Barry Mason

Mason was born in Wigan, eldest son of Phyllis née Hart, and journalist, Cecil Mason, who died when Barry was nine. He had a younger brother, and two half-sisters by his mother's second husband, an American GI He grew up in the village of Coppull, near Chorley in Lancashire and attended Baines Grammar School in Poulton-Le-Fylde. His songwriting credits included three UK Singles Chart number ones, "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)", "The Last Waltz", and "I Pretend", as well as "Here It Comes Again", "There Goes My First Love", "A Man Without Love", "Winter World of Love", "Delilah", "Love Is All", "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize", "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow", "Kiss Me Goodbye", and "You Just Might See Me Cry".

His songs have been recorded by Tom Jones, Dalida, P. J. Proby, David Essex, The Drifters, Rod Stewart, Petula Clark, Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Fortunes, Charles Aznavour, Tony Christie, Connie Francis, Mireille Mathieu, Barbra Streisand, The Dave Clark Five, Cliff Portwood, Malcolm Roberts and Our Kid.

Mason credited his start in songwriting to his first hit in 1960 as a producer. "I met this boy called Tommy Bruce and I spent my last few pounds making a demo of him singing an old Fats Waller song, Ain't Misbehavin' – and he had a hit (No.3, UK, 1960). Suddenly, I was his manager, not knowing anything about the business. But the important thing was, I was in the business."{{Cite web|url=http://www.a-lyric.com/2021/04/rip-english-lyricist-barry-mason/|title=RIP: English lyricist Barry Mason |website=A-lyric.com|access-date=29 October 2021}} Mason and Reed wrote a song for Kathy Kirby, "I'll Try Not to Cry", as part of A Song for Europe 1965, the BBC's contest to choose the United Kingdom entry for that year's Eurovision Song Contest in Naples.{{cite web|author=Les Reed |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/les-reed-mn0000818640 |title=Les Reed - Music Biography, Credits and Discography |publisher=AllMusic |date=24 July 1935 |access-date=28 December 2012}} The song was beaten by "I Belong".{{cite web|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-year/contest?event=282 |title=Eurovision Song Contest 1965 | Year page | Eurovision Song Contest - Malmö 2013 |publisher=Eurovision.tv |access-date=29 December 2012}} "The Last Waltz" became a million-selling UK number one for Humperdinck in September 1967.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/04/uk-million-selling-singles-full-list |title=UK's million-selling singles: the full list |author= Ami Sedghi |publisher=Guardian |date=4 November 2012 |access-date=4 November 2012 }} In 1968, the duo scored another UK number 1 hit with Des O'Connor's recording of "I Pretend".{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| page= 403}} Mason and Reed also wrote "Who's Doctor Who", a novelty song recorded by Doctor Who star Frazer Hines in 1967, but it failed to chart.{{cite web | url= https://whatculture.com/tv/5-best-worst-doctor-who-songs-of-all-time?page=3 | title= 5 Best & Worst Doctor Who Songs Of All Time | work=WhatCulture | date= 28 December 2014 | access-date=29 February 2020}} They also wrote "Marching on Together" (aka "Leeds! Leeds! Leeds!"), the anthem of Leeds United F.C. His last chart topping song was "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes), for session group, Edison Lighthouse, in January 1970.

Mason enjoyed singing his catalogue of hits and in the early 70s often took a working vacation to Malta playing at various venues accompanied by his small band including pianist Norman Hale (The Tornados) and drummer Jon Werrell (The Mojos)

He was the major songwriter for the English singer Declan Galbraith for his first album Declan (2002), including the hit "Tell Me Why" (No. 29 in UK{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| page= 146}}) and "Till the Day We Meet Again".

He founded his own publishing company, Barry Mason Enterprises Ltd.{{cite web|url=https://www.duedil.com/director/912333450/john-barry-mason |title=John Barry Mason - Director at Patricia Music Limited and Barry Mason Enterprises Limited. During the week of Monday, January 9 - Friday, January 13, 2017 Barry is picking his 'Tracks of My Years' on the Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio 2. |publisher=Duedil.com |access-date=29 December 2012}}

Mason was a frequent guest on the BBC1 panel game Pop Quiz, hosted by Mike Read.

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to music.{{London Gazette|issue=63135|supp=y|page=B20|date=10 October 2020}}

Barry Mason had two daughters and a son. He died in April 2021.

• The Songwriter (1976), Magnet
• The Singer and the Songs (1978), Magnet

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.barrymasonsongwriter.co.uk Barry Mason official website]
• {{discogs artist}}
• {{IMDb name|id=1056959}}
• [http://www.songwriter.co.uk/page64.html Interview with Barry Mason in International Songwriters Association's Songwriter Magazine]

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Category:1935 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:People from Wigan

Category:English male singers

Category:English male songwriters

Category:Ivor Novello Award winners

Category:Castlebar Song Contest winners

Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Musicians from Lancashire