Sir Richard Henry Simpson Stilgoe OBE DL (born 28 March 1943)[1] is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician, and broadcaster who is best known for his humorous songs and frequent television appearances.
In the 1980s, he founded the Alchemy Foundation which is funded from his royalties from the American productions of Starlight Express and The Phantom of the Opera.
In the late 1990s he founded the Orpheus Centre which offers performing arts experiences to young people with disabilities.
He was brought up in Liverpool, where, as lead singer of a group called 'Tony Snow and the Blizzards',[1] he performed at the Cavern Club.
One notable song concerned officials who have "Statutory Right of Entry to your Home", with Stilgoe playing and singing, in barber-shop style, all parts himself using trick photography.
His ability to write a song from almost any source material and at speed is part of his cabaret act, which includes singing the instructions from a Swedish payphone; a pastiche of the King's Singers listing the kings and queens of England in which he sings all four parts; and composing a song in the interval from words and musical notes called out by the audience.
The song was aired as part of Southern's final broadcast on 31 December 1981, a retrospective programme titled And It's Goodbye From Us.
He has appeared on the Royal Variety Performance, presented the Schools Proms for over 20 years and toured solo and with Peter Skellern.
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 also started the Stilgoe Family Concerts series at the Royal Festival Hall, which feature young performers and regular commissions of new music.
[16] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1998 Birthday Honours, "for services to the community, especially Disabled People.