Webber was born in London, the son of composer William Southcombe Lloyd Webber and brother of cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.
He had a succession of hit shows in the 1970s and 1980s, in collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice. Their first big success was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968). Later collaborations included Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, both of which were released as albums before being brought to the stage. Subsequently, Lloyd Webber parted company with Rice and experimented with other lyricists on works such as Cats, Starlight Express, and The Phantom of the Opera, all of which ran for many years in London's West End and on Broadway. Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar have been turned into films with The Phantom of the Opera to join them in December 2004.
His many other musical theatre works include Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, Song and Dance, and The Beautiful Game. He has also composed for film.
His first wife was Sarah Hugill, related to the former royal Tudor family. They married in 1971 and divorced in 1977. His second wife was singer Sarah Brightman. They were married in 1984 and divorced in 1990. He has remarried to Madeleine Gurdon, to whom he is currently married. He has several children from all three marriages.
In 2002, he produced a musical Bombay Dreams with Indian music composer AR Rahman. The musical celebrated its first birthday at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on Jun 19, 2003.