Geoffrey Stephens was an English songwriter and record producer, most prolific in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 1970s.
11 Facts About Geoff Stephens
1.
2.
Geoff Stephens wrote a long series of hit records, often in conjunction with other British songwriters including Tony Macaulay, John Carter, Roger Greenaway, Peter Callander, Barry Mason, Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley, Don Black, Mitch Murray, and Les Reed.
3.
Geoff Stephens formed The New Vaudeville Band, and their song "Winchester Cathedral" won Stephens the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Recording.
4.
Geoff Stephens was inspired to become a writer by a high school teacher.
5.
Geoff Stephens began his career in amateur theatricals, when he wrote songs and sketches for musical revues presented by his own company, the Four Arts Society, while working as a school teacher, air traffic controller and silk screen printer.
6.
Geoff Stephens worked briefly for the music publisher, subsequently in 1964 he had his first hit "Tell Me When", co-written with Les Reed, a Top 10 hit for The Applejacks.
7.
Geoff Stephens had another successful song in 1964, "The Crying Game", which was a Top 5 hit for Dave Berry.
8.
Geoff Stephens has been awarded the Gold Badge of Merit by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1995, and the Jimmy Kennedy Ivor Novello Award for Services to British Songwriting in 2000.
9.
Geoff Stephens worked with Don Black on a planned stage revival of Dear Anyone.
10.
Geoff Stephens was married to Pam, and they had three children, son Paul, and daughters Jenny and Ruth.
11.
Geoff Stephens died on 24 December 2020, at the age of 86, from pneumonia and COVID-19.