Biography

William Alan Hawkshaw (27 March 1937 – 16 October 2021) was a British composer and performer, particularly of library music used as themes for movies and television programs. Hawkshaw worked extensively for the KPM production music company in the 1950s to the 1970s, composing and recording many stock tracks that have been used extensively in film and TV.

He was the composer of a number of theme tunes including Grange Hill (originally library music recorded in Munich known as "Chicken Man") and Countdown. In addition, he was an arranger and pianist and, in the United States with the studio group Love De-Luxe, scored a number 1 single on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Here Comes That Sound Again" in 1979. His song "Charlie" is heard on Just for Laughs Gags.

He was the father of singer-songwriter Kirsty Hawkshaw (a member of the dance music group Opus III from 1991 to 1995) and also worked with artists such as Tiësto, Delerium, BT, Seba and Paradox.