Leslie Bricusse, the man behind songs such as Candyman and Pure Imagination from the hit film Willy Wonka, has died at the age of 90.

His friend Dame Joan Collins described him as "one of the giant songwriters of our time".

He also penned the lyrics to Bond song Goldfinger - together with Anthony Newley - and You Only Live Twice.

Other collaborations with Newley, Dame Joan's former husband, included Feeling Good, made famous by Nina Simone.

Dame Joan said: "One of the giant songwriters of our time, writer of Candyman, Goldfinger amongst so many other hits, and my great friend Leslie Bricusse has sadly died today.

A post shared by Joan Collins (@joancollinsdbe).

Born in Pinner, north west London, Bricusse and Newley enjoyed a fruitful partnership, writing 1961 musical Stop the World I Want to Get Off and the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, based on Roald Dahl's popular children's book.

He won a Grammy in 1963, which he shared with Newley, for the song What Kind of Fool Am I.

Also in 2015, he staged Pure Imagination - The Songs of Leslie Bricusse, a musical revue reflecting on a back catalogue of more than 1,000 songs.

Bricusse described himself in his book Pure Imagination: A Sorta-biography as "one of the luckiest people I know, second only perhaps to Ringo Starr".

The book was interspersed with anecdotes and quotes from some of his famous friends, including Dame Julie Andrews, Sir Elton John and Sir Michael Caine.

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