Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesScott English, a prolific songwriter best-known for co-writing Barry Manilow‘s chart-topping 1974 smash “Mandy,” died Tuesday at the age of 81, Billboard reports.
English penned the lyrics to the original version of the song, which was titled “Brandy,” and his own rendition was a top 10 hit in the U.K. in 1972.
Among the many other songs English co-wrote were “Bend Me, Shape Me,” a #5 hit for The American Breed in 1968; “Hi Ho Silver Lining,” which was a U.K. hit for Jeff Beck in 1967 and “Help Me Girl,” which charted in the U.S. for both The Animals and The Outsiders.
Scott also produced Thin Lizzy‘s self-titled debut album in 1971.
“Scott English was a gifted songwriter and an incredibly warm person who everyone loved working with,” Warner/Chappell Music UK executive Mike Smith says in a statement. “Even when he was ill in hospital, he was still working on new lyrics. ‘Brandy,’ which went on to be popularized as ‘Mandy,’ is a timeless pop classic…He’ll be truly missed and our thoughts are with his family.”
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