Frank Chacksfield, born Francis Charles Chacksfield on May 9, 1914, in Battle, East Sussex, England, was a celebrated pianist, organist, composer and conductor of light orchestral music. A key figure in the easy listening genre, he gained international fame in the 1950s and 1960s.
As a child, he mastered the piano and organ, performing publicly by age 14. Despite initial parental resistance, he pursued music, leading a small band in Kent by the late 1930s. During World War II, he served in the Royal Army Service Corps and arranged for the entertainment troupe Stars in Battledress.
Post-war, Chacksfield worked with BBC Radio and luminaries like Henry Hall and Geraldo. In 1953, he signed with Decca Records, forming a 40-piece orchestra known for its lush string sound.
His hits “Ebb Tide” and “Limelight” earned gold discs, with “Ebb Tide” topping U.S. charts. Selling over 20 million albums worldwide, he rivaled Mantovani in popularity.
Chacksfield also arranged the UK’s first Eurovision entry in 1957. His career spanned decades, with his final album released in 1991. He passed away on June 9, 1995, in Kent, leaving a lasting legacy in mood music.
39 recordings by Frank Chacksfield you can hear on Instrumentals Forever:
Almost Like Being In Love • Bewitched • By The Sleepy Lagoon • Camelot March • Come Rain Or Come Shine • Come To Me, Bend To Me • Deep River • Ebb Tide • Falling In Love With Love • Gigi Suite • Here I Am • How Deep Is The Ocean • If Ever I Would Leave You • In The Still Of The Night • Isn’t It Romantic • Johnny One-Note • Limelight • Lover • Moon River • Moonlight On The Ganges • Mountain Greenery • My Fair Lady Suite • Night And Day • Scarlet Ribbons • Sea Mist • Shenandoah • Smile • Stranger On The Shore • Ten Cents A Dance • The Lady Is A Tramp • The Man That Got Away • The Sea • Theme From “Picnic” • Thou Swell • Tonight • Victory At Sea • Wandrin’ Star • Warsaw Concerto • With A Song In My Heart •
