1. Michael Peter Hayes, known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate, Arrows, Racey and the Jeff Beck Group, often issued on his own RAK Records label.
Mickie Most was influenced by skiffle and early rock and roll in his youth.
Mickie Most had success with Herman's Hermits after being approached by their manager Harvey Lisberg at Derek Everett's suggestion.
Mickie Most's down-to-earth handling of the band, his business acumen and knack for selecting hit singles, established Most as one of the most successful producers in Britain and kept him in demand throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
In July 1964, Most had another top 10 hit with the Nashville Teens' remake of the John D Loudermilk song "Tobacco Road".
Mickie Most produced the final studio single of the 1960s by The Seekers, "Days of My Life", in 1968, and Nancy Sinatra's "The Highway Song" in 1969.
Mickie Most's productions were backed by London-based session musicians including Big Jim Sullivan and Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass guitar and arrangements, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and Bobby Graham on drums.
Mickie Most produced Jeff Beck's hits "Love is Blue" and "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and the Jeff Beck Group albums Truth and Beck-Ola.
Mickie Most's focused approach led to a split with Donovan in late 1969.
In 1970, Mickie Most approached Suzi Quatro for a recording contract after seeing her on stage at a Detroit dance hall with the band Cradle, while on a production assignment in Chicago.
For RAK in the 1970s, Mickie Most produced hits for New World, Duncan Browne, Cozy Powell, Tam White and Racey, as well as Chris Spedding's self-titled 1976 album, which was Spedding's fifth solo record.
Mickie Most produced "We Vibrate", the first 45 by punk band The Vibrators.
In 1980, Mickie Most discovered Kim Wilde, who was doing backing vocals for her father Marty Wilde at a Luton recording session.
Mickie Most was a producer of Revolver, a TV programme devoted to punk rock which was at odds with his 'studio factory' approach to pop music.
Mickie Most was one of the first producers to own the rights to his own records and RAK Studios, which opened in 1976 in St John's Wood, remains active.
Mickie Most was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at BBC Broadcasting House in London.
On 30 May 2003, Mickie Most died at home aged 64 from possibly peritoneal mesothelioma, a complication of asbestosis.