Biography
Laurence Reginald Ward Johnson was an English composer and bandleader. Born in Hampstead, London, on 7 February 1927, he studied at the Royal College of Music and served with the Coldstream Guards before working as an arranger for bandleaders including Ted Heath and Mantovani.
He composed scores for more than 50 films, including Tiger Bay (1959), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), First Men in the Moon (1964), And Soon the Darkness (1970) and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1973). His television work included the themes for The Avengers (from 1965), The Professionals (1977) and Animal Magic, as well as music for The New Avengers.
Johnson was appointed MBE in 2014 for services to music. He died on 16 January 2024, aged 96.
