Billy Fury
Encyclopedia
Billy Fury, born Ronald William Wycherley (17 April 1940 - 28 January 1983), was an internationally successful English
singer from the late-1950s to the mid-1960s, and remained an active songwriter
until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever
, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death. An early British rock and roll
(and film
) star
, he equalled The Beatles
' record of 24 hits in the 1960s, and spent 332 weeks on the UK
charts
, without a chart-topping
single
or album
. Allmusic journalist
, Bruce Eder, stated, "His mix of rough-hewn good looks and unassuming masculinity, coupled with an underlying vulnerability, all presented with a good voice and some serious musical talent, helped turn Fury into a major rock and roll star in short order". Others have suggested that it was Fury's "Elvis Presley-influenced, hip-swivelling, and at times highly suggestive stage act."
, Liverpool
. He commenced music lessons on the piano before he was a teenager, and was bought his first guitar by the age of 14. Wycherley fronted his own group in 1955, but simultaneously worked full-time on a tugboat
and later as a stevedore
. He entered and won a talent competition, and by 1958 had started composing his own songs. Wycherley first attended a concert in Birkenhead
, run by impresario
Larry Parnes
, in the hope of interesting famous singer Marty Wilde
in some of the songs he had written. Instead, in an episode that has become pop music legend, Parnes pushed young Wycherley up on stage right away. He was such an immediate success that Parnes signed him, added him to the tour, and renamed him 'Billy Fury'. However, his early sexual and provocative stage performances received censure, and he was forced to tone them down. In October 1959, the UK music magazine, NME
, commented that Fury's stage antics had been drawing much press criticism.
He released his first hit single
for Decca
, "Maybe Tomorrow", in 1959. He made his television
debut soon after, in a televised play Strictly For Sparrows, and he was soon a fixture on televised musical showcases, such as Oh Boy! By March 1960, he reached #9 in the UK Singles Chart
with his own composition "Colette", followed by "That's Love" and his first album The Sound of Fury (1960), which featured a young Joe Brown
on lead guitar
, with backup vocals
by The Four Jays.
After securing more hits and jettisoning his band
The Blue Flames
, Parnes held auditions in Liverpool for a new group. Among those who failed were The Beatles, who for the first time called themselves The Silver Beetles. They were offered the job for £20 a week on condition that they sacked their bassist Stuart Sutcliffe
. John Lennon
refused and the band left after Lennon had secured Fury's autograph
. The Tornados
were recruited as his backing band and toured and recorded with Fury from January 1962 to August 1963.
s, such as "Halfway to Paradise
" and "Jealousy" (which reached #3 and #2 respectively in the UK Singles Chart in 1961). Fury confessed to the NME
that "I wanted people to think of me simply as a singer - and not, more specifically, as a rock singer. I'm growing up, and I want to broaden my scope. I shall continue to sing rock songs, but at the same time my stage act is not going to be as wild in the future". It was Decca's decision to mould Fury into a teen idol
after his last self-penned song, "My Christmas Prayer", had failed to chart. 1962 and 1963 were Fury's best years chartwise. In 1962 Fury appeared in his first film, Play It Cool
, modelled on the Elvis
movies. It featured Helen Shapiro
, Danny Williams, Shane Fenton
and Bobby Vee
, who appeared with The Vernons Girls
. The hit single from the film was "Once Upon a Dream". There were other notable performances by several British actor
s and performers such as Richard Wattis
, Lionel Blair
and Dennis Price
.
Fury's We Want Billy! (1963) was one of the first live album
s in UK rock history and featured renditions of his hits and cover version
s of several R&B
songs such as "Unchain My Heart
".
In 1965 he appeared in the film I've Gotta Horse
, which also featured The Bachelors
, Michael Medwin and Jon Pertwee
. The album from the film was made available in stereo
. Fury left Decca Records
in 1966, after signing to a five year recording contract
with Parlophone
.
Having had more UK hits, such as "It's Only Make Believe
" and "I Will
" (written by Dick Glasser
, not to be confused with the Paul McCartney
song), both in 1964, and "In Thoughts of You" (1965), Fury began a lengthy absence from the charts in 1967, and underwent surgery for heart problems in 1972 and 1976 which led to his abandoning touring. Despite spending many weeks on the charts, Fury never achieved a number one single, but he remained popular even after his hits stopped. "I Will" became a U.S.
hit for Dean Martin
(1965) and for Ruby Winters
(1977).
. Also starring David Essex
and Ringo Starr
, it was roughly based on the early days of The Beatles
. Starr was from the same Dingle
area of Liverpool as Fury, and had originally played drums for Rory Storm & The Hurricanes
, whom the Stormy Tempest group were said to be modelled upon.
In the mid 1970s Fury went out on the road with Marty Wilde, but away from the spotlight he concentrated on his hobby of wildlife preservation. Fury's health deteriorated and he underwent heart surgery notably in 1976. In 1978 he was declared bankrupt
. A new release, "Be Mine Tonight" (1981), failed to make an appearance in the UK Singles Chart. Worse was to follow in March 1981 when Fury, working on his own farm, collapsed and almost perished. He returned to touring later that year and his next two singles, "Love or Money" and "Devil or Angel", just dented the UK chart. In 1981 and 1982, Fury was signed to Polydor Records
by A&R
man Frank Neilson and recorded a comeback album, The One And Only (released posthumously) with Shakin' Stevens
' producer Stuart Colman
. Due to his health, Fury did little touring to promote the new album. His last public appearance was at the Sunnyside, Northampton
, in December 1982, where the website, billyfury.com, now sponsors a charity show every March. Fury recorded a live performance for the television show
, Unforgettable, featuring six of his old hits although, at the request of his mother, only four of these were broadcast.
Lisa Voice (née Rosen), they both lived on Billy's farm in Wales
, from 1971 until his death. Fury was a keen amateur birdwatcher
.
in addition to family members, friends and fans. After the service Billy was buried at Mill Hill cemetery
. A track issued posthumously, "Forget Him", became his final single chart hit.
. The sculpture, by Tom Murphy, a Liverpool sculptor
, was donated by 'The Sound of Fury' fan club.
In 1999 and 2000 the song "Wondrous Place
", a favourite of Fury's (he re-recorded it at least three times during his career) later received wide airplay on UK television when it was used as the theme for a Toyota Yaris
car advertisement.
In 2007 a biographical documentary film Billy Fury His Wondrous Story was released on DVD .
Eight of his EMI recordings remained unreleased on mainstream CD until June 2010, when they appeared on a 29-track issue, The Complete Parlophone Singles, released by Peaksoft.
¶ - Billed as Billy Fury and The Tornados
† - Billed as Billy Fury with The Four Jays
‡ - Billed as Billy Fury with The Four Kestrels
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer from the late-1950s to the mid-1960s, and remained an active songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death. An early British rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
(and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
) star
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, he equalled The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' record of 24 hits in the 1960s, and spent 332 weeks on 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...
charts
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....
, without a chart-topping
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....
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
or album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
. Allmusic journalist
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
, Bruce Eder, stated, "His mix of rough-hewn good looks and unassuming masculinity, coupled with an underlying vulnerability, all presented with a good voice and some serious musical talent, helped turn Fury into a major rock and roll star in short order". Others have suggested that it was Fury's "Elvis Presley-influenced, hip-swivelling, and at times highly suggestive stage act."
Early years
Wycherley was born at Smithdown Hospital (later Sefton General Hospital, now demolished), Smithdown RoadSmithdown Road, Liverpool
Smithdown Road is a street in Liverpool, England, which forms part of the A562. It is the location of Toxteth Park Cemetery and Wavertree Playground. Penny Lane junction, the subject of The Beatles song Penny Lane, is situated at the junction of Smithdown Road, Smithdown Place and Penny Lane...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. He commenced music lessons on the piano before he was a teenager, and was bought his first guitar by the age of 14. Wycherley fronted his own group in 1955, but simultaneously worked full-time on a tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
and later as a stevedore
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
. He entered and won a talent competition, and by 1958 had started composing his own songs. Wycherley first attended a concert in Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, run by impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
Larry Parnes
Larry Parnes
Laurence Maurice "Larry" Parnes was an English pop manager and impresario. He has been described as "the first major British rock manager... Parnes' stable encompassed most of the most successful pre-Beatles British rock singers."...
, in the hope of interesting famous singer Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, and is the father of pop singers Ricky Wilde, Kim Wilde and Roxanne Wilde.-Career:Wilde was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in...
in some of the songs he had written. Instead, in an episode that has become pop music legend, Parnes pushed young Wycherley up on stage right away. He was such an immediate success that Parnes signed him, added him to the tour, and renamed him 'Billy Fury'. However, his early sexual and provocative stage performances received censure, and he was forced to tone them down. In October 1959, the UK music magazine, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, commented that Fury's stage antics had been drawing much press criticism.
He released his first hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
for Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, "Maybe Tomorrow", in 1959. He made his television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
debut soon after, in a televised play Strictly For Sparrows, and he was soon a fixture on televised musical showcases, such as Oh Boy! By March 1960, he reached #9 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 ...
with his own composition "Colette", followed by "That's Love" and his first album The Sound of Fury (1960), which featured a young Joe Brown
Joe Brown (singer)
Joe Brown, MBE is an English entertainer.He has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s...
on lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, with backup vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
by The Four Jays.
After securing more hits and jettisoning his band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
The Blue Flames
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were a noted British rhythm and blues/soul/jazz/ska/pop group of the 1960s. They had been the backing band for Billy Fury but, after being dismissed at the end of 1961, their pianist Georgie Fame took over as vocalist and they went on to enjoy great...
, Parnes held auditions in Liverpool for a new group. Among those who failed were The Beatles, who for the first time called themselves The Silver Beetles. They were offered the job for £20 a week on condition that they sacked their bassist Stuart Sutcliffe
Stuart Sutcliffe
Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe was a Scottish artist and musician, best known as the original bass player of The Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue a career as an artist, having previously attended the Liverpool College of Art...
. John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
refused and the band left after Lennon had secured Fury's autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
. The Tornados
The Tornados
The Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
were recruited as his backing band and toured and recorded with Fury from January 1962 to August 1963.
UK chart and film success
Fury concentrated less on rock and roll and more on mainstream balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s, such as "Halfway to Paradise
Halfway to Paradise
"Halfway to Paradise" is a popular song, originally recorded in 1961 by Tony Orlando in the United States. It was much more successful in the United Kingdom, recorded by Billy Fury where it reached a peak at number 3 on the UK Charts in 1961. It stayed on the charts for 23 weeks. It became known as...
" and "Jealousy" (which reached #3 and #2 respectively in the UK Singles Chart in 1961). Fury confessed to the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
that "I wanted people to think of me simply as a singer - and not, more specifically, as a rock singer. I'm growing up, and I want to broaden my scope. I shall continue to sing rock songs, but at the same time my stage act is not going to be as wild in the future". It was Decca's decision to mould Fury into a teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
after his last self-penned song, "My Christmas Prayer", had failed to chart. 1962 and 1963 were Fury's best years chartwise. In 1962 Fury appeared in his first film, Play It Cool
Play It Cool (film)
Play it Cool is a 1962 British musical film directed by Michael Winner and starring Billy Fury, Michael Anderson Jr., Dennis Price, Richard Wattis and Anna Palk....
, modelled on the Elvis
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
movies. It featured Helen Shapiro
Helen Shapiro
Helen Kate Shapiro is an English singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".-Early life:...
, Danny Williams, Shane Fenton
Alvin Stardust
Alvin Stardust is an English pop singer and stage actor.-Career:...
and Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
, who appeared with The Vernons Girls
The Vernons Girls
The Vernons Girls were an English musical ensemble of female vocalists. They were formed at the Vernons football pools company in the 1950s in Liverpool, settling down to a sixteen strong choir and recorded an album of standards.-Career:...
. The hit single from the film was "Once Upon a Dream". There were other notable performances by several British actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s and performers such as Richard Wattis
Richard Wattis
Richard Cameron Wattis , was an English character actor.He attended King Edward's School, Birmingham and Bromsgrove School, after which he worked for the family electrical engineering firm before becoming a professional actor. After his debut with Croydon Repertory Theatre he made many stage...
, Lionel Blair
Lionel Blair
Lionel Blair is a British actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter. He is the son of Myer Ogus and Deborah Greenbaum...
and Dennis Price
Dennis Price
Dennis Price was an English actor, remembered for his suave screen roles, particularly Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptations of P. G...
.
Fury's We Want Billy! (1963) was one of the first live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
s in UK rock history and featured renditions of his hits and cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of several R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
songs such as "Unchain My Heart
Unchain My Heart (song)
"Unchain My Heart" is a song written by Bobby Sharp and recorded first in 1961 by Ray Charles and in 1963 by Trini Lopez and later by many others. Sharp, a drug addict at the time, sold the song to Teddy Powell for $50. Powell demanded half the songwriting credit. Sharp later successfully fought...
".
In 1965 he appeared in the film I've Gotta Horse
I've Gotta Horse
- Summary :Based on the star's famous love of animals, this musical comedy portrays Billy setting out to add a sheepdog to his vast entourage of animals and coming back with an irresistible horse named Armitage instead. To his manager's horror, Billy smuggles the horse backstage during rehearsals...
, which also featured The Bachelors
The Bachelors
The Bachelors are a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland.-Career:The founding members of the group were Conleth Cluskey , Declan Cluskey , and John Stokes...
, Michael Medwin and Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
. The album from the film was made available in stereo
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
. Fury left Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in 1966, after signing to a five year recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
.
Having had more UK hits, such as "It's Only Make Believe
It's Only Make Believe
"It's Only Make Believe" is the title of a song written by Jack Nance and American country music artist Conway Twitty, released by Twitty as a single in July 1958. The single topped both U.S...
" and "I Will
I Will (Dick Glasser song)
"I Will" is a song by Dick Glasser, a ballad about one of his sister's relationships.The song was a US hit for Vic Dana in 1962, Skeeter Davis in 1963 and a UK one for Billy Fury in 1964. The song was also successful for Dean Martin and Ruby Winters . Christy Moore recorded it on his 2009 album...
" (written by Dick Glasser
Dick Glasser
Richard Eugene "Dick" Glasser was a singer, songwriter, and record producer....
, not to be confused with the Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
song), both in 1964, and "In Thoughts of You" (1965), Fury began a lengthy absence from the charts in 1967, and underwent surgery for heart problems in 1972 and 1976 which led to his abandoning touring. Despite spending many weeks on the charts, Fury never achieved a number one single, but he remained popular even after his hits stopped. "I Will" became a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hit for Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
(1965) and for Ruby Winters
Ruby Winters
Ruby Winters is an American female soul singer, whose records made the singles charts in both the US and UK in the 1960s and 1970s.-Life and career:...
(1977).
Later years
In 1973, Fury emerged from a period of semi-retirement to star as 'Stormy Tempest' in the film That'll Be the DayThat'll Be The Day (film)
That'll Be the Day is a 1973 British film starring David Essex and Ringo Starr, written by Ray Connolly and directed by Claude Whatham. It is set in the late '50s/early '60s and was partially filmed on the Isle of Wight. A sequel, Stardust, was released in 1974.-Plot summary:Jim MacLaine's mother...
. Also starring David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
and Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, it was roughly based on the early days of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Starr was from the same Dingle
Dingle, Liverpool
Dingle is an inner-city area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is located to the south of the city, bordered by the adjoining districts of Toxteth and Aigburth...
area of Liverpool as Fury, and had originally played drums for Rory Storm & The Hurricanes
Rory Storm
Rory Storm was an English singer and musician. Born Alan Caldwell in Liverpool, Storm was the singer and leader of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, a Liverpudlian band who were contemporaries of The Beatles in the late 1950s, and early 1960s...
, whom the Stormy Tempest group were said to be modelled upon.
In the mid 1970s Fury went out on the road with Marty Wilde, but away from the spotlight he concentrated on his hobby of wildlife preservation. Fury's health deteriorated and he underwent heart surgery notably in 1976. In 1978 he was declared bankrupt
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. A new release, "Be Mine Tonight" (1981), failed to make an appearance in the UK Singles Chart. Worse was to follow in March 1981 when Fury, working on his own farm, collapsed and almost perished. He returned to touring later that year and his next two singles, "Love or Money" and "Devil or Angel", just dented the UK chart. In 1981 and 1982, Fury was signed to Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
by A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man Frank Neilson and recorded a comeback album, The One And Only (released posthumously) with Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
' producer Stuart Colman
Stuart Colman
Stuart Colman into a well-known musical family, took up piano and bass guitar, and enjoyed his first taste of success when he joined Pinkerton's Assorted Colours in 1966. Three years later, the group evolved into The Flying Machine and their first single under that name, "Smile A Little Smile For...
. Due to his health, Fury did little touring to promote the new album. His last public appearance was at the Sunnyside, Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, in December 1982, where the website, billyfury.com, now sponsors a charity show every March. Fury recorded a live performance for the television show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, Unforgettable, featuring six of his old hits although, at the request of his mother, only four of these were broadcast.
Personal life
Fury lived with Lee Middleton from 1959 to 1967, married Judith Hall in May 1969 and then he met heiressBeneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
Lisa Voice (née Rosen), they both lived on Billy's farm in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, from 1971 until his death. Fury was a keen amateur birdwatcher
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
.
Death
After returning from a recording session in London in the early hours of 28 January 1983, Billy Fury collapsed in his home in Wales during the night. His partner Lisa Voice found him unconscious the next morning. He was rushed to a hospital, but died later in the afternoon at 2.10pm. He was 42 years old. A week later his funeral was held at the St. John´s Wood Church in London. Among the mourners were Larry Parnes, Marty Wilde, Hal Carter and ex-Pirate Mick GreenMick Green
Michael Robert "Mick" Green was an English rock and roll guitarist who played with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.-Biography:He was born Michael Robert Green, in Matlock, Derbyshire...
in addition to family members, friends and fans. After the service Billy was buried at Mill Hill cemetery
Mill Hill
Mill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until it was absorbed by London...
. A track issued posthumously, "Forget Him", became his final single chart hit.
Legacy
In 2003 a bronze statue of Fury was unveiled at the National Museum of Liverpool LifeNational Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool, previously known as National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, comprises several museums and art galleries in and around Liverpool, England. All museums and galleries in this group have free admission...
. The sculpture, by Tom Murphy, a Liverpool sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, was donated by 'The Sound of Fury' fan club.
In 1999 and 2000 the song "Wondrous Place
Wondrous Place
"Wondrous Place" is a song written by Jeff Lewis and Bill Giant. It was recorded by Billy Fury who cut several versions of the song during his career. His original release of "Wondrous Place" reached #25 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1960...
", a favourite of Fury's (he re-recorded it at least three times during his career) later received wide airplay on UK television when it was used as the theme for a Toyota Yaris
Toyota Yaris
The Toyota Yaris is a subcompact car produced by Toyota since 1999. Between 1999 and 2005, some markets received the same vehicles under the Toyota Echo name...
car advertisement.
In 2007 a biographical documentary film Billy Fury His Wondrous Story was released on DVD .
Eight of his EMI recordings remained unreleased on mainstream CD until June 2010, when they appeared on a 29-track issue, The Complete Parlophone Singles, released by Peaksoft.
Albums
| Year | Title | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | The Sound of Fury | #18 |
| 1960 | Billy Fury | - |
| 1961 | Halfway to Paradise | #5 |
| 1963 | Billy | #6 |
| 1963 | We Want Billy! ¶ | #14 |
| 1983 | The One and Only | #54 |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Billy Fury Hit Parade | #44 |
| 2008 | His Wondrous Story - The Complete Collection | #10 |
Singles
| Year | Title | 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 ... |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | "Maybe Tomorrow" | #18 | Decca Decca Records Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades.... |
| 1959 | "Margo" | #28 | Decca |
| 1959 | "Angel Face" | - | Decca |
| 1959 | "My Christmas Prayer" | - | Decca |
| 1959 | "Collette" | #9 | Decca |
| 1960 | "That's Love" † | #19 | Decca |
| 1960 | "Wondrous Place Wondrous Place "Wondrous Place" is a song written by Jeff Lewis and Bill Giant. It was recorded by Billy Fury who cut several versions of the song during his career. His original release of "Wondrous Place" reached #25 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1960... " |
#25 | Decca |
| 1960 | "A Thousand Stars" | #14 | Decca |
| 1961 | "Don't Worry" ‡ | #40 | Decca |
| 1961 | "Halfway to Paradise Halfway to Paradise "Halfway to Paradise" is a popular song, originally recorded in 1961 by Tony Orlando in the United States. It was much more successful in the United Kingdom, recorded by Billy Fury where it reached a peak at number 3 on the UK Charts in 1961. It stayed on the charts for 23 weeks. It became known as... " |
#3 | Decca |
| 1961 | "Jealousy" | #2 | Decca |
| 1961 | "I'd Never Find Another You" | #5 | Decca |
| 1962 | "Letter Full of Tears" | #32 | Decca |
| 1962 | "Last Night Was Made for Love" | #4 | Decca |
| 1962 | "Once Upon a Dream" | #7 | Decca |
| 1962 | "Because of Love" | #18 | Decca |
| 1963 | "Like I've Never Been Gone" | #3 | Decca |
| 1963 | "When Will You Say I Love You?" | #3 | Decca |
| 1963 | "In Summer" | #5 | Decca |
| 1963 | "Somebody Else's Girl" | #18 | Decca |
| 1963 | "Do You Really Love Me Too? (Fools Errand)" | #13 | Decca |
| 1964 | "I Will I Will (Dick Glasser song) "I Will" is a song by Dick Glasser, a ballad about one of his sister's relationships.The song was a US hit for Vic Dana in 1962, Skeeter Davis in 1963 and a UK one for Billy Fury in 1964. The song was also successful for Dean Martin and Ruby Winters . Christy Moore recorded it on his 2009 album... " |
#14 | Decca |
| 1964 | "It's Only Make Believe It's Only Make Believe "It's Only Make Believe" is the title of a song written by Jack Nance and American country music artist Conway Twitty, released by Twitty as a single in July 1958. The single topped both U.S... " |
#10 | Decca |
| 1965 | "I'm Lost Without You" | #16 | Decca |
| 1965 | "In Thoughts of You" | #9 | Decca |
| 1965 | "Run to My Lovin' Arms" | #25 | Decca |
| 1966 | "I'll Never Quite Get Over You" | #35 | Decca |
| 1966 | "Don't Let a Little Pride Stand in Your Way" | - | Decca |
| 1966 | "Give Me Your Word Give Me Your Word "Give Me Your Word" is a popular song written by George Wyle and Irving Taylor in 1954. The biggest selling version, recorded by Tennessee Ernie Ford, was released on 31 May 1954 by Capitol Records in the United States, and reached #1 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1955. The record was produced... " |
#27 | Decca |
| 1967 | "Hurtin' is Loving" | - | Parlophone Parlophone Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which... |
| 1967 | "Loving You" | - | Parlophone |
| 1967 | "Suzanne in the Mirror" | - | Parlophone |
| 1968 | "Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt" | - | Parlophone |
| 1968 | "Silly Boy Blue" | - | Parlophone |
| 1968 | "Phone Box" | - | Parlophone |
| 1968 | "Lady" | - | Parlophone |
| 1969 | "I Call for My Rose" | - | Parlophone |
| 1969 | "All the Way to the USA" | - | Parlophone |
| 1970 | "Why Are You Leaving?" | - | Parlophone |
| 1970 | "Paradise Alley" | - | Parlophone |
| 1972 | "Will the Real Man Stand Up?" | - | Fury Records |
| 1974 | "I'll Be Your Sweetheart" | - | Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies... |
| 1981 | "Be Mine Tonight" | - | Polydor Polydor Records Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone... |
| 1982 | "Love or Money" | #57 | Polydor |
| 1982 | "Devil or Angel" | #58 | Polydor |
| 1983 | "Let Me Go, Lover! Let Me Go, Lover! "Let Me Go, Lover!", a popular song, was written by Jenny Lou Carson and Al Hill, a pseudonym used by Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey, and Ben Weisman. It is based on an earlier song called "Let Me Go, Devil," about alcoholism. It was featured on the television program Studio One on November 15, 1954,... " |
- | Polydor |
| 1983 | "Forget Him" | #59 | Polydor |
¶ - Billed as Billy Fury and The Tornados
† - Billed as Billy Fury with The Four Jays
‡ - Billed as Billy Fury with The Four Kestrels
Quotation
NME - May 1963See also
- British rock and rollBritish rock and rollBritish rock and roll, or sometimes British rock 'n' roll, is a style of popular music based on American rock and roll, which emerged in the late 1950s and was popular until the arrival of beat music in 1962. It has generally been considered inferior to the American version of the genre, and made...
- List of people from Merseyside
- List of Decca Records artists
- List of rockabilly musicians
- List of performers on Top of the Pops