Marcel Stellman facts for kids

Marcel Leopold Stellman (born 15 February 1925 – died 2 May 2021) was a talented record producer and songwriter from Belgium who later became British. He helped many famous singers record their songs, including Cilla Black, Petula Clark, and Tony Bennett. Marcel Stellman is most famous in the UK for bringing the French TV show Des chiffres et des lettres to Britain, which became the popular game show Countdown. He sometimes used the names Gene Martyn and Leo Johns when writing songs.

Early Life and Moving to Britain

Marcel Stellman was born in Antwerp, Belgium. He was one of 11 children in his family. His mother, Lily, was from Scotland, and his father, Willy Stellman, was Belgian. When Marcel was 13, his father took him to a jazz club. There, he got to see the legendary musician Louis Armstrong perform live!

Sadly, Marcel's father passed away when Marcel was young. During World War II, when Germany invaded Belgium in 1940, Marcel's mother, who was Scottish, helped him escape. They moved to Glasgow, Scotland, when Marcel was 14 years old. This was a very difficult time for his family.

Working in Radio and TV

Marcel Stellman started working with the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) in the 1940s and 1950s. He presented radio shows especially for schools and children.

In the 1960s, he worked on a children's TV show. This show featured Pinky and Perky, who were two singing puppet pigs! Later, in the 1980s, he even filled in as a presenter for the radio show 'Sounds Easy' on BBC Radio 2.

The Creator of Countdown

Marcel Stellman is best known for bringing Countdown to British television. He saw the French show Des chiffres et des lettres and thought it would be a great idea for the UK. He worked hard to make it happen, and Countdown became a very popular and long-running game show.

Songwriting Success

Marcel Stellman was also a successful songwriter. He wrote the lyrics for many songs. He won an Ivor Novello Award for his lyrics to the song "Dance On!". This song was originally an instrumental by the Shadows, but it became a hit for Kathy Kirby in 1963 with Marcel's words.

He also wrote the English lyrics for other well-known songs. These include "Tulips from Amsterdam" and "Marble Breaks and Iron Bends" (which was originally a German song called Marmor, Stein und Eisen bricht).

Later Life

Marcel Stellman passed away on 2 May 2021, at the age of 96. The episode of Countdown that was shown on 4 May 2021 was dedicated to him. This was a special tribute to the man who brought the show to millions of homes.