Table of Biography
Leslie Bricusse is a late British composer, lyricist, and playwright. Leslie Bricusse has worked on theatre musicals and wrote the theme music for films.
Early Life
Leslie Bricusse was born on the 29th of January 1931, in Pinner, Middlesex, ( now the London Borough of Harrow,) England. He held British nationality while he had a birth sign of Aquarius. Additionally, he belongs to a mixed ethnicity and he practices Christianity religion.
His grandmother, who once cleaned the front steps of the Apollo Theater in the West End, was the only member of his family with any theatrical connections. Moreover, his mother, Ann (nee Mills), had been a war widow, and Cedric was her second husband. His father, Cedric, progressed to the position of circulation manager on the Sunday Chronicle. The couple had a daughter named Patricia seven years before Leslie arrived.
Education and Early Career
In terms of his academics, he attended Canon Lane Elementary School and got a scholarship to Hampstead’s University College. After serving his country for two years, he was accepted to Gonville & Caius College in Cambridge to study modern and medieval languages.
He also co-wrote the musical The Lady at the Wheel with his classmate and aspiring author Frederic Raphael. Between 1952 and 1953, he was Footlights Secretary, and the following year, he was Footlights President. He began working for Beatrice Lillie during his college drama career.
Leslie Bricusse – Death
On the 19th of October 2021, at the age of 90 years old, he died in his sleep in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.
Professional Career
Throughout his career, Leslie Bricusse has collaborated with various composers and artists, creating numerous popular songs and scores. He had a fruitful collaboration with Anthony Newley in the 1960s and 1970s. They wrote the musical “Stop the World – I Want to Get Off” (1961), which was adapted into a film in 1966.
Meanwhile, he also collaborated with Newley on the show “The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd” (1965) and the music for the film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971), which was based on Roald Dahl’s children’s book ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’
Caption: Leslie Bricusse, a late British composer, lyricist, and playwright (Source: The Guardian)
They were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the latter. When he worked with Newley, the two men referred to themselves as the “Brickman and Newburg team,” with “Newburg” focusing on music and “Brickman” on lyrics. Ian Fraser was frequently in charge of their arrangements.
Other Collaboration
Working solely as a lyricist, he collaborated with the composer “Cyril Ornadel on Pickwick” (1963), based on Charles Dickens’s “The Pickwick Papers” and a successful vehicle for Harry Secombe. His later collaborators included Henry Mancini (“Victor/Victoria” in 1982 and “Tom and Jerry”: The Movie in 1992) and John Williams (“Home Alone” in 1990 and “Hook” in 1991).
As a composer and lyricist, he scored the films “Doctor Dolittle” (1967), which flopped at the box office but earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Song (“Talk to the Animals”), and “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (1969).
This recognition aided him in achieving national acclaim. His other notable works include “What Kind of Fool Am I?” and “The Candy Man,” which was a mega-hit and was highly regarded by his fans. He collaborated with George Tipton on the opening theme of the American sitcom “It’s a Living.”
Moreover, he received an OBE in 2001 and published his autobiography, “Pure Imagination,” in 2005. In 2015, he published “Pure Imagination: A Sorta-Biography,” with a foreword by Elton John.
Leslie Bricusse – Awards
Caption: Leslie Bricusse giving speech after winning the Academy Award (Source: New York Post)
As a composer, lyricist, and playwright, he has been able to collect several awards and recognition in his profession. He has won two “Academy Awards” (1968, 1982), and one “Grammy Award” (1963). Meanwhile, he has also been nominated for Tony Awards, Golden Raspberry Award, and many others. Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the OBE on him on October 29, 2001, at a Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony for services to the film industry and the theatre.
Net Worth 2024
Through his professional career as a composer, lyricist, and playwright, he has earned a good sum of money in his profession. At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated around $ 3 million to $6 million.
Relationship Status
Leslie Bricusse married his wife Yvonne “Evie” Romain. His wife, Romain is a former British film and television actress. The exact information regarding their marriage date and when they first met each otherise still unknown. With the marriage, the couple has a son named Adam.
Caption: Leslie Bricusse with his wife (Source: Newsweek)
Till the time of his death, there were no significant controversies or widely reported negative incidents associated with him. He has had a long and successful career in the entertainment industry, and his work has generally been well-received.
Body Measurements
This British man stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs around 60 kg. Moreover, he has a pair of brown eyes with white hair color. Meanwhile, his other body measurements such as dress size, waist size, shoe size, and many others are still unknown.
Social Media
This American composer is no longer alive in this world so, he is not active on any kind of social media such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.