Tom Springfield
Quick Facts
CancerBiography
Tom Springfield (born Dionysius P. A. O'Brien, 2 July 1934, and known when young as Dion O'Brien) is a retired English musician and songwriter from the 1960s' folk and pop music scene.He is the brother of the late pop star Dusty Springfield, with whom he performed in The Springfields.
Early life
Springfield was born in Hampstead, London, and attended the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe from 1944 to 1950.
Career
He formed a vocal trio, The Springfields in 1960, with his sister Mary O'Brien, by then known as Dusty Springfield, and a friend, Tim Feild. The group broke up in 1963 and he became a record producer and songwriter for The Seekers. He wrote many of their major hits, including "I'll Never Find Another You", "A World of Our Own", the million-selling "The Carnival Is Over" (the melody was based on a Russian folk song, while Tom Springfield wrote only lyrics for the song) and "Walk with Me".Around this same time, he co-wrote (with Clive Westlake) Frank Ifield's 1964 hit "Summer Is Over" and his sister Dusty's 1964 hit "Losing You".
His other hit compositions include "Adios Amour (Goodbye My Love)", which was recorded by José Feliciano and The Casuals, and "Just Loving You", which became a 1967 top ten hit for Anita Harris. Additionally he composed the theme to the popular BBC TV series The Troubleshooters in the 1960s.He also co-wrote "Georgy Girl" with Jim Dale; this was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song of 1966.
The Springfields' song "Island of Dreams", written by Tom Springfield, has been covered by Mick Thomas, Johnny Tillotson, Mary Hopkin, Geraint Watkins with Martin Belmont and by the Seekers.
He released two solo albums in the late 1960s, Sun Songs (1968) and Love's Philosophy (1969); these were re-released on CD in 2005.
Retirement
After a 1970 duet single with his sister Dusty, "Morning Please Don't Come", Springfield essentially retired from the music industry as both a writer and performer. He lived in the United States for a period but currently resides in London.
Awards and nominations
Awards
- 1964 – ASCAP award for "I'll Never Find Another You"
- 1965 – ASCAP award for "A World of Our Own"
Nomination
- 1966 – Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Georgy Girl"