Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's " Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age Musical theatre, stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre ...

'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his work alongside theatre director Joan Littlewood at Theatre Royal, Stratford East, he played an instrumental role in the 1960s birth of the British musical theatre scene after an era when American musicals had dominated the West End. Best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for ''Oliver!'', Bart was described by

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musical ...

as "the father of the modern British musical". In 1963 he won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for ''Oliver!'', and the 1968 film version of the musical won a total of 6 Academy Awards including the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categ ...

. Some of his other compositions include the theme song to 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 hav ...

film '' From Russia with Love'', and the songs " Living Doll" by

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...

, "Far Away" by

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalist ...

, " Do You Mind?" (recorded by both Anthony Newley and

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

), "Big Time" (a 1961 cover by

Jack Jones Jack Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *Jack Jones (American singer) (born 1938), American jazz and pop singer *Jack Jones, stage name of Australian singer Irwin Thomas (born 1971) *Jack Jones (Welsh musician) (born 1992), Welsh mu ...

of his show tune from ''

Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be ''Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'be'' is a 1960 West End musical comedy about Cockney low-life characters in the 1950s, including spivs, prostitutes, teddy-boys and corrupt policemen. The work is more of a play with music than a conventional m ...

''), "Easy Going Me" by Adam Faith, "Always You And Me" by

Russ Conway Russ Conway, DSM (born Trevor Herbert Stanford; 2 September 1925 – 16 November 2000) was an English popular music pianist and composer. Conway had 20 piano instrumentals in the UK Singles Chart between 1957 and 1963, including two numbe ...

, and several songs recorded by Tommy Steele ("A Handful of Songs", "Butterfingers" and " Little White Bull"). By the mid 1960s he was as well known for his outlandish lifestyle, his celebrity friends, his excesses and his parties, as he was for his work.

Early life

He was born Lionel Begleiter, the youngest of seven surviving children of Galician Jews, Yetta (née Darumstundler) and Morris Begleiter, a master tailor. He grew up in Stepney; his father worked in the area as a tailor in a garden shed. The family had escaped the pogroms against Jews by Ukrainian cossacks in

Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...

. As a young man he was an accomplished painter. When Bart was aged six, a teacher told his parents that he was a musical genius. His parents gave him an old violin, but he did not apply himself and the lessons stopped.

Songwriting

He started his songwriting career in amateur theatre, first at The International Youth Centre in 1952 where he and a friend wrote a revue together called ''IYC Revue 52''. The following year the pair auditioned for a production of the Leonard Irwin play ''The Wages of Eve'' at London's Unity Theatre. Shortly afterward Bart began composing songs for Unity Theatre productions, contributing material (including the title song) to its 1953 revue ''Turn It Up'', and songs for its 1953 pantomime, an

agitprop Agitprop (; from rus, агитпроп, r=agitpróp, portmanteau of ''agitatsiya'', "agitation" and ''propaganda'', " propaganda") refers to an intentional, vigorous promulgation of ideas. The term originated in Soviet Russia where it referred ...

version of ''Cinderella''. While at the Unity he was talent-spotted by Joan Littlewood, and so joined Theatre Workshop. He also wrote comedy songs for the Sunday lunchtime BBC radio programme '' The Billy Cotton Band Show''. He first gained widespread recognition through his pop songwriting, penning numerous hits for the stable of young male singers promoted by artist manager and music publisher Larry Parnes. Bart's pop output in this period includes the hits " Living Doll" (written for

) and " Rock with the Caveman", "Handful of Songs", "Butterfingers" and " Little White Bull" (all for Tommy Steele). During this period, Steele and Mike Pratt were his songwriting partners. He won three Ivor Novello Awards in 1957, a further four in 1958, and two in 1960. He wrote the theme song for the 1963

film '' From Russia with Love'', and worked with John Barry again on the score to the 1964 film '' Man in the Middle''. His other hits include " Do You Mind", recorded by both

and Anthony Newley, whose recording reached number one on the UK charts on 30 March 1960 and was the 100th song to do so, "Big Time" (a 1961 cover by

of his show tune from ''

''), "Easy Going Me" ( Adam Faith), and "Always You And Me" (with

). Bart was also responsible for the discovery of two of Parnes' biggest stars. It was on his recommendation that Parnes went to see singer Tommy Hicks, whom he signed and renamed Tommy Steele, and Bart also suggested that Parnes see singer Reg Smith, who was then performing at the Condor Club. Although Parnes missed his performance, he went round to Smith's house and signed him up on the basis of Bart's recommendation. Smith went on to score a number of UK hits under his new stage name

Marty Wilde Marty Wilde, (born Reginald Leonard Smith; 15 April 1939) is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, scoring several 1950s hit singles including " Endless Sl ...

. Twenty-seven years after it became a number one hit for Cliff Richard, "Living Doll" was re-recorded by The Young Ones and Richard for

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

, and spent another three weeks at number one.Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be, The Lionel Bart Story, by David and Caroline Stafford, Omnibus Press, 2011.

Musical theatre

Bart's first professional musical was 1959's '' Lock Up Your Daughters'', based on the 18th-century play ''

Rape upon Rape ''Rape upon Rape; or, The Justice Caught in his own Trap'', also known as ''The Coffee-House Politician'', is a play by Henry Fielding. It was first performed at the Haymarket Theatre on 23 June 1730. The play is a love comedy that depicts the ...

'' by

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English novelist, irony writer, and dramatist known for earthy humour and satire. His comic novel ''Tom Jones'' is still widely appreciated. He and Samuel Richardson are seen as founders ...

. Following that, ''Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be'', produced by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, was noted for encouraging the use of authentic Cockney accents on the London stage and bringing an end to censorship of British theatre. ''

'' (1960), based on Dickens's ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'', was a major success. The music for ''Oliver!'' was transcribed by Eric Rogers, who wrote and composed 21 scores for the ''Carry On'' films. Bart hummed the melodies and Rogers wrote the notes on his behalf as Bart could not read or write music. In 1968 ''Oliver!'' was made into a movie starring Ron Moody,

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor known for his well-to-do, macho image and "hellraiser" lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his ...

and

Shani Wallis Shani Wallis (born 14 April 1933) is a British actress and singer, who has worked in theatre, film, and television in both her native United Kingdom and in the United States. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she is perhaps best ...

that won several

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, including best film. It is estimated that around this time Bart was earning 16 pounds a minute from ''Oliver!'' Bart's next two musicals, ''

Blitz! ''Blitz!'' is a musical by Lionel Bart. The musical, described by Steven Suskin as "massive", was set in the East End of London during the Blitz (the aerial bombings during World War II). The story drew on Bart's childhood memories of London's ...

'' (1962) (from which came the song "Far Away", a hit for

) and '' Maggie May'' (1964) had successful and respectable West End runs (''Blitz!'', at the time London's most expensive musical ever, had a run of 568 performances), but ''

Twang!! ''Twang!!'' is a musical with music and lyrics written by Lionel Bart and a book by Bart and Harvey Orkin, with assistance from Burt Shevelove. The piece, a spoof of the character and legend of Robin Hood, was a disastrous box-office failure and ...

'' (1965), a musical based on the

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...

legend, was a flop and ''

La Strada ''La strada'' () is a 1954 Italian drama film directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomina, a simple-minded young woman (Giulietta Masina) bought from her mother ...

'' (1969), which opened on Broadway after the removal of most of Bart's songs, closed after only one performance. By this time Bart was taking LSD and other drugs and was drinking heavily. Bart used his personal finances to try to rescue his last two productions, selling his past and future rights to his work, including ''Oliver!'' which he sold to the entertainer

Max Bygraves Walter William Bygraves (16 October 1922 – 31 August 2012), best known by the stage name Max Bygraves (adopted in honour of Max Miller), was an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, s ...

for £350 (Bygraves later sold them on for £250,000) to realise capital to finance the shows; Bart later estimated that this action lost him over £1 million. By 1972, Bart was bankrupt with debts of £73,000. A twenty-year period of depression and alcoholism ensued. He eventually stopped drinking, although the years of substance abuse seriously damaged his health, leaving him with diabetes and impaired liver function. He wrote ''Next Year in Jerusalem'' in 1975–1976, but it was not staged until 2021 in a virtual performance of the Jewish Music Institute featuring Maureen Lipman. In May 1977, an autobiographical musical called ''Lionel!'' opened in the West End at the

New London Theatre The Gillian Lynne Theatre (formerly New London Theatre) is a West End theatre located on the corner of Drury Lane and Parker Street in Covent Garden, in the London Borough of Camden. The Winter Garden Theatre formerly occupied the site until 1965 ...

. It was loosely based on Bart's early life as a child prodigy. Bart added some new songs for the show. The cast included Clarke Peters, Marion Montgomery and Adrienne Posta. The role of Lionel was shared by a young Todd Carty and Chris Nieto. The show closed after six weeks.

Later life

Bart continued writing songs and themes for films, but his only real success in his later years was "Happy Endings", a song he wrote for a 1989

Abbey National The Abbey National Building Society was formed in 1944 by the merger of the Abbey Road and the National building societies. It was the first building society in the United Kingdom to demutualise, doing so in July 1989. The bank expanded thro ...

advertising campaign, which featured Bart playing the piano and singing to children. He received a special Ivor Novello Award for life achievement in 1986. In 1987, encouraged by long-time friend Barry Humphries, he travelled to Australia to attend the opening of a new production of ''Blitz!'', which was then revived in London's West End in 1990 by the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the London blitz. In April 1991, he appeared on ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

''. Cameron Mackintosh, who owned half the rights to ''Oliver!'', revived the musical 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 ...

in 1994 in a version featuring rewrites by Bart. Mackintosh gave Bart a share of the production royalties. At the peak of his career, Bart was romantically linked in the media with singers

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

and Alma Cogan, though he was

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...

. His sexual preferences were known to friends and colleagues, but he did not announce them publicly until a few years before his death. Bart died at the

Hammersmith Hospital Hammersmith Hospital, formerly the Military Orthopaedic Hospital, and later the Special Surgical Hospital, is a major teaching hospital in White City, West London. It is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the London Borough ...

in West London on 3 April 1999, of liver cancer. A memorial bench is dedicated to him in Kew Gardens. A workshop of a musical based on Bart's life and using his songs, ''It's a Fine Life'', was staged in 2006 at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. A later version titled ''More!'' was presented in concert at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2015 featuring Neil McDermott as Bart,

Jessica Hynes Tallulah Jessica Elina Hynes (''née'' Stevenson; born 30 October 1972) is an English actress, director and writer. Known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007, she was one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom ''Spac ...

as Joan Littlewood and Sonny Jay as Charlene, with an appearance by 1960s pop-star Grazina Frame, who was an original cast member in Bart's ''Blitz!''.

West End theatrical credits

* '' Lock Up Your Daughters'' (1959) – lyrics * ''

'' (1959) – music, lyrics * ''

'' (1960) – music, lyrics, book. ''Oliver!'' was also produced on Broadway in 1963, winning a Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist and receiving nominations for Best Musical and Best Author of a Musical. A return Broadway engagement of the original production played in 1965, and a Broadway revival was mounted in 1984. * ''

'' (1962) – music, lyrics, book * '' Maggie May'' (1964) – music, lyrics * ''

'' (1965) – music, lyrics * ''

'' (1969) – co-composer, co-lyricist. A Broadway production opened the same year. * ''Lionel!'' (1977) – music, lyrics

References

Sources

* Chambers, Colin. ''The Story of Unity Theatre'' * Roper, David. ''Bart! The Unauthorized Life & Times, Ins and Outs, Ups and Downs of Lionel Bart'' * Stafford, David and Caroline. ''Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be – The Lionel Bart Story'', Omnibus Press, 2011

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Bart, Lionel 1930 births 1999 deaths Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Deaths from cancer in England Deram Records artists Broadway composers and lyricists English musical theatre composers English male composers English musical theatre lyricists English Jews English songwriters English gay musicians Ivor Novello Award winners Jewish composers Jewish songwriters LGBT composers LGBT songwriters People from Stepney Golders Green Crematorium 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century English musicians 20th-century British male musicians 20th-century LGBT people Tony Award winners