Known the world over for his enormously successful collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rice, with Webber, was responsible for the worldwide musical sensations Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968), Jesus Christ Superstar (1970), and Evita (1976).Born in Buchinghamshire, England, Rice entered the world of popular music as the lead singer for a pop group called the Aardvarks (1961-1963), and went on to sing occasionally with other sixties rock groups. His first published song, 'That's My Story,' appeared in 1965, the same year he met Andrew Lloyd Webber. In addition to their stage work, Rice and Lloyd Webber wrote songs together that have not been in shows, including 'It's Easy for You,' recorded by Elvis Presley in 1976.
In the early 1980s, Rice began collaborating with ABBA members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson on a new project entitled Chess. Chess first appeared on record in 1984, and the album enjoyed massive international popularity. Two singles from the album, 'One Night in Bangkok,' sung by Murray Head, and 'I Know Him So Well,' sung by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson, topped the charts in America, Europe, and Asia. In 1985, Chess premiered in London's West End, and went on to become a stage hit in many other countries.
