at 9:30AM
Marcel Stellman the record exec, songwriter and man who brought TV quiz Countdown to the UK has died.
He passed away on Saturday (May 2), aged 96.
A long-standing producer and international manager at Decca, Stellman worked with the likes of Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Vera Lynn, Max Bygraves, The Moody Blues and The Rolling Stones.
He was also responsible for the lyrics of a series of hits including Tulips From Amsterdam, Johnny (Is The Boy For Me) and Un Garc on des I les.
Having watched French TV s Des Chiffres Et Des Lettres, Stellman acquired the rights to the letters and numbers shows, and rechristened it Countdown. It made its UK debut as the first programme to be broadcast on the new Channel 4 in 1982. It has remained on the station ever since.