10 Facts About Betty Thatcher

Betty Thatcher was an English lyricist who wrote many of the lyrics for the progressive rock band Renaissance.

Betty Thatcher was taught to read newspapers at home, started conventional school at the age of eight, and became a fast and prolific reader.

When Betty Thatcher moved to St Ives, Cornwall, she sent her lyrics from there to Jim McCarty who would write songs around them, including "Love Is All" and "Past Orbits of Dust" from the album Illusion, produced by Paul Samwell-Smith and released in Germany in 1971, but not released in the UK until 1976.

Betty Thatcher wrote the lyrics to their 1978 UK top 10 hit single "Northern Lights".

Betty Thatcher contributed lyrics to the Don Airey's 1989 album K2.

In 1998, Betty Thatcher wrote the words for a Japanese commercial for Nikka Whiskey which won five awards.

In 1994, Betty Thatcher wrote the lyrics for the album The Other Woman by Michael Dunford's Renaissance, which featured singer Stephanie Adlington.

In 2005, Betty Thatcher wrote lyrics for the album South of Winter by Terence Sullivan's group Renaissant, which featured John Tout on keyboards, Sullivan's wife Christine on most of the vocals and Sullivan singing lead on two songs.

Betty Thatcher was a private person and lived most of her life in St Ives and then in Hayle.

Betty Thatcher died of lung cancer on 15 August 2011, in Hayle.