Mike Pratt

Mike Pratt (born June 7, 1931 in London , England - † July 10, 1976 ) was a British composer , pianist and actor .

As a child, Pratt wanted to be an actor. At first, like his father, he worked in the advertising industry and worked at the theater. With friends, including Lionel Bart , he went on a trip to Europe in a disused taxi.

In 1956, Bart introduced him to Tommy Hicks, who played guitar. Pratt was an avid jazz musician and played piano. Together they founded the band "The Cavemen". Tommy Hicks became Tommy Steele , and Pratt wrote the group's first hit, Rock With The Caveman , which peaked at number 13 on the UK charts . A number of other Tommy Steele songs were also written by Mike Pratt.

Pratt also had his own band, the Cotton Pickers. In addition, he was always looking for a role as an actor. He also wrote plays and skits for shows. For the film The Duke Wore Jeans starring Tommy Steele, Pratt wrote the story and the songs. Steele's next film, Tommy the Toreador , featured Little White Bull, the most successful song that Pratt composed.

In the early 1960s, Pratt got more and more roles in films and television series. Mostly he was seen as a gangster . For example, he fought against Roger Moore in The Saint . Pratt became one of Britain's most famous film and television faces, dying of lung cancer in 1976 .

Web links

• Mike Pratt in the Internet Movie Database (English)