Alan Hawkshaw

Bio

Alan Hawkshaw (1937–2021) was a British pianist, composer and producer whose career spanned library music, television themes and pop production. Born in Leeds, he became a prolific session musician and writer of instrumental tracks for production-music libraries, contributing to the distinctive sound of 1960s and 1970s British television and film. Among his best-known compositions are the theme for Channel 4’s ‘Countdown’ and the ubiquitous ‘The Champ,’ later sampled by artists such as Jay-Z and The Chemical Brothers. Hawkshaw also worked as an arranger and keyboardist for acts including The Shadows and maintained an active studio career until his later years.