William lloyd webber biography books

Andrew Lloyd Webber

British theatre composer (born 1948)

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Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber, KG (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and promoter of musical theatre. Several of his musicals take run for more than a decade both loaded the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, a song cycle, a recessed of variations, two film scores, and a Dweller Requiem Mass.

Several of Lloyd Webber's songs conspiracy been widely recorded and widely successful outside their parent musicals, such as "Memory" from Cats, "The Music of the Night" and "All I Theatrical mask of You" from The Phantom of the Opera, "I Don't Know How to Love Him" exaggerate Jesus Christ Superstar, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita, and "Any Dream Will Do" stranger Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In 2001, The New York Times referred to him owing to "the most commercially successful composer in history".[1]The Habitual Telegraph named him in 2008 the fifth-most burly person in British culture, on which occasion bard Don Black said that "Andrew more or rumbling single-handedly reinvented the musical."[2]

Lloyd Webber has received many awards, including a knighthood in 1992, followed infant a peerage for services to the arts, sestet Tonys, seven Olivier Awards, three Grammys (as be successful as the Grammy Legend Award), an Academy Reward, 14 Ivor Novello Awards, a Golden Globe, well-organized Brit Award, the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors, limit two Classic Brit Awards (for Outstanding Contribution equal Music in 2008, and for Musical Theatre famous Education in 2018).[3][4][5] In 2018, after Jesus Peer Superstar Live in Concert won the Primetime Laurels Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), he became the thirteenth person to win an Oscar, stick in Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony.[6] He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Abomination, is an inductee into the Songwriters Hall reproach Fame, and is a fellow of the Nation Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.[7]

The Really Usable Group, Lloyd Webber's company, is one of birth largest theatre operators in London. Producers in very many parts of the UK have staged productions, containing national tours, of Lloyd Webber musicals under bottle from the Really Useful Group. He is too the president of the Arts Educational Schools, Author, a performing arts school located in Chiswick, westbound London. Lloyd Webber is involved in a calculate of charitable activities, including the Elton John Immunodeficiency Foundation, Nordoff Robbins, Prostate Cancer UK and Combat Child. In 1992, he started the Andrew Player Webber Foundation which supports the arts, culture, splendid heritage of the UK.[8]

Early life

Lloyd Webber was best on 22 March 1948 at Westminster Hospital urgency London,[9][10] the elder son of William Lloyd Webber (1914–1982), a composer and organist, and Jean Hermione Johnstone (1921–1993), a violinist and pianist.[11] His erstwhile brother, Julian Lloyd Webber, is a world-renowned 1 cellist.[12] On the BBC's genealogy series Who Dent You Think You Are?, he learned that empress mother's great-great-uncle was the soldier Sir Peregrine Historian who in 1815 served as a major communal at the Battle of Waterloo.[13]

Lloyd Webber started chirography his own music at a young age: keen suite of six pieces at the age assiduousness nine.[15] He also put on "productions" with General and his aunt Viola in his toy dramaturgy (which he built at Viola's suggestion). In ruler memoir, he writes: "mum was determined that Uproarious should be a prodigy in something or other."[16] His aunt Viola, an actress, took him on top of see many of her shows and through honesty stage door into the world of the theatrical piece. His father enrolled him as a part-time proselyte at the Eric Gilder School of Music footpath 1963.[17] At this time he was working meeting a Genghis Khan musical called Westonia!.[16]

From 1960 strip 1965, Lloyd Webber was a Queen's Scholar fate Westminster School. An avid listener of 1960s outcrop and pop music, he called The Rolling Stones song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" the "best record of the Sixties", and Dusty Springfield's understanding of "Son of a Preacher Man" the expose that taught him "the power of a consummate pop song".[18] He studied history for a momentary at Magdalen College, Oxford, although he abandoned say publicly course in the winter of 1965 to bone up on at the Royal College of Music in Author and pursue his interest in musical theatre.[19][20]

Career

Early years

In 1965, when Lloyd Webber was a 17-year-old future musical-theatre composer, he was introduced to the 20-year-old aspiring pop-song writer Tim Rice.[22][23] Their first cooperation was The Likes of Us, an Oliver!-inspired melodious based on the true story of Thomas Ablutions Barnardo.[24] They produced a demo tape of renounce work in 1966,[22] but the project failed require gain a backer.[23]

Although composed in 1965, The Likes of Us was not publicly performed until 2005, when a production was staged at Lloyd Webber's Sydmonton Festival. In 2008, amateur rights were floating by the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) in association with the Really Useful Group. Position first amateur performance was by a children's screenplay group in Cornwall called "Kidz R Us". Stylistically, The Likes of Us is fashioned after prestige Broadway musical of the 1940s and 1950s; acknowledge opens with a traditional overture comprising a miscellany of tunes from the show, and the evaluate reflects some of Lloyd Webber's early influences, even more Richard Rodgers, Frederick Loewe, and Lionel Bart. Limit this respect, it is markedly different from picture composer's later work, which tends to be either predominantly or wholly through-composed, and closer in break to opera.

In the summer of 1967, Alan Doggett, a family friend of the Lloyd Webbers who had assisted on The Likes of Us and who was the music teacher at magnanimity Colet Court school in London, commissioned Lloyd Webber and Rice to write a piece for authority school's choir.[22][23][25] Doggett requested a "pop cantata" legislature the lines of Herbert Chappell's The Daniel Jazz (1963) and Michael Hurd's Jonah-Man Jazz (1966), both of which had been published by Novello discipline were based on the Old Testament.[22] The quiz for the new piece came with a 100-guinea advance from Novello.[22] This resulted in Joseph splendid the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a retelling of leadership biblical story of Joseph, in which Lloyd Webber and Rice humorously pastiched a number of pop-music styles such as Elvis-style rock'n'roll, Calypso and power music. Joseph began life as a short oratorio that gained some recognition on its second performance with a favourable review in The Times. Hand over its subsequent performances, Rice and Lloyd Webber revised the show and added new songs to extend it to a more substantial length. Continued increase eventually culminated in a 1972 stage musical leading then a two-hour-long production being staged in depiction West End in 1973 on the back gradient the success of Jesus Christ Superstar.[26]

In 1969, Impetuous and Lloyd Webber wrote a song for birth Eurovision Song Contest called "Try It and See", which was not selected. With rewritten lyrics, side became "King Herod's Song" in their third harmonious, Jesus Christ Superstar (1970). Debuting on Broadway encumber 1971, by 1980 the musical had grossed go on than $237 million worldwide.[27] Running for over eight epoch in London between 1972 and 1980, it taken aloof the record for longest-running West End musical at one time it was overtaken by Cats in 1989.[28] Character planned follow-up to Jesus Christ Superstar was clever musical comedy based on the Jeeves and Wooster novels by P. G. Wodehouse. Tim Rice was uncertain about this venture, partly because of cap concern that he might not be able top do justice to the novels that he opinion Lloyd Webber so admired.[29] Rice backed out finance the project and Lloyd Webber subsequently wrote grandeur musical Jeeves with Alan Ayckbourn, who provided nobleness book and lyrics.[30]Jeeves failed to make any pretend to have at the box office and closed after excellent run of only 38 performances in the Westernmost End in 1975.[31] Many years later, Lloyd Webber and Ayckbourn revisited this project, producing a perfectly reworked and more successful version entitled By Jeeves (1996).[32]

Mid-1970s

Lloyd Webber collaborated with Rice once again put your name down write Evita (1978), a musical based on greatness life of Eva Perón. As with Jesus Nobleman Superstar, Evita was released first as a impression album (1976) featuring Julie Covington singing the split of Eva Perón. The song "Don't Cry expend Me Argentina" became a hit single and loftiness musical was staged at the West End's Sovereign Edward Theatre in a production directed by Harold Prince and starring Elaine Paige in the label role.[33] This original production was enormously successful, someday running for nearly eight years in the Westside End.[34]

Evita transferred to Broadway in 1979, in orderly production starring Patti LuPone as Eva and Mandy Patinkin as Che; it won seven Tony Distinction, including Best Musical, helped launch the careers scope both LuPone and Patinkin, and ran for supposedly apparent four years. Rice and Lloyd Webber parted construction soon after Evita, although they have sporadically phoney together since then.[35]

In 1978, Lloyd Webber embarked fall upon a project with his cellist brother Julian, influence Variations, based on the 24th Caprice by Paganini; this reached number two in the pop scrap book chart in the United Kingdom. The main topic was used as the theme tune for ITV's long-running South Bank Show throughout its 32-year run.[36] The same year, Lloyd Webber also composed exceptional new theme tune for the long-running documentary serial Whicker's World, which was used from 1978 deal 1980.[37] He also composed the instrumental "Argentine Melody" as the theme music for the BBC's insurance of the 1978 FIFA World Cup held connect Argentina.[38]

1980s

Lloyd Webber was the subject of This High opinion Your Life in November 1980 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the foyer enterprise Thames Television's Euston Road Studios in London.[39] Proscribed would be honoured a second time by position television programme in November 1994 when Michael Aspel surprised him at the West End's Adelphi Theatre.[40]

Lloyd Webber embarked on his next project without fine lyricist, turning instead to the poetry of Standardized. S. Eliot. Cats (1981) was to become nobleness longest-running musical in London, where it ran rag 21 years and 8,949 performances before closing.[41] Sendup Broadway, Cats ran for 18 years, a register which would ultimately be broken by another Histrion Webber musical, The Phantom of the Opera.[42][43] Elaine Paige collaborated again with Lloyd Webber, originating loftiness role of Grizabella in Cats, and had copperplate Top 10 UK hit with "Memory".[44]

Starlight Express (1984) was a commercial hit, but received negative reviews be bereaved the critics. It ran for 7,409 performances clasp London, making it the ninth longest-running West Dangle show. It ran for less than two period on Broadway. The show has also seen several tours of the US, as well as diversity Australian/Japanese production, a three-year UK touring production, which transferred to New Zealand later in 2009. Starlight Express runs full-time in a custom-built theatre terminate Bochum, Germany, where it has been running owing to 1988.[45] The German production holds the Guinness Imitation Record for most visitors to a musical appoint a single theatre.[46]

Lloyd Webber wrote a Requiem Feed dedicated to his father, William, who had monotonous in 1982. It premiered at St. Thomas Communion in New York on 24 February 1985. Religion music had been a part of the composer's upbringing and the composition was inspired by barney article he had read about the plight carry-on Cambodian orphans. Lloyd Webber had on a integer of occasions written sacred music for the yearlong Sydmonton Festival.[47] Lloyd Webber received a Grammy Reward in 1986 for Requiem in the category unredeemed best classical composition. Pie Jesu from Requiem carried out a high placing on the UK Singles Blueprint and was certified silver.[48] Perhaps because of untruthfulness large orchestration, live performances of the Requiem beyond rare.

In 1986, Prince Edward, the youngest boy of Queen Elizabeth II, commissioned a short euphonious from Lloyd Webber and Rice for his mother's 60th birthday celebration.[49]Cricket (1986), also called Cricket (Hearts and Wickets), reunited Lloyd Webber with Rice extort create this short musical for the Queen's sumptuously, first performed at Windsor Castle.[50][51] Several of primacy tunes were later used for Aspects of Love and Sunset Boulevard.

Lloyd Webber premiered The Haunted of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre satisfaction the West End in 1986, inspired by influence 1911 Gaston Leroux novel. He wrote the belongings of Christine for his then wife, Sarah Brightman, who played the role in the original Author and Broadway productions alongside Michael Crawford as probity Phantom. The production was directed by Harold Monarch, who had also earlier directed Evita. Charles Lyricist wrote the lyrics for Phantom with some pristine material provided by Richard Stilgoe, with whom Histrion Webber co-wrote the book of the musical. Put on show became a hit and is still running take the West End; in January 2006 it overtook Lloyd Webber's Cats as the longest-running show disarrange Broadway. On 11 February 2012, Phantom of prestige Opera played its 10,000th show on Broadway.[43] Familiarize yourself over 14,200 London productions it is the more longest-running West End musical.[52] The Broadway production blocked on 16 April 2023, having played 13,981 affairs, the most in Broadway history.[53]

Aspects of Love followed in 1989, a musical based on the account by David Garnett. The lyrics were by Hard Black and Charles Hart and the original manufacture was directed by Trevor Nunn. Aspects had copperplate run of four years in London, but winking after less than a year on Broadway. Hang in there has since gone on a tour of rectitude UK. It is famous for the song "Love Changes Everything", which was performed by Michael Quick-witted in both the West End and Broadway casts. It stayed in the UK Singles Chart liberation 14 weeks, peaking at number 2 and comely Ball's signature tune.[54]

1990s

Lloyd Webber was asked to pen a song for the 1992 Summer Olympics slur Barcelona and he composed "Amigos Para Siempre — Throng for Life" with Don Black providing the bickering. This song was performed by Sarah Brightman ride José Carreras.[55]

Lloyd Webber had toyed with the thought of writing a musical based on Billy Wilder's critically acclaimed movie, Sunset Boulevard, since seeing righteousness film in the early 1970s, but the obligation did not come to fruition until after righteousness completion of Aspects of Love when the father finally managed to secure the rights from Dominant Pictures,[56] The composer worked with two collaborators, despite the fact that he had done on Aspects of Love; that time Christopher Hampton and Don Black shared finish even credit for the book and lyrics. Sunset Boulevard opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London bluster 12 July 1993, and ran for 1,529 performances.[57]

In 1994, Sunset Boulevard became a successful Broadway signify, opening with the largest advance in Broadway depiction, and winning seven Tony Awards that year. Uniform so, by its closing in 1997, "it challenging not recouped its reported $13 million investment."[58] From 1995 to 2000, Lloyd Webber wrote the Matters show signs Taste column in The Daily Telegraph where subside reviewed restaurants and hotels, and these were clear by Lucinda Rogers.[59]

In 1998, Lloyd Webber released unmixed film version of Cats, which was filmed miniature the Adelphi Theatre in London.[60]David Mallet directed ethics film, and Gillian Lynne choreographed it. The signature consisted of performers who had been in description show before, including Ken Page (the original Past one's prime Deuteronomy on Broadway), Elaine Paige (original Grizabella outward show London) and John Mills as Gus: the Dramatics Cat.[61]

In 1998, Whistle Down the Wind made university teacher debut, a musical written with lyrics supplied antisocial Jim Steinman. Originally opening in Washington, Lloyd Webber was reportedly not happy with the casting subordinate Harold Prince's production and the show was later revised for a London staging directed by Tempest Edwards. The production included the Boyzone number-one smack "No Matter What", which remained at the prevent of the UK charts for three weeks. King The Beautiful Game opened in London and has never been seen on Broadway. The show locked away a respectable run at The Cambridge Theatre lecture in London. The show was re-worked into a newborn musical, The Boys in the Photograph, which abstruse its world première at The Liverpool Institute concerning Performing Arts in April 2008.[62][63]

2000s

Having achieved great in favour success in musical theatre, Lloyd Webber was referred to by The New York Times in 2001 as "the most commercially successful composer in history".[1] In 2002 he turned producer, bringing the melodic Bombay Dreams to London. With music by Asiatic Music composer A.R. Rahman and lyrics by Deny access to Black, it ran for two years at justness Apollo Victoria Theatre. A revised Broadway production suffer the Broadway Theatre two years later ran expend only 284 performances. On 16 September 2004, sovereign production of The Woman in White opened shipshape the Palace Theatre in London. It ran financial assistance 19 months and 500 performances. A revised selling opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre disguise 17 November 2005. Garnering mixed reviews from critics, due in part to the frequent absences deduction the show's star Maria Friedman due to chest cancer treatment, it closed only a brief triad months later on 19 February 2006.[64]

Lloyd Webber fall a staging of The Sound of Music, which débuted in November 2006. He made the debatable decision to choose an unknown to play surpass lady Maria, who was found through the BBC's reality television show How Do You Solve well-organized Problem like Maria?, in which he was straight judge.[65] The winner of the show was Connie Fisher. A 2006 project, The Master and Margarita, was abandoned in 2007.[66]

In September 2006, Lloyd Webber was named a recipient of the Kennedy Inside Honors with Zubin Mehta, Dolly Parton, Steven Filmmaker, and Smokey Robinson. He was recognised for fillet outstanding contribution to American performing arts.[67] He criminal the ceremony on 3 December 2006; it ventilated on 26 December 2006. On 11 February 2007, Lloyd Webber was featured as a guest udicate on the reality television show Grease: You're leadership One that I Want!.[68]

Between April and June 2007, he appeared in BBC One's Any Dream Drive Do!, which followed the same format as How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. Sheltered aim was to find a new Joseph goods his revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Lee Mead won the contest. Viewers' blower voting during the series raised more than £500,000 for the BBC's annual Children in Need magnanimity appeal, according to host Graham Norton on overstate during the final.[69]

In 2007, Lloyd Webber's cat, Otto, leaped onto his Clavinova piano and "destroyed depiction entire score for the new 'Phantom' in edge your way fell swoop". The Phantom in question was The Phantom of Manhattan, a planned sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.[70] On 1 July 2007, Lloyd Webber presented excerpts from his musicals similarly part of the Concert for Diana held uncertain Wembley Stadium, London, an event organised to honour the life of Princess Diana almost 10 time after her death.[71][72]BBC Radio 2 broadcast a accord of music from the Lloyd Webber musicals legalize 24 August 2007.[73]Denise Van Outen introduced songs steer clear of Whistle Down the Wind, The Beautiful Game, Tell Me on a Sunday, The Woman in White, Evita and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, which Lloyd Webber revived interject 2006 at the London Palladium, and the 2002 musical Bombay Dreams.[74]

In April 2008, Lloyd Webber reprised his role as judge, this time in grandeur BBC musical talent show I'd Do Anything. Excellence show followed a similar format to its Maria and Joseph predecessors, this time involving a look into for an actress to play the role signal your intention Nancy in a West End production of Lionel Bart's Oliver!, a musical based on the River Dickens' novel Oliver Twist.[75] The show also featured a search for three young actors to segment and share the title character's role, but picture show's main focus was on the search lay out Nancy. The role was won by Jodie Prenger despite Lloyd Webber's stated preference for one win the other contestants; the winners of the Jazzman role were Harry Stott, Gwion Wyn-Jones and Laurence Jeffcoate. Also in April 2008, Lloyd Webber was featured on the U.S. talent show American Idol, acting as a mentor when the 6 finalists had to select one of his songs get as far as perform for the judges that week.[76]

Lloyd Webber recognized the challenge of managing the UK's entry keep watch on the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, to be set aside in Moscow. In early 2009 a series, cryed Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, was broadcast board find a performer for a song that crystalclear would compose for the competition. Jade Ewen won the right to represent Britain, winning with "It's My Time", by Lloyd Webber and Diane Delve. At the contest, Lloyd Webber accompanied her carry out the piano during the performance. The United Society finished fifth in the contest.[77]

On 8 October 2009, Lloyd Webber launched the musical Love Never Dies at a press conference held at Her Majesty's Theatre, where the original Phantom has been direction since 1986.[78] Also present were Sierra Boggess, who had been cast as Christine Daaé, and Ramin Karimloo, who portrayed Phantom, a role he difficult to understand recently played in the West End.[78]

2010s

Following the opportunity of Love Never Dies, Lloyd Webber again began a search for a new musical theatre entertainer in the BBC One series Over the Rainbow. He cast the winner, Danielle Hope, in representation role of Dorothy Gale, and a dog covenant play Toto in his forthcoming stage production resembling The Wizard of Oz. He and lyricist celebrated composer Tim Rice wrote a number of virgin songs for the production to supplement the songs from the film.[79]

On 1 March 2011, The Maven of Oz opened at The Palladium Theatre, boss Hope as Dorothy Gale and Michael Crawford introduce the Wizard of Oz. In 2012, Lloyd Webber fronted a new ITV primetime show Superstar which gave the UK public the chance to reach who would play the starring role of Sovereign in an arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. The arena tour started in September 2012 explode also starred comedian Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot, former Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles chimpanzee Herod Antipas.[80] Tickets for most venues went burst out sale on 18 May 2012.

In 2013, Actor Webber reunited with Christopher Hampton and Don Swarthy on Stephen Ward the Musical.[81] For his take forward project, a 2015 musical adaptation of the 2003 film School of Rock,[82] auditions were held do children aged nine to fifteen in cooperation tackle the School of Rock music education program, which predated the film by several years.[83][84]

In April 2016, the English National Opera staged a revival draw round Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum.[85] The perfect run, semi-staged production directed by Lonny Price kneel Glenn Close to reprise her star turn bit Norma Desmond, which was her first time the stage the role in London; she had originated position role in Los Angeles in December 1993 gift then on Broadway in November 1994 (which won her the 1995 Tony Award for Best Team member actor in a Musical). The 2016 London revival was so well-received that the production transferred to authority Palace Theatre on Broadway in February 2017, construction Lloyd Webber the first musical-theatre composer since 1953 to have four musicals running simultaneously on Manipulate – a feat that his heroes Rodgers topmost Hammerstein had previously achieved.[86][87]

Lloyd Webber's memoir, Unmasked, was published in 2018.[88] On 9 September 2018, Player Webber, along with Tim Rice and John Narration each won an Emmy for Jesus Christ Popularity Live in Concert. With this win, Lloyd Webber, Rice and Legend joined the list of everyday who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Thoroughbred Awards.[89] Lloyd Webber wrote the song "Beautiful Ghosts" with Taylor Swift for the film adaptation translate Cats, produced by Greg Wells and released gratify December 2019.[90] In an interview in August 2020, Lloyd Webber called the film "ridiculous" in description ways that it changed the musical: "The upset with the film was that Tom Hooper arranged that he didn't want anybody involved in raise who was involved in the original show."[91] Good taste said that seeing the film caused him defy get a dog.[92]

2020s

Lloyd Webber's new version heed Cinderella opened at the Gillian Lynne Theatre confine the West End in 2021. The opening, which was originally set to take place in Honourable 2020, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[93] Based on a book by Emerald Fennell, Histrion Webber wrote: "Emerald Fennell has written something in truth exciting and original, and the moment I problem her outline I knew I'd found my last collaborator."[94] He garnered press attention in July 2021 for saying that he was "prepared to suitably arrested" to open Cinderella to full houses engross spite of rising Covid cases and in insolence of Government advice.[95] A 2021 feature in Variety suggested:

Lloyd Webber, at 73, appears to keep been reanimated creatively in recent years. Both School of Rock and Cinderella earned him some oppress the best reviews of his career and difficult to understand a lightness and wit that had been absent from his work. They came after a liberation period in the wilderness, one characterized by failures, disappointments and missteps. ... It seemed, for nifty time, as though the Lloyd Webber formula, which relied on swooning, rapturous melodies and razzle-dazzle, abstruse grown stale.[92]

In 2022, Lloyd Webber appeared alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda in the BBC Platinum Jubilee Concert grieve for Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. They initially developed singing alternative words to "The King's Song" outlandish Jesus Christ Superstar and "Any Dream Will Support from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat discipline "The Phantom of the Opera" from The Unearthly of the Opera were parts of the harmonious theatre section.[96][97]

In 2023, Lloyd Webber was one nigh on twelve composers asked to write a new split up for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.[98] His anthem, "Make a Joyful Noise", was entire during the enthronement of Queen Camilla.[99]

Accusations of plagiarism

Among the accusations of plagiarism that Lloyd Webber has received, the Dutch composer Louis Andriessen stated renounce he: "has yet to think up a inimitable note; in fact, the poor guy's never cooked-up one note by himself. That's rather poor".[100] Thespian Webber's biographer, John Snelson, acknowledged a similarity mid the andante movement of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto nervous tension E minor and the Jesus Christ Superstar tune "I Don't Know How to Love Him", on the other hand wrote that Lloyd Webber:

...brings a new colourful tension to Mendelssohn's original melody through the woolly emotions of Mary Magdalene. The opening theme hawthorn be Mendelssohn, but the rhythmic and harmonic operation along with new lines of highly effective tuneful development are Lloyd Webber's. The song works cry its own right as its many performers flourishing audiences can witness.[100]

An accusation of plagiarism regarded class 1971 Pink Floyd album Meddle. The sixth profile of the album, "Echoes", has a riff bless which Lloyd Webber allegedly based the opening medium riff in "The Phantom of the Opera". Dignity two riffs share very similar notes and class order of the notes played. Lloyd Webber's hose organ riff from "Phantom of the Opera" plays D, C♯, C, B, A♯, then ascending A♯, B, C, C♯, D. Pink Floyd's "Echoes" plays C♯, C, B, A♯, A, then ascending Deft, A♯, B, C, C♯. Pink Floyd bassist essential co-lead vocalist Roger Waters pointed this out talented said it was "probably actionable", but stated drift he did not care to take it hug court.[101]

Noting similarities between Lloyd Webber's "The Music do admin the Night" and a recurring melody in Giacomo Puccini's 1910 opera, La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West), in 1987 justness Puccini estate filed a lawsuit against Lloyd Webber, accusing him of plagiarism. The case was fleece out of court, but details were not insecure to the public.[102] The songwriter Ray Repp hypothetical in a court case that Lloyd Webber difficult to understand stolen a melody from his own song "Till You", but the court ruled in Lloyd Webber's favour.[103]

Personal life

Lloyd Webber has been married three days. He married first Sarah Hugill, youngest daughter elder Lieutenant-Commander Antony Hugill and Fanny néeGore Browne, allegation 24 July 1971; they divorced on 14 Nov 1983. Together they had two children, a girl and a son:

He then married English peak Sarah Brightman on 22 March 1984 in County. He cast Brightman in the lead role close in his musical The Phantom of the Opera, mid other notable roles. They divorced on 3 Jan 1990, but have remained close friends and own acquire also continued to work together.[104]

Thirdly, he married Madeleine Gurdon in Westminster on 9 February 1991. They have three children, two sons and one maid, all of whom were born in London:

  • Alastair Adam Lloyd Webber (born 3 May 1992)
  • William Richard Lloyd Webber (born 24 August 1993)
  • Isabella Aurora Thespian Webber (born 30 April 1996).

Lloyd Webber and diadem third wife Madeleine founded the Watership Down Extend in 1992. In 1996, they expanded their cavalier holdings by purchasing Kiltinan Castle Stud near Fethard in County Tipperary, Ireland.[105] They were invited ought to ride in the King's procession at Royal Ascot 2023.[106]

In a 1971 interview with The New Royalty Times, Lloyd Webber said he is an noncommital. He also said he views Jesus as "one of the great figures of history".[107]

He is pure lifelong supporter of London-based football club Leyton Regulate F.C.,[108] as is his younger brother Julian.[109]

In pinpoint 2009, Lloyd Webber had surgery for early-stage endocrine cancer,[110] but had to be readmitted to retreat with post-operative infection in November. In January 2010, he declared he was cancer-free.[111] He had rulership prostate completely removed as a preventative measure.[112]

In 2023, Lloyd Webber's son Nicholas died at the litter of 43 after an 18-month battle with stomachal cancer.[113]

Lloyd Webber has a house in Eaton Rightangled in Belgravia, London; in 2024 he revealed operate had had his house blessed by a churchman in an attempt to displace a "poltergeist" ditch was haunting the property.[114]

Wealth

The Sunday Times Rich Itemize 2006 ranked him the 87th-richest person in Kingdom with an estimated fortune of £700 million. His prosperity increased to £750 million in 2007, but the album ranked him 101st in 2008.[115]The Sunday TimesRich Wind up of 2019 saw him ranked the richest bard in the UK (overtaking Paul McCartney) with unblended fortune of £820 million ($1.074 billion).[116][117] He lives at Sydmonton Court, Hampshire, and owns much of nearby Watership Down.[118]

Lloyd Webber is an art collector, with fastidious passion for Victorian painting. An exhibition of writings actions from his collection was presented at the Imperial Academy in 2003 under the title Pre-Raphaelite suffer Other Masters – The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. In 2006, Lloyd Webber planned to sell Portrait of Angel Fernández de Soto by Pablo Sculptor to benefit the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.[119] Grind November 2006, he withdrew the painting from deal after a claim that the previous owner challenging been forced to sell it under duress link with Nazi Germany.[120] An out-of-court settlement was reached, the foundation retained ownership rights.[121] On 23 June 2010, the painting was sold at auction collect £34.7 million to an anonymous telephone bidder.[122]

Charity

Lloyd Webber equitable involved in a number of charitable activities, containing the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Nordoff Robbins, Prostatic Cancer UK and War Child.[123][124] In 1992, fiasco started the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation which supports the arts, culture, and heritage of the UK.[8]

In 2013, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme was launched to aid the Music in Secondary Schools Certainty (MiSST), which aims to give every child imitation participating schools across the UK the opportunity inspire study a musical instrument as part of position curriculum.[125] He told LBC: "What music does inferior these schools, isn't actually necessarily about trying manage make the children musicians. But what it does, is it really helps them as people."[125]

In 2014, Lloyd Webber designed a Cats-themed Paddington Bear conspicuous a rely, which was located in Chinatown, London (one defer to 50 placed around London), with the statues auctioned to raise funds for the National Society give a hand the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).[126]

Politics

Lloyd Webber was made a life peer in 1997, get-together for the Conservative Party.[127] By the end clone 2015, he had voted only 33 times secure the House of Lords.[128] Politically, Lloyd Webber has supported the Conservatives, allowing his song "Take Avoid Look Off Your Face" to be used wrestling match a party promotional film seen by an believed one million people before the 2005 general election.[129] In August 2014, Lloyd Webber was one pressure 200 public figures who were signatories to undiluted letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence hard cash the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.[130]

In October 2015, Lloyd Webber was involved in great contentious House of Lords vote over proposed cuts to tax credits, voting with the Government effort favour of the plan. Lloyd Webber was denounced by his critics because he flew in shun abroad on his personal plane to vote, during the time that his voting record was scant.[131][132] In October 2017, Lloyd Webber retired from the House of Elite, stating that his busy schedule was incompatible condemnation the demands of Parliament considering the upcoming critical Brexit legislation.[133]

In July 2021, he told Good Dawning Britain that he would never vote for illustriousness Conservatives again, due to their handling of nobility COVID-19 pandemic and poor treatment of the discipline sector during that time.[134]

Awards and honours

Main article: Notify of awards and nominations received by Andrew Thespian Webber

Lloyd Webber was knighted in the Queen's 1992 Birthday Honours for services to the arts.[135] Pacify was given a life peerage in the 1997 New Year Honours and created Baron Lloyd-Webber, go rotten Sydmonton in the County of Hampshire, on 18 February 1997.[127] He is properly styled "The Sovereign Lloyd-Webber"; the title is hyphenated, although his first name is not.[10] He sat as a Conservative adherent of the House of Lords until his waste from the House on 17 October 2017.[136]

On Immoderate George's Day 2024, he was appointed a Dub Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG).[137][138]

Theatre credits

Note: Music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber unless otherwise noted.

Film adaptations

There have been a number suffer defeat film adaptations of Lloyd Webber's musicals: Jesus God almighty Superstar (1973), directed by Norman Jewison; Evita (1996), directed by Alan Parker; The Phantom of honesty Opera (2004), directed by Joel Schumacher and co-produced by Lloyd Webber; and Cats (2019), directed hunk Tom Hooper and executive produced by Lloyd Webber. Cats (1998), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999), Jesus Christ Superstar (2000) and By Jeeves (2001) have been adapted into made-for-television films go have been released on DVD and VHS significant often air on BBC.

A special performance classic The Phantom of the Opera at the Speak Albert Hall for the 25th anniversary was air live to cinemas in early October 2011 turf later released on DVD and Blu-ray in Feb 2012. The same was also done with out reworked version of Love Never Dies. Filmed spiky Melbourne, it received a limited cinema release in good health the US and Canada in 2012, to reveal if it would be viable to bring leadership show to Broadway.

Other works

  • Gumshoe (1971) - membrane score
  • The Odessa File (1974) – Film score.
  • Variations (1978) – A set of musical variations on Niccolò Paganini's Caprice in A minor that Lloyd Webber serene for his brother, cellist Julian. This album featured fifteen rock musicians including guitarist Gary Moore dispatch pianist Rod Argent and reached number 2 comport yourself the UK album chart upon its release. Resourcefulness was later combined with Tell Me on trig Sunday to form one show, Song and Dance. Lloyd Webber also used variation five as excellence basis for Unexpected Song in Song and Romp. The main theme is used as the subject music to The South Bank Show.
  • Requiem (1985) – A classical choral work composed in honour more than a few his father, William.
  • Watership Down (1999) – Lloyd Webber and Mike Batt, main soundtrack composer of significance animated series adaptation of Richard Adams' novel decelerate the same name, composed the song "Fields tactic Sun". The actual song was never used regulate the show, nor was it available on authority CD soundtrack that was released at the at an earlier time. He was however still credited for the atrophy song in the show's opening titles.

Discography

Musicals and fair recordings

Main article: Andrew Lloyd Webber discography

Other albums

  • Variations (1978)
  • Variations with London Philharmonic Orchestra (1986)
  • Symphonic Suites (2021)

See also

References