BILL SOLLY has been writing songs, musicals and plays for over 50 years. He has released five CDs of his songs: The World’s in Rhyme, Sing Me, Let Me Give You a Lift and I Could Fall in Love (Bill Solly’s Greatest hits, Volume 1,2,3 & 4)), and Gay Friendly 1 & 2 (two CDs) a selection of gay-related songs, two of which appeared in last year’s movie, Dorm Daze 2. In Canada he contributed to My Fur Lady, Jubilee, Spring Thaw, Clap Hands, and CBC radio and TV shows including Maple Sauce with Robert Goulet. In England he wrote for Maurice Chevalier, Petula Clark, June Whitfield, Dusty Springfield, Annie Ross, Danny La Rue, Marty Feldman, Brigitte Bardot, Charles Aznavour and George Burns, and had five productions in the West End: Sweet William, Ad Lib, Queen Passionella and the Sleeping Beauty, Danny La Rue at the Palace and The Great American Backstage Musical – the latter, with book co-authored by Donald Ward, first produced in Hollywood, later widely across the US including Goodspeed. With co-author Ward he has had six other musicals in New York including the 1975 Off Broadway hit Boy Meets Boy, recently revived in South Africa, San Francisco, Boyse, Houston, Sacramento and New York. Solly & Ward’s other musicals include Come North Come Home (produced in New York in 1974 as 100 Miles From Nowhere), Tent Show, Stars ‘n Stripes, The Snow Queen and Sweet William, winner of the 2008 Kleban Award. On his own Solly has written many musicals for children of which the best-known are The Cat in the Castle and The Story of Millicent. His other works include a revue of his songs, Solly’s Follies, three plays, The Ruby Slippers, The Patchwork Prince and Fall Colors, Smile & Say Hello, a new musical based on the CD Gay Friendly, and two novels, The Presence of Rain and Metro-Goldwyn-Murder. Bill Solly is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild.
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