Having started his career in the 1950s, quickly becoming one of the most sought-after drummers, Brian Bennett has been a force in British music for many decades.

In 1961 he was invited to join Cliff Richard and The Shadows and wrote many of the hit songs from films including Summer Holiday (for which he won his first Ivor Novello award), “Wonderful Life” and “Finders Keepers”. In the 1970s, he became Cliff Richard’s musical director and formed The Brian Bennett Orchestra and commenced touring the world; which included the first concerts to be staged in Russia.

By the mid 1970s Brian was in demand as an arranger, conductor and record producer and had already started composing for film and television. During the 1980s, he was awarded his second Ivor Novello award (for 25 years services to music) and was writing and recording music for a wide range of programmes 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, he won his third Ivor Novello award for Best Score For A Television Series (The Ruth Rendell Mysteries).

He continued to be in demand as ever through the 90s and 2000s and was the proud recipient of 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. In 2004 Brian was awarded an OBE.