Iconic ’70s Songwriter, With 2 No. 1 Hit Songs, Turns 82

Graham Lyle, the legendary Scottish songwriter and musician, turns 82 years old today.

Lyle was born on March 11, 1944 in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He developed a love for music early on, writing songs by the age of 18 years old. In the mid-’60s, Lyle began professional songwriting, securing a record deal in 1968 with his partner Benny Gallagher via Apple Records—the Beatles’ label.

While some may not recognize him by his name alone, his songs are unmistakable. He is most famously credited with co-writing iconic hits for ’80s pop icon Tina Turner, including “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three consecutive weeks. Lyle also co-wrote other Tuner classics such as “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome),” “Typical Male” and “What You Get Is What You See.”

Benny Gallagher & Graham Lyle of music group Gallagher & Lyle, pictured outside The Holiday Inn, London, 30th April 1976.

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Aside from his work with Tuner, Lyle collaborated with several other massive mainstream artists. In 1987, Lyle co-wrote the Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder duet “Just Good Friends,” which was featured on Jackson’s seventh studio album, Bad. He also worked with Etta James, Rod Stewart and ’60s folk icon Art Garfunkel—of Simon & Garfunkel—to write his 1975 classic, “Breakaway.” During his career, he co-wrote 18 U.K. Top 40 hits, nine Billboard Hot 100 entries and two No. 1 singles.

Outside of his songwriting endeavors, Lyle preformed and recorded music with his partner as Gallagher & Lyle. The duo produced eight studio albums together and toured throughout their career. Their biggest hits, “I Wanna Stay with You” and “Heart on My Sleeve,” were top-10 successes on the U.K. charts in 1976.

Lyle achieved many prestigious accolades throughout his five-decade career, including a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, a BMI Icon award, and an Ivor Novello Award. Earlier this year, he was selected for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, attesting to his lasting legacy as an iconic songwriter.

Related: Beloved ’60s Rocker, With No. 1 Hit Song, Turns 80