Jeremiah Patrick Lordan, born on April 30, 1934, in Paddington, London, England, is a songwriter and composer. He taught himself to play piano and guitar as a child and attended Finchley Catholic High School. After serving in the Royal Air Force, Lordan began his music career by writing songs. In 1958, his demo of "A House, A Car and a Wedding Ring" was recorded by Mike Preston on Decca Records. His breakthrough came with "I've Waited So Long", recorded by Anthony Newley, which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1959. Lordan signed to Parlophone and released three charting singles in 1960, including "Who Could Be Bluer?". His most notable success as a composer was with "Apache", originally recorded by Bert Weedon but famously covered by the Shadows, reaching Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1960. Lordan wrote several hits for the Shadows, including "Wonderful Land" (1962), "Atlantis" (1963), and "Mary Anne". He also penned hits like "Diamonds" for Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, and "A Girl Like You" for Cliff Richard. By the end of the 1960s, Lordan's success waned, but he continued to work with various artists. His later years included a brief acting role in the 1977 film Come Play With Me. Lordan died on July 24, 1995, from acute renal failure at Shrewsbury Hospital, Shropshire.
