- Born
- Died
- Birth nameIan Ralph Samwell
- Nickname
- Sammy
- Without Ian Samwell, there might have been no Cliff Richard. The amateur guitarist, who wrote skiffle-style hymns while singing in his church choir, was in a Soho coffee bar in May 1958 when he heard an accounts clerk called Harry Webb perform. Ian offered his services as lead guitar and was accepted. Sir Cliff later admitted: "But for that meeting with Ian, I might still be Harry Webb, clerk." Ian also became a song-writer, supplying a B-side called "Move It", which he finished on the bus on the way to the studio, for Cliff's first single. It went down so well that it was moved to the A-side and in September 1958 it entered the top five.
Ian moved out of the band but continued writing songs, including "Dynamite" and "Mean Streak" for Cliff. He also wrote for The Isley Brothers and Kenny Lynch. Ian later became a London ballroom D.J. and then moved into record production, working for Warner Brothers in the Sixties. Ian later moved to California, where he died 12th March 2003 aged 66.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Van Whistler - Ian Samwell recorded and produced many British artists including Georgie Fame, John Mayall, Aynsley Dunbar, Hummingbird and Small Faces for whom he wrote and produced their first hit "Whatcha Gonna Do About It?"
In the early 1970s he discovered and produced the first album for the band America. they achieved international success with, "A Horse With No Name," "I Need You," and "Sandman."
Samwell spent the last 23 years of his life in Sacramento, California living through a heart transplant and working with groups including Bourgeois Tagg, Mumbo Gumbo, and the Beer Dawgs.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Ray Baisden
- He was a British rock guitarist and songwriter who wrote the 1958 hit "Move It" for Cliff Richard and the Drifters and later produced records for the 1970s band, America.
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