The Sanest Guy in the Room

Don Black

• 17 december 2020
• 9781405548670

Samenvatting:

'If they gave prizes for good and supremely talented human beings Don Black would be top of my list.'
Bill Kenwright

'Don just gets on with it and he's a very nice person.' Van Morrison

'One of the most pleasurable and easy things to do is to write a song with Don Black.' David Arnold

'I can't imagine life without Don Black, he has an amazing attitude and is one of the most beloved people in our industry.' Cameron Mackintosh

'Don is unique, he is a wonderful man with a life enhancing spirit and a warmth that is hard to find in most people.' Andrew Lloyd Webber

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'. . . a compelling memoir. Breezy and unpretentious, The Sanest Guy in the Room is a delightful collection of memories, insider information and after-dinner anecdotes' The Times

'Brilliant stories and wonderful behind-the-scenes glimpses of a life and career in show-business . . . It's bloody brilliant . . . Read it!' Michael Ball

Don Black is the songwriter's songwriter, a composer's dream collaborator, and the man behind some of the twentieth century's greatest musical numbers.

Black made his first foray into the glittering world of showbiz as a stand-up, before realising his error and focusing on his lifelong passion instead - music. Shirley Bassey, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini and Barbra Streisand are just some of the artists Black has worked with over the years - not to mention his frequent collaborator, West End legend Andrew Lloyd Webber - in what can only be described as a remarkable musical career. Yet, never one to court fame, Black has always remained what Mark Steyn coined as 'the sanest guy in the room'.

Interwoven with the stories behind songs such as 'Diamonds are Forever' and 'Born Free' are vignettes of Black's life with his beloved wife Shirley, who died in March 2018, after almost sixty years of marriage. Black writes movingly about how the enormity of his grief changed his life, and how the dark days are slowly turning into dark moments.

The Sanest Guy in the Room is a rich and delightful paean to a life lived through song. It reveals the essence of Black's craft, looks at those who have inspired him and allows us to understand what made those icons tick. It is also a poignant tribute to Shirley, his biggest inspiration. Told with wit, warmth and great humour, this is Don Black's astonishing musical journey and an insight into a life behind the lyrics.