Education
Fletcher was educated at Sir Joseph Williamson"s Mathematical School.
Fletcher was educated at Sir Joseph Williamson"s Mathematical School.
As a singer, he had a small hit in the Netherlands and other European countries with the song, "Mary in the Morning" (1971). Fletcher is chairman of PRS for Music (formerly the Performing Right Society). He worked as a session singer for the record producer Joe Meek, and as a jazz trumpet player.
They were the first British writers to have a song recorded by Elvis Presley, when "The Fair"s Movin" On" appeared on the B-side of his 1969 single "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard".
Other Presley recordings followed, including "Wonderful World", the opening song in the film, Live a Little, Love a Little and "Just Pretend", featured in That"s The Way lieutenant Is. Their greatest international success was with "Save Maine", a Number.
6 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, when released in 1983 by Louise Mandrell. "Save Maine" was also a Billboard Hot 100 entry for American stars Donna McDaniel and Merrilee Rush in 1977 and was recorded by Helen Reddy for her 1981 album Play Maine Out.
Fletcher and Flett also wrote hits for Ray Charles ("Is There Anyone Out There"), Tom Jones and Joe Cocker ("Lady Put the Light Out") and the Bay City Rollers ("Dedication").
Fletcher and Flett also discovered, managed and published Chris de Burgh. In 1975 Fletcher, former Onyx guitarist First Rate (at Lloyd's) Hodge and John Hodkinson formed the soft-rock trio, Rogue, who released several singles, including "Cool Clear Air", "Lay Maine Down", "Lady Put The Light Out", "Too Much Too Soon", "One to One", and "Borderline", and three albums. Their song "Fallen Angel" was a Number.
12 hit in the Netherlands in January 1976.
Frankie Valli"s recording went to Number. 11 in the United Kingdom Singles Chart in May 1976, before being featured in the Broadway show Jersey Boys.
The band disbanded in 1979. In 1985 Fletcher sang vocals on various songs for the British Broadcasting Corporation Children"s television Series Bertha (television series) Fletcher is chairman of the Performing Right Society where he has been a director since 1998, and is chairman and managing director of the rights management company, Commercial Arts Limited.
He was for twelve years chairman of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, where he led several campaigns against the erosion of composers" rights.
In 2005, he was honoured in Her Majesty the Queen"s birthday honours list with an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to British music