My old friend (he gave me The Bump by Kenny for US release but we never sold any; every time I saw him he said "Where are my f*****g Kenny royalties?"). A very talented song writer too.

This isn't the same Bill Martin that wrote Puppet on a String, Boom Bang a Bang, and the early Bay City Rollers hits with Phil Coulter is it? If it is then I see no record of his death.

It is indeed Robbie; I trust it's not a hoax but if it was I'm sure Bill would be calling me within seconds!

Several confirmations...

eurovisionireland.net/2020/03/27/obituar...in-has-died-aged-81/

Very sad news, one of the best pop music writers of the late 60s and early 70s, on a par with the likes of Chinn and Chapman. Two uk Eurovision wins (Sandie Shaw and Lulu(joint winner)), writer of Bay City Rollers hits Shang-a-lang, Remember, and Summer Love Sensation, and he even wrote the 1970 England World Cup Song "Back Home", which was pretty brave for a Sotsman.
Also from what I have seen of him from documentaries, he seemed like a lovely man. This really should have been a bigger story, even Wikipedia is still saying that he is alive, at the time of writing this.

Yes I'm constantly amazed by our Army of contributors who seem to find out more than Reuters!

robbiex wrote:
This isn't the same Bill Martin that wrote Puppet on a String, Boom Bang a Bang, and the early Bay City Rollers hits with Phil Coulter is it? If it is then I see no record of his death.

Pass the bucket.

One of my very favourite writers.