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RUPERT HOLMES was born in 1947 in Cheshire, to a British mother and an
American Air Force father who was serving in Britain as a bandleader. In New
York, after studying clarinet and composing, Holmes started playing bass in a
rock band and writing songs. In his 20s he was a session musician, writing
jingles and pop songs, including several for the television series The
Partridge Family. A successful piano player for both the Cuff Links and the
Buoys, with whom he had his first international hit, Timothy, in 1971, Rupert also
wrote and arranged tracks for Gene Pitney, the Platters and the Drifters.
Holmes released his first solo album in 1974, gaining the attention of
Barbara Streisand, who used his songs in the movie A Star is Born. His 1979 album, Partners
in Crime,
yielded the top hits Escape (The Pina Colada Song) and Him. In 1986 Rupert
Holmes made history, winning Tony awards for the book, music and lyrics of
the same production, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The London version
starred Ernie Wise and Lulu. Following a succession of plays and albums, in
1996 Holmes was the creator and writer of the television series, Remember
WENN,
on American Movie Classics until 1999. He is currently working on musical
versions of 1960s soap Dark Shadows, his own book Marty and The Picture of
Dorian Gray, the first act of which was premiered in The British Library
to coincide with the Oscar Wilde centenary in 2000.
From various web sites.
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