Laurie Holloway

Laurence Holloway (born 31 March 1938) is an English pianist, musical director and composer from Oldham, Lancashire, England. In the 1970s he was the Musical Director for the singer Englebert Humperdinck, and (from 1998) for the television talk show Parkinson. In 2004 he was the original MD for the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.

Career
Laurie Holloway was born in Oldham and began playing piano at the age of four, taking his first formal lessons aged seven. Aged 12 he was the organist and choirmaster at his local church. He began performing at ballroom dances and turned professional in 1954 when he joined Syd Willmott and his Band as a pianist. He later played with Geraldo on cruise ships, with the Cyril Stapleton band, and then as a studio session musician, playing on many tracks, including on Downtown by Petula Clark with musical director Tony Hatch in 1964. He was musical director for Englebert Humperdinck from 1970 to 1975, working on his albums and touring the US, including Las Vegas.

Holloway became more associated with jazz after working as musical director for the singer Cleo Laine, which soon led to him joining the John Dankworth Band as pianist and arranger. He worked with Dankworth on the 1967 album The $1,000,000,000 Collection, and on subsequent Dankworth albums. However, more studio and television work soon took over. The list of artists he has worked with includes Stephane Grappelli, Tom Jones, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr., Gilbert O’Sullivan, Mel Torme, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Lesley Garrett, Bob Monkhouse, Barry Humphries and Ronnie Corbett. He composed several well-known theme tunes such as Game for a Laugh, Wicked Women, Maggie and Her, Blind Date and Beadle's About. He also composed "Hook, Line and Sinker" for the 1970 LWT fishing series Casting Around.

In 1990, Holloway accompanied Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Princess Margaret, on the piano for a recording the two made of Scottish childhood songs at Buckingham Palace for the 90th birthday of their mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. A single cassette was produced featuring a dozen songs, but the recording was lost after the Queen Mother's death.

His professional association with Michael Parkinson (a Berkshire neighbor and friend) began in 1998 when be became musical director of the Parkinson chat show. He worked on the show until 2004 for BBC, and when the show transferred to ITV from 2004 to 2007. Starting in 2004 he was also Musical Director for the first three series of the popular dance show Strictly Come Dancing, for which he provided many arrangements every week.

He has been awarded the Gold Badge of Merit by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters and he appeared as a subject of This Is Your Life. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to music.

Personal life
Holloway was married to the singer Marion Montgomery from 1965 until her death in 2002. They have a daughter, Abigail (born 1967). He lives in The Fisheries, Bray, Berkshire.

Discography

 * Jazz Box Jazz 1957
 * Instant Marriage, 1964 West End musical
 * Hit Parade Holloway Style 1966
 * Good Time 1967
 * The Great Piano Hits Holloway Style 1967
 * Piano On The Roof 1967
 * Marian In The Morning 1972
 * Cumulus 1979
 * Brandenburg Boogie
 * About Time 1993
 * Blue Skies & Other Vistas 1996
 * Showtime (Elgin)
 * Laurie Holloway Trio: live at Abbey Road 2000 (Grasmere Records)
 * Laurie Holloway - The Piano Player 2004 (Universal Records)
 * Strictly Come Dancing – Bruce Forsyth & the Laurie Holloway Orchestra 2004 (Sony Records)