Billie Anthony
Encyclopedia
Billie Anthony was a Scottish
female singer. She is best known for her Top 10 hit version of "This Ole House
", which despite chart competition from other versions of the same song, reached #4 in the UK chart
.
, Scotland
. Her mother, Lily, was a talented dancer and her father, a song and dance man, and stage manager at the Glasgow Empire. Her godmother
was Gracie Fields
. Although her parents divorced when she was eighteen days old, she spent her entire childhood in and around the theatre
, and wanted a career on the stage
as a dancer. At first her mother was against her going into show business
, so on leaving school she reluctantly agreed to train as a dressmaker
, but her obsession with the theatre proved too powerful.
In 1946, when still only fourteen, she ran away from home and joined the chorus
of a touring show
as one of "May Moxon’s Young Ladies". Five years later she met Peter Elliott, who was part of a famous show business family called The Musical Elliotts. They developed an instant friendship and, due to their mutual love of dancing, decided on the formation of their own double act. As Phil and Peter Elliott, they successfully toured variety
theatres as "The Debonair Dancers - Four Educated Feet". They toured continuously throughout 1952 but, in 1953, were compelled to abandon their act when Peter was called up to do his national service
with the Royal Air Force
.
, who had several hit records to his name. It was Brent who first recognised Levy’s vocal potential and, acting on his advice, she decided to go solo in an effort to try to make a living as a singer while Elliott was away. Brent introduced her to his own manager
, Don Agness, and he arranged for her to do a trial recording
. Then in October 1953, after months of voice training and with her name changed to Billie Anthony, she recorded and released her first single for Columbia Records
called "I’d Rather Take My Time" coupled with "Things Go Wrong". However it flopped.
On 20 February 1954 Anthony and Elliott got married. However, the marriage did not last as they realised that their lives were no longer going in the same direction. By the time Elliott had completed his service in the R.A.F.
, Anthony had attained quite a high level of popularity as a vocalist, and Elliott decided that he wanted to explore other possibilities. Thus, they went their separate ways, and eventually divorced in the early 1960s.
January 1954 saw the release of her second record
, "Ricochet
", followed in March by, "Bell Bottom Blues", both of which did well for Alma Cogan
, Teresa Brewer
and Joan Regan
. Both sides of her next release "Cross Over The Bridge
" and "I Get So Lonely
" were recorded in April as duets with Tony Brent.
Her sixth record release in October finally made the charts. The song was "This Ole House
". Several other singers recorded the same song, including Alma Cogan and Joan Regan, but it was Rosemary Clooney
who jockeyed with Anthony for the highest chart position. Clooney, in the charts for eighteen weeks, finally won the battle for the coveted number one
spot both in the UK
and America
. Anthony reached #4 in the UK and remained in the UK Singles Chart
for sixteen weeks.
With the success of "This Ole House", she became known as "Britain’s Blonde Bombshell". However, although she looked terrific, and had a good voice, no other record of hers ever made the UK chart, leaving her with the unfortunate one hit wonder tag. Her two follow up discs, "Teach Me Tonight
" and "No More
", went almost unnoticed.
In January 1955, Stuart Hamblin, the American country & western singer-songwriter
and composer
of "This Ole House", came to London and, because he was so impressed with Anthony’s version of his song, met her and presented her with the choice of another number from the material he had not yet published. She chose "Shake The Hand Of A Stranger", a song that most people consider to be the best of her career. Recorded and released in April, it failed to take off. Every song she recorded after that seemed to eclipse the preceding one but, although they sold in sizeable numbers, songs such as "Boom Boom Boomerang", "Ten Little Kisses" and "The Old Piano Rag" did not take Anthony back to the charts.
During 1955 she toured relentlessly up and down the country, and while appearing in a jazz
concert at London
’s Royal Albert Hall
, she was visited in her dressing room by Gene Kelly
who had been in the audience. He discussed ideas regarding a part for her in a film musical, but his ideas eventually proved to be without foundation, and a movie part was never offered.
1955 to 1957 were Anthony's busiest years. Due to ever increasing demand her fan club was formed, and besides touring she made regular radio
and television
appearances, not only in Britain but also on the continent
. The greater part of 1957 was spent on the road with Harry Secombe
in the variety show 'Rocking The Town'. Anthony spent a hectic eight weeks in the early part of 1958, entertaining the forces in Cyprus
, Malta
and North Africa
. After returning to London she spent the remainder of the year touring in variety, doing one night stand
s and the occasional service camp dates. This similar routine of one night stands continued throughout 1959, interrupted only by a summer season at the Great Yarmouth
's Regal Theatre with Hughie Green
's 'Double Your Money
' show.
By 1960 her recording career which had been slowly declining, ground to a halt after six and a half years. "A Handful Of Gold" coupled with "Sure Fire Love", released in January 1960 were Anthony's last offerings.
.
In early 1991, Anthony lost consciousness
after suffering a series of stroke
s and never recovered. She died in London’s Whittington Hospital
, Archway
, on 5 January 1991, at the age of fifty eight.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
female singer. She is best known for her Top 10 hit version of "This Ole House
This Ole House
"This Ole House" is a popular song written by Stuart Hamblen, and published in 1954.-Background:Hamblen was supposedly out on a hunting expedition when he and his fellow hunter, actor John Wayne, came across a tumbledown hut in the mountains, many miles from civilization...
", which despite chart competition from other versions of the same song, reached #4 in the UK chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
Early life
She was born Philomena McGeachie Levy in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Her mother, Lily, was a talented dancer and her father, a song and dance man, and stage manager at the Glasgow Empire. Her godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
was Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
. Although her parents divorced when she was eighteen days old, she spent her entire childhood in and around the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, and wanted a career on the stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
as a dancer. At first her mother was against her going into show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
, so on leaving school she reluctantly agreed to train as a dressmaker
Dressmaker
A dressmaker is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Also called a mantua-maker or a modiste.-Notable dressmakers:*Cristobal Balenciaga*Charles Frederick Worth...
, but her obsession with the theatre proved too powerful.
In 1946, when still only fourteen, she ran away from home and joined the chorus
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
of a touring show
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
as one of "May Moxon’s Young Ladies". Five years later she met Peter Elliott, who was part of a famous show business family called The Musical Elliotts. They developed an instant friendship and, due to their mutual love of dancing, decided on the formation of their own double act. As Phil and Peter Elliott, they successfully toured variety
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
theatres as "The Debonair Dancers - Four Educated Feet". They toured continuously throughout 1952 but, in 1953, were compelled to abandon their act when Peter was called up to do his national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
Singing career
During their time on the variety circuit they had met and become friends with singer Tony BrentTony Brent
Tony Brent was a British traditional pop music singer, most active in the 1950s. He scored seven Top 20 chart hits in the UK over an almost six year period, starting in January 1953.-Biography:...
, who had several hit records to his name. It was Brent who first recognised Levy’s vocal potential and, acting on his advice, she decided to go solo in an effort to try to make a living as a singer while Elliott was away. Brent introduced her to his own manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
, Don Agness, and he arranged for her to do a trial recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
. Then in October 1953, after months of voice training and with her name changed to Billie Anthony, she recorded and released her first single for Columbia Records
Columbia Graphophone Company
The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
called "I’d Rather Take My Time" coupled with "Things Go Wrong". However it flopped.
On 20 February 1954 Anthony and Elliott got married. However, the marriage did not last as they realised that their lives were no longer going in the same direction. By the time Elliott had completed his service in the R.A.F.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, Anthony had attained quite a high level of popularity as a vocalist, and Elliott decided that he wanted to explore other possibilities. Thus, they went their separate ways, and eventually divorced in the early 1960s.
January 1954 saw the release of her second record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, "Ricochet
Ricochet (song)
"Ricochet" is a popular song. The credits show it to be written by Larry Coleman, Joe Darion, and Norman Gimbel, without apportioning the work on the lyrics and music, in 1953...
", followed in March by, "Bell Bottom Blues", both of which did well for Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed "The Girl With the Laugh/Giggle/Chuckle In Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era...
, Teresa Brewer
Teresa Brewer
Teresa Brewer was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs. Born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, Brewer died of a neuromuscular...
and Joan Regan
Joan Regan
Joan Regan is a traditional pop music singer from the UK, popular during the 1950s and early 1960s.-Biography:...
. Both sides of her next release "Cross Over The Bridge
Cross Over the Bridge
"Cross Over the Bridge" is a popular song written by Bennie Benjamin and George David Weiss and published in 1945.The best-selling version of the song was recorded by Patti Page in 1954...
" and "I Get So Lonely
(Oh Baby Mine) I Get So Lonely
" I Get So Lonely" is a popular song. It was written by Pat Ballard and was published in 1953.The biggest hit version was done by The Four Knights in 1954.Anne Shelton with Ken Mackintosh and his orchestra recorded it in London on March 3, 1954...
" were recorded in April as duets with Tony Brent.
Her sixth record release in October finally made the charts. The song was "This Ole House
This Ole House
"This Ole House" is a popular song written by Stuart Hamblen, and published in 1954.-Background:Hamblen was supposedly out on a hunting expedition when he and his fellow hunter, actor John Wayne, came across a tumbledown hut in the mountains, many miles from civilization...
". Several other singers recorded the same song, including Alma Cogan and Joan Regan, but it was Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
who jockeyed with Anthony for the highest chart position. Clooney, in the charts for eighteen weeks, finally won the battle for the coveted number one
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
spot both in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Anthony reached #4 in the UK and remained in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for sixteen weeks.
With the success of "This Ole House", she became known as "Britain’s Blonde Bombshell". However, although she looked terrific, and had a good voice, no other record of hers ever made the UK chart, leaving her with the unfortunate one hit wonder tag. Her two follow up discs, "Teach Me Tonight
Teach Me Tonight
"Teach Me Tonight" is a popular song. The music was written by Gene De Paul, the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The song was published in 1953.Cahn wrote a new verse for Frank Sinatra's 1984 recording on L.A...
" and "No More
(My Baby Don't Love Me) No More
" No More" is a popular song.The music was written by Leo J. De John, the lyrics by Julie De John and Dux De John. The song was published in 1954....
", went almost unnoticed.
In January 1955, Stuart Hamblin, the American country & western singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of "This Ole House", came to London and, because he was so impressed with Anthony’s version of his song, met her and presented her with the choice of another number from the material he had not yet published. She chose "Shake The Hand Of A Stranger", a song that most people consider to be the best of her career. Recorded and released in April, it failed to take off. Every song she recorded after that seemed to eclipse the preceding one but, although they sold in sizeable numbers, songs such as "Boom Boom Boomerang", "Ten Little Kisses" and "The Old Piano Rag" did not take Anthony back to the charts.
During 1955 she toured relentlessly up and down the country, and while appearing in a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
concert at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
’s Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, she was visited in her dressing room by Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
who had been in the audience. He discussed ideas regarding a part for her in a film musical, but his ideas eventually proved to be without foundation, and a movie part was never offered.
1955 to 1957 were Anthony's busiest years. Due to ever increasing demand her fan club was formed, and besides touring she made regular radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
appearances, not only in Britain but also on the continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
. The greater part of 1957 was spent on the road with Harry Secombe
Harry Secombe
Sir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
in the variety show 'Rocking The Town'. Anthony spent a hectic eight weeks in the early part of 1958, entertaining the forces in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. After returning to London she spent the remainder of the year touring in variety, doing one night stand
One Night Stand
One Night Stand is an HBO stand-up series that first aired on February 15, 1989. The half-hour series aired weekly and featured stand-up comedy specials from some of the top performing comedians. The series originally comprised 55 specials over the course of its four years on HBO...
s and the occasional service camp dates. This similar routine of one night stands continued throughout 1959, interrupted only by a summer season at the Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
's Regal Theatre with Hughie Green
Hughie Green
Hughie Green was the host of numerous British television shows.-Early life:Hugh H. Green was born in London; his Scottish father was a former British Army Major who made his fortune supplying tinned fish to the Allied forces in World War I, while his mother Violet was the Surrey-born daughter of...
's 'Double Your Money
Double Your Money
Double Your Money was a British quiz show hosted by Hughie Green. Originally broadcast on Radio Luxembourg, it transferred to ITV in 1955, a few days after the commercial channel began broadcasting. It was produced by Associated-Rediffusion until 1964 and then by Rediffusion London, and it finished...
' show.
By 1960 her recording career which had been slowly declining, ground to a halt after six and a half years. "A Handful Of Gold" coupled with "Sure Fire Love", released in January 1960 were Anthony's last offerings.
Later years
She eventually withdrew from show business, and with the birth of her daughter Jessica in 1968, she decided to concentrate on full time motherhood. From then on she chose to live quietly in the north London area of HornseyHornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
.
In early 1991, Anthony lost consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
after suffering a series of stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s and never recovered. She died in London’s Whittington Hospital
Whittington Hospital
The Whittington Hospital is a British hospital in Archway, Islington, London. It is named after Richard Whittington.It is a district general hospital, although it is also a teaching hospital of the UCL Medical School and Middlesex University School of Health and Social Sciences.- History :Although...
, Archway
Archway
Archway is an area of north London in the London Borough of Islington.-Name:The name derives from the arch built between Highgate and Hornsey in 1896. A tunnel was originally planned for the Highgate bypass but this failed due to repeated collapses...
, on 5 January 1991, at the age of fifty eight.