He orchestrated hits for a who’s who of the music world, his clients including Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Shirley Bassey, Lena Horne, Vera Lynn and Marlene Dietrich, Billy Fury and Adam Faith.
An Essex lad, he was a precocious pianist and by 16 was composing.
In 1957 the then 18-year-old Blackwell met producer Joe Meek, who set him on the path to a glittering career.
By the mid-’60s songs he had worked on were regulars in the UK top 10, and demand for his services grew in the ’70s: he was able to turn down the likes of Abba, Olivia Newton-John and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
As well as his chart successes, Blackwell had an eccentric collection of commissions including Luxembourg’s entry in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, a series of songs for David Hasselhoff, and the anthem of the European Parliament.
Blackwell died on August 14 aged 84. — Agencies
