26 Facts About Richard Stilgoe

Sir Richard Henry Simpson Stilgoe was born on 28 March 1943 and is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician, and broadcaster who is best known for his humorous songs and frequent television appearances.

Richard Stilgoe's output includes collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Peter Skellern.

Richard Stilgoe is a keen puzzler who has hosted several quiz shows and written several books on the subject.

Richard Stilgoe is patron of the Surrey Care Trust in Woking.

In 2012, Stilgoe was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his extensive charity work.

Richard Stilgoe was born in Camberley, Surrey, on 28 March 1943.

Richard Stilgoe was educated at Liverpool College, Monkton Combe School in Somerset and at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Cambridge University Footlights.

In 1966 Richard Stilgoe played Benjamin in the West End musical, Jorrocks.

One notable song concerned officials who have "Statutory Right of Entry to your Home", with Richard Stilgoe playing and singing, in barber-shop style, all parts himself using trick photography.

Richard Stilgoe has written and presented BBC radio programmes, including Hamburger Weekend, Used Notes, Stilgoe's Around, Maestro and Richard Stilgoe's Traffic Jam Show on BBC Radio 4.

In 1979 the BBC aired "Decision '79 Breakfast Special" as part of its coverage of the parliamentary elections that brought Margaret Thatcher to power; the show featured Richard Stilgoe singing the election results.

Richard Stilgoe has appeared over 200 times on the daytime TV quiz show, Countdown, and hosted quiz shows such as The Year in Question on Radio 4, Finders Keepers, and Scoop.

Richard Stilgoe appeared on a satirical BBC TV show of the 1980s, A Kick Up the Eighties.

Richard Stilgoe wrote lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats and Starlight Express, and collaborated with Charles Hart on the lyrics to The Phantom of the Opera.

Richard Stilgoe wrote two musicals for schools, Bodywork and Brilliant the Dinosaur.

Richard Stilgoe gave all his royalties as lyricist on Starlight Express to a village in India.

Richard Stilgoe has appeared on the Royal Variety Performance, presented the Schools Proms for over 20 years and toured solo and with Peter Skellern.

In 1984, Richard Stilgoe founded the Alchemy Foundation, which distributes money to good causes.

Richard Stilgoe founded the Orpheus Centre in 1998, in his former family home in Godstone, Surrey, offering performing arts experiences to young people with disabilities; he started the Richard Stilgoe Family Concerts series at the Royal Festival Hall, which feature young performers and regular commissions of new music.

Richard Stilgoe is President of the Surrey Care Trust in Woking, Surrey, which provides education, training, skills and volunteering opportunities to those who need motivation or a second chance in life.

Richard Stilgoe has five children: a son and daughter with his first wife Lizzie, and two sons and a daughter with his second wife, Annabel.

Richard Stilgoe became president of Surrey County Cricket Club in 2005.

Richard Stilgoe owns Winifred Atwell's "other" piano, the one which she used for her honky-tonk performances and recordings.

Richard Stilgoe has two Tony nominations, three Monte Carlo Prizes, and a Prix Italia.

Richard Stilgoe has honorary doctorates from the Universities of Greenwich, Southampton and Surrey, is an honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University, an honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, and an Honorary Member of the Royal College of Music.

Richard Stilgoe was knighted in the 2012 Birthday Honours for charitable services through the Alchemy Foundation.