Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice Release Statement Regarding Alan Doggett & Child Abuse Scandal

In the UK press this week were allegations that Alan Doggett, a choirmaster at Westminster Under School, who helped launch the careers of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice was at the center of an abuse scandal. Doggett's been accused of abusing children over two decades, before 'quietly resigning'. He later committed suicide in 1978 after being accussed of the 'indecent assault' of a ten year old.

Today, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice have released a statement on Doggett, who is credited as tasking them to "write something for the kids' end of term concert", which became JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT in 1968.

The statement reads: 'Alan Doggett was the music master at Westminster Under School, where he taught Andrew's younger brother Julian. He became a friend of the Lloyd Webber family when Andrew was twelve.

Doggett asked Andrew in 1967 whether he and Tim would write an end of term concert piece for the preparatory school Colet Court. The consequence was "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".

Doggett had a track record of success with schools music. His choir had recorded previously the Daniel Jazz and the Jonah Man Jazz which were considered successes in the schools music field in the mid 1960s.

At the time of his death we had not seen him for some time. His suicide in 1978 and the fresh allegations that were made around that time came as a complete shock to us.

Neither of us had ever heard of the Paedophile Information Exchange until very recently and obviously had no idea that Alan Doggett was connected with it or that he could be a danger to children.'