Lyricist Don Black says he is being made CBE for ‘doing what I’ve always loved’

He has been honoured for services to music.
Lyricist Don Black has produced music for many film and stage productions (Jeff Moore/PA)
PA Wire
Ellie Iorizzo29 December 2023

Academy Award-winning lyricist Don Black described being recognised in the New Year Honours for doing what he loves as “wonderful”.

Black, who has worked with John Barry, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Van Morrison and Michael Jackson in a career spanning more than six decades, has been made a CBE for his services to music.

“It is wonderful to receive this accolade for doing what I have always loved doing,” the 85-year-old said in a statement to the PA news agency.

Black won an Oscar for his 1966 song Born Free, written for the film of the same name, as well as two Tony awards for best book and lyrics of a musical for his work on Sunset Boulevard – which marked his third collaboration with Lord Lloyd-Webber.

London-born Black is best known for his collaborations with Lord Lloyd-Webber on musicals such as Starlight Express, Whistle Down The Wind, and for James Bond theme songs including Diamonds Are Forever and The Man With The Golden Gun.

He has also worked on productions including Dracula The Musical, Brighton Rock and Feather Boy, as well as Mrs Henderson Presents – and won a Golden Globe award for the song Ben performed by Lee Montgomery in the self-titled film and by US pop star Jackson over the closing credits.

Other notable film song credits include True Grit, The Italian Job and The Pink Panther Strikes Again for which he picked up his last Academy Award nomination.

Black was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007, the same year he was made an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

In 2020 he was awarded the Special Olivier Award for his outstanding services to theatre.

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