Roger Greenaway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roger Greenaway OBE
Greenaway (1967)
Background information
Birth name	Roger John Reginald Greenaway
Born	(1938-08-23) 23 August 1938 (age 86) Fishponds, Gloucestershire, England
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1960s–present
Associated acts	The Kestrels David and Jonathan Brotherhood of Man The Pipkins

Roger Greenaway (born 23 August 1938) is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is famous for working with other talented people like Roger Cook and Tony Burrows.

Roger Greenaway helped write many popular songs. These include "You've Got Your Troubles" and two songs that sold millions around the world: "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (in Perfect Harmony)" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress".

He and Roger Cook were the first songwriters in the UK to win the 'Songwriters of the Year' award at the Ivor Novello Awards two years in a row. In 2009, Roger Greenaway was honored by being added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Early Life

Roger Greenaway was born in Fishponds, a town in Bristol, England.

Starting His Music Career

Roger Greenaway is well known for his work with Roger Cook. Both Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook were part of a singing group called the Kestrels. While they were on tour, they decided to start writing songs together.

Their first song was "You've Got Your Troubles". This song became a big hit for the Fortunes in 1965, reaching No. 2 in the UK and No. 7 in the US. This was just the start of many successful songs they would write.

Later that year, Greenaway and Cook began recording music as a duo called David and Jonathan. Their first song didn't become a hit. However, they had success in 1966 with their version of the Beatles' song "Michelle". They also had a hit with their own song "Lovers of the World Unite".

Their song "Softly Whispering I Love You" was not a hit when they first released it in 1967. But it became a No. 4 UK hit in 1971 for another group they worked with, the Congregation. In 1968, Cook and Greenaway decided to stop recording as a duo. They chose to focus on writing songs for other artists instead.

Writing Songs for Others

Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook wrote many hit songs for other famous artists. Sometimes they worked with other songwriters too.

Some of their popular songs include:

• "Home Lovin' Man" (for Andy Williams)
• "Doctor's Orders" (for Carol Douglas)
• "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" and "Gasoline Alley Bred" (for The Hollies)
• "You've Got Your Troubles" and "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" (for The Fortunes)
• "Melting Pot" and "Good Morning Freedom" (for Blue Mink)
• "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" (for Gene Pitney)

They also wrote "High 'N' Dry" for Cliff Richard. This song was the B-side of his hit "Congratulations". "Congratulations" was the UK's second-place song for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968.

The famous song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (in Perfect Harmony)" by The New Seekers started as a song called "True Love and Apple Pie". Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway wrote it. Later, it was rewritten to be a Coca-Cola advertisement. It became so popular that people wanted it released as a regular song. The song was changed again to remove the brand name. It then became a No. 1 hit in the UK and No. 7 in the US in 1972. Over a million copies of the song were sold in the UK.

Working with Other Groups

When the group Blue Mink was formed in 1969, Roger Greenaway was asked to be a lead singer. He turned down the offer and suggested Roger Cook instead, who accepted.

The next year, Greenaway worked with singer and former Kestrels band-mate Tony Burrows. They formed a duo called the Pipkins. In 1970, they had a Top 10 hit with a fun song called "Gimme Dat Ding".

In the same year, he was briefly a member of Brotherhood of Man. This group also featured Tony Burrows as the lead singer. They had a UK and US Top 20 hit with "United We Stand".

Later Music Works

After Roger Cook moved to the US in 1975, Roger Greenaway worked with other partners. He worked with Geoff Stephens on songs like "It's Gonna be a Cold Cold Christmas" for Dana in 1975. They also wrote "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye" for Crystal Gayle in 1980, which became a No. 1 country song in the US.

With Barry Mason, he wrote "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" for Tom Jones. This song was a hit on the country music charts in 1977.

Roger Greenaway also took on more business roles in the music industry. He became the Chairman of the Performing Right Society in 1983. In 1995, he took charge of the European office for ASCAP. He also wrote music for advertisements for companies like Allied Carpets and British Gas.

Personal Life

Roger Greenaway's son is Gavin Greenaway, who is also a composer and conductor.

Awards and Honors

In 1998, Roger Greenaway received the Order of the British Empire. This honor was given to him for his important contributions to the music industry. In 2009, he was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York.

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Roger Greenaway para niños

• Gavin Greenaway