) was an English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 singer, composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 and songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

.

Biography

Educated at Hazelwick School

Hazelwick School

Hazelwick School is an Academy Co-educational Comprehensive School for pupils aged 11 to 18, located in Crawley, West Sussex.-History:Hazelwick School is a Secondary school for pupils aged 11-18. The school was finished being built in 1952 although it did not officially open until 1953 as a...

, in Crawley

Crawley

Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...

, West Sussex

West Sussex

West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...

, Hazlewood began his career as a DJ

Disc jockey

A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...

 at the radio station

Radio station

Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...

 Radio Luxembourg

Radio Luxembourg (English)

Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....

 in the early 1960s. In 1966 he founded the group

Band (music)

In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...

 The Family Dogg, together with Albert Hammond

Albert Hammond

Albert Hammond OBE is a British singer, songwriter and record producer from Gibraltar.-Birth and early success:Hammond was born in London, England, where his family had been evacuated to from Gibraltar during World War II. His family returned to Gibraltar shortly after his birth, and there he grew...

 and Steve Rowland

Steve Rowland (record producer)

Steve Rowland is singer, columnist, record producer and actor. He grew up in Beverly Hills. His father is film director Roy Rowland, his mother Ruth was a writer, whilst Louis B...

. In addition, he often wrote song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

s in collaboration with Hammond such as "Little Arrows

Little Arrows

"Little Arrows" is a single by English artist Leapy Lee. Released in 1968, it was the first single from his album Little Arrows. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.-Chart performance:...

" for Leapy Lee

Leapy Lee

Leapy Lee is an English singer, best known for his 1968 single "Little Arrows", which reached Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and was a Top 40 country and pop hit in the United States.-Career:The song "Little Arrows", written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, was also...

, "Gimme Dat Ding

Gimme Dat Ding (song)

"Gimme Dat Ding" is a 1970 popular song sung by "one-hit wonder" The Pipkins, written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood. Released as a single, it is the title track of an album by The Pipkins on EMI Columbia, the song also appeared on a compilation of the same name, which The Pipkins shared with...

" for The Pipkins

The Pipkins

The Pipkins were a short-lived novelty duo, best known for their hit single "Gimme Dat Ding" , which reached No. 6 in the UK Singles Charts and #9 on the U.S. charts in 1970...

, and "The Air That I Breathe

The Air That I Breathe

"The Air That I Breathe" is a ballad written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, initially recorded by Albert Hammond on his 1972 album It Never Rains In Southern California.-History:...

" for Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...

, for his 1973 solo

Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...

 album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 Star Spangled Springer, later recorded

Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...

 by—and a hit for—The Hollies

The Hollies

The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...

.

Hazlewood's collaboration with Hammond resulted in co-composed songs for the latter such as "It Never Rains in Southern California

It Never Rains in Southern California

"It Never Rains in Southern California", written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, is the title of a song first released by Hammond, a British born singer-songwriter, in 1972. Hammond's version peaked at number five on the U.S...

" and "The Free Electric Band".

Hazlewood and Hammond also wrote the international hit song "Make Me An Island" for the late Irish singer Joe Dolan

Joe Dolan

Joseph "Joe" Francis Robert Dolan was an Irish entertainer, recorder and singer of easy listening songs...

 in 1969, as well as its follow-up singles, "Teresa" and "You're Such a Good Looking Woman". The latter became a signature hit for Dolan, topping the Irish charts twice—in 1970 and again in 1997 when he re-recorded it with Dustin the Turkey

Dustin the Turkey

Dustin the Turkey is a puppet, "television presenter" and star of RTÉ television's The Den since 1989. A turkey with a strong Dublin accent, Dustin is voiced by John Morrison, brother of Ciaran Morrison who was one of the creators of Zig and Zag. Dustin first appeared on The Den with Zig and Zag in...

.

Hazlewood and Hammond are credited as co-writers of the 1992 Radiohead song "Creep", which borrows heavily from the unusual chord progression and haunting melody of "The Air That I Breathe".

During the late 1980s, Hazlewood held the theatrical rights to Mervyn Peake

Mervyn Peake

Mervyn Laurence Peake was an English writer, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books. They are sometimes compared to the work of his older contemporary J. R. R...

's novel Mr. Pye, and had completed an ambitious musical theatre version of the book in collaboration with Howard Lee Sloan, the American-born pianist and composer.

On 6 May 2001, Hazlewood died from a heart attack

Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

, during his holidays in Florence, Italy.