- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRaymond Stuart Martin
- Nickname
- Lester Powell
- Ray Martin was born on October 11, 1918 in Vienna, Austria. He was a composer, known for Bronson (2008), Never Too Young (1965) and Yield to the Night (1956). He died on February 7, 1988 in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
- Orchestra owner and composer who came to Britain in 1937, and also made records for Columbia.
- Martin became the conductor of the BBC Northern Variety Orchestra, and also worked for EMI as a record producer and arranger.
- His use of pseudonyms has blurred the path of his career through the years, making his many contributions even harder to keep track of. But his original compositions are what really made him popular; tracks like "Marching Strings" have become stables of many public and city bands and orchestras since their release".
- Whilst working as an executive and talent scout for EMI/Columbia in the early 1950s, he spotted Ruby Murray, and was the first to put her on record. During this period, he wrote many scores for TV and movies, including the score to the acclaimed Diana Dors film Yield to the Night in 1956.
- In 1980, he moved to South Africa, where he died after suffering from cancer, aged 69, in Johannesburg.
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