songs from the pop group ABBA. It was originally produced for French television in 1983 by Alain and Daniel Boublil, but which was later also transferred to an English stage version and tw ...

'' (1983) – music and lyrics by

Benny Andersson Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, singer, composer and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess'', ''Kristina från Duvemåla'', and '' Mamma M ...

and

Björn Ulvaeus Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (; born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, producer, a member of the musical group ABBA, and co-composer of the musicals '' Chess'', '' Kristina från Duvemåla'', and ''Mamma Mia!'' He co-produced the films ...

* '' Dear Anyone'' (1983) – music by Geoff Stephens, book by Jack Rosenthal * '' Merlin'' (1983) – music by Elmer Bernstein * ''

'' (1983) – music by John Barry, book by Hugh Wheeler * '' Budgie'' (1988) – music by Mort Shuman, book by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall * ''

'' (1989) – music by Lloyd Webber; lyrics with Charles Hart * ''

Starlight Express ''Starlight Express'' is a 1984 British musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern engines in the hope o ...

'' (1992) – additional lyrics; lyrics by

Richard Stilgoe Sir Richard Henry Simpson Stilgoe (born 28 March 1943) is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician, and broadcaster who is best known for his humorous songs and frequent television appearances. His output includes collaborations with Andrew ...

, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber * '' Radio Times'' (1992) – additional lyrics with Chris Walker; written by Noel Gay and Abi Grant * ''

'' (1993) – music by Lloyd Webber; lyrics with Christopher Hampton * '' The Goodbye Girl'' (1997) – music by Marvin Hamlisch, book by Neil Simon * '' Dracula'' (2001) – music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics with Christopher Hampton * '' Bombay Dreams'' (2002) – music by AR Rahman, book by

Meera Syal Meera Syal FRSL (born Feroza Syal; 27 June 1961) is a English comedian, writer, playwright, singer, journalist and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created '' Goodness Gracious Me'' and portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, ...

and Thomas Meehan * '' Dance of the Vampires'' (2002) – additional lyrics; music and lyrics by

Jim Steinman James Richard Steinman (November 1, 1947 – April 19, 2021) was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, mus ...

, lyrics by

Michael Kunze Michael Rolf Kunze (born 9 November 1943, in Prague) is a foremost German musical theater lyricist and librettist. He is best known for the hit musicals '' Elisabeth'' (1992), '' Dance of the Vampires'' (1996), '' Mozart!'' (1999), ''Marie Antoin ...

, book by Steinman, Kunze and

David Ives David Ives (born July 11, 1950) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He is perhaps best known for his comic one-act plays; ''The New York Times'' in 1997 referred to him as the "maestro of the short form". Ives has also written ...

* '' Whistle Down the Wind'' (2002 tour version) – additional lyrics; music by Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Steinman, book by Patricia Knop * '' Romeo and Juliet – The Musical'' (2002) * '' Feather Boy'' (2006) * '' Bonnie & Clyde (musical) (2011) – music by Frank Wildhorn * ''

Stephen Ward Stephen Thomas Ward (19 October 1912 – 3 August 1963) was an English osteopath and artist who was one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo affair, a British political scandal which brought about the resignation of John Profumo, the Sec ...

'' (2013) – music by Lloyd Webber; lyrics with Hampton * '' Mrs Henderson Presents'' (2015) – music by George Fenton and Simon Chamberlin

Bibliography

* ''Wrestling with Elephants'' (The Authorized

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

of Don Black) by James Inverne, Sanctuary Publishing, 2003

References

External links

Official Don Black website
* *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Don 1938 births Living people People from South Hackney BBC Radio 2 presenters Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Golden Globe Award-winning musicians Broadway composers and lyricists Tony Award winners Jewish songwriters English lyricists English songwriters English musical theatre lyricists English Jews Officers of the Order of the British Empire Ivor Novello Award winners