Born on this day ...

[Ruby]

Happy Birthday to today’s packing avoidance tactic, Lenny Zakatek. He was born into the Du Platel family in 1947 in Karachi, India (before Karachi became part of Pakistan) – moving to London at the age of 13. The Zakatek came later, courtesy of Lynsey De Paul, who along with Dudley Moore, heard him doing his thing in a nightclub and encouraged him to pursue a career as a professional singer. In fact, so smitten was Ms De Paul with his stage presence (at least, that's what she said), she promptly proceeded to write him the two singles that launched his ship.

I am familiar with him as a regular vocalist on several Alan Parsons Project releases. From what I can tell, he speaks often, with admiration and fondness, of Eric Woolfson, who he regarded as a genius. He no longer focuses on recording or on managing and producing, although he had tried his hand at that for a few years, his metier is working live – he likes to sing for an audience so that is what he does, or did, up until plague and pestilence struck. I’m sure he’ll get back on the boards again one of these days.

If anyone asked me to name one of the tracks he sang on, this would be the first to leap to mind ...