Geoff Stephens facts for kids

Geoffrey Stephens (born October 1, 1934 – died December 24, 2020) was a very talented English songwriter and record producer. He was especially active in the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s.

Geoff wrote many hit songs, often working with other famous British songwriters. Some of these included Tony Macaulay, John Carter, and Les Reed.

He also started a band called The New Vaudeville Band. Their song "Winchester Cathedral" was a huge success. It even won Geoff Stephens a Grammy Award in 1967.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Geoff Stephens was born in New Southgate, North London, in 1934. After the Second World War, his family moved to Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex. There, they opened a guesthouse.

Living on the coast, Geoff could listen to jazz and American pop music on the radio. He heard broadcasts from Germany and Radio Luxembourg. This, along with listening to classical music at home, made him love music even more.

However, Geoff never had formal music lessons. He couldn't read musical notes. Later, when he started writing songs, he would sing them to others who could write down the music for him. A teacher in high school inspired him to become a writer. After serving in the Middle East for two years, he moved to London. He set a goal to become a songwriter within three years.

A Career in Songwriting

Geoff Stephens began his career by writing songs and funny sketches for amateur shows. He had his own group called the Four Arts Society. At the same time, he worked different jobs, including being a school teacher, an air traffic controller, and a silk screen printer. Some of his funny sketches were even accepted by BBC Radio for their Monday Night at Home programme.

In 1961, after many rejections, his first song was accepted by a music publisher. The song, "Problem Girl," was recorded by The Chariots. In 1964, he had his first big hit song, "Tell Me When." He wrote it with Les Reed, and it became a Top 10 hit for The Applejacks.

Another successful song for Geoff in 1964 was "The Crying Game." This song was a Top 5 hit for Dave Berry. Years later, it became the title song for a movie and a hit for Boy George.

In late 1964, Geoff and Peter Eden discovered Donovan in Southend, Essex. They offered to manage him. They helped produce Donovan's first hit song and his first album.

The New Vaudeville Band

In 1966, Geoff Stephens formed The New Vaudeville Band. He wrote and recorded songs for the band in a fun 1920s musical style. Their first song, "Winchester Cathedral," was a number one hit in the United States. It also reached number four in the UK Singles Chart. Many other artists, like Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Sinatra, also recorded their own versions of the song.

The band had more hits, including "Peek A Boo," "Finchley Central," and "Green Street Green."

More Hit Songs

Geoff Stephens wrote "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James" for Manfred Mann with John Carter. He also wrote "There's a Kind of Hush" with Les Reed for The New Vaudeville Band. A year later, Herman's Hermits had a hit with their version of "There's a Kind of Hush." Later, The Carpenters also made it a hit.

Over the next few years, Geoff wrote or co-wrote many more hits for famous artists:

• The Hollies ("Sorry Suzanne")
• Cliff Richard ("Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha")
• Tom Jones ("Daughter of Darkness")
• Mary Hopkin ("Knock, Knock Who's There?" – the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970)
• Scott Walker ("Lights of Cincinnati")
• Dana ("It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas")

In 1972, his song "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast," written with Peter Callander, was recorded by Wayne Newton. It sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc. Tony Christie also recorded it.

Other hits that followed included:

• "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" by The New Seekers, which won an Ivor Novello Award in 1974.
• The Drifters' "Like Sister And Brother."
• Hot Chocolate's "I'll Put You Together Again."
• Sue and Sunny and Carol Douglas's "Doctor's Orders."
• Crystal Gayle's "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye."
• Most successfully, the UK number one hit in 1977 for David Soul, "Silver Lady."

Later Work and Awards

In 1983, Geoff Stephens and Don Black wrote songs for the West End musical Dear Anyone. A year later, he worked with Les Reed on The Magic Castle.

Geoff received the Gold Badge of Merit from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1995. In 2000, he won the Jimmy Kennedy Ivor Novello Award for his contributions to British Songwriting.

More recently, he wrote "To All My Loved Ones," which was featured at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2005, Geoff worked on the musical production of Bonnie & Clyde.

Personal Life

Geoff Stephens was married to Pam. They had three children: a son named Paul, and two daughters, Jenny and Ruth.

He passed away on December 24, 2020, at the age of 86, from pneumonia.