Malcolm Vaughan
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Vaughan was a Welsh
traditional pop music
singer
and actor
. Known for his distinctive tenor
voice
, he had a number of chart
hits
in the United Kingdom
during the 1950s.
, South Wales
. He spent much of his childhood in the village of Troedyrhiw, near Merthyr Tydfil
after his family relocated there, and sang with the local choir.
He first appeared as a stage actor in 1944 when he was cast in Emlyn Williams
’s comedy The Druid’s Rest at the St. Martin's Theatre in London
's West End
. He went on to appear at the London Hippodrome in the musical comedy Jenny Jones, where his singing abilities were first noted by the critic James Agate
who said of him that he was “allowed to talk too much and sing too little”. He followed this up with a role in a variety show organised by the bandleader and impresario Jack Hylton
, and a part in the Thornton Wilder
play The Skin Of Our Teeth at the Piccadilly Theatre
, which was directed by Laurence Olivier
. He also appeared in the first stage production of the popular BBC Children's Hour
programme The Adventures of Larry the Lamb in which he was Dennis the Dachshund, and was an errand boy in the film Bedelia alongside Margaret Lockwood.
He was called up for National Service
in 1947, and served with the Army
in Egypt
and Greece
, but returned to acting after being demobbed. He appeared in Aladdin and Dick Whittington on ice in Brighton
, and in 1952 teamed up with three other vocalists to form the Welsh Street Singers. He went on to support Old Mother Riley
in pantomime, then appeared in the revue Going Gay in Eastbourne in 1953, where he befriended the comedian Kenneth Earle. The pair decided to form a double act, but did not like the sound of "Earle and Thomas". However, after trying out different names they settled on "Earle and Vaughan". In 1963, Malcolm Thomas changed his name by deed poll
to Malcolm Vaughan.
Alongside Earle, Vaughan became the straight man in half of a comedy double act in variety theatre. It was here that his singing career began to develop thanks to his strong voice and after the BBC disc jockey Jack Jackson
saw Earle and Vaughan performing at the Chiswick Empire in 1955. Jackson was impressed with Vaughan's impersonation of Mario Lanza
and arranged an audition with the head of HMV Records Wally Ridley. Ridley encouraged Vaughan to record popular ballads of the day and Vaughan had his first hit with "Ev'ry Day of My Life
" in 1955. The song reached #5 in the UK charts. "Ev'ry Day of My Life" was the first of many hits he achieved throughout the latter half of the 1950s, three other major releases being "St. Therese of the Roses
" in 1956, 1957's "My Special Angel
" and "More Than Ever (Come Prima
)" in 1958.
In October 1956 he was scheduled to appear on BBC TV's Off The Record
to promote the release of "St. Therese of the Roses
". However, the appearance was cancelled after a BBC committee decided that the song was unsuitable for broadcast because "the lyric is contrary both to Roman Catholic doctrine and to Protestant sentiment." The resulting controversy coupled with airplay on Radio Luxembourg
ensured the record's success. It climbed to #3 and stayed in the charts for five months and ultimately sold half a million copies.
Also in 1956 Earle and Vaughan made their debut at the London Palladium
in The British Record Show, and in January 1957 they appeared on ITV
's Sunday Night at the London Palladium
. Later in 1957 Vaughan appeared in that year's Royal Variety Show alongside other 1950s stars, including Ronnie Hilton
, Dickie Valentine
and David Whitfield
. In 1960 he took part in the national preselection
to represent the United Kingdom in that year's Eurovision Song Contest
, singing "Each Tomorrow", but he was beaten by Bryan Johnson
, whose "Looking High, High, High" went on to finish in second place.
The rise in popularity of rock and roll
saw a dramatic change in musical tastes, and unlike many of his contemporaries, Vaughan's musical career barely survived into the 1960s. However, he continued to act, mostly doing theatre
work, and his music continues to be played on the radio. Earle and Vaughan continued as a double act throughout the 1960s before deciding to split up in 1972. Kenneth Earle went on to become an agent, while Vaughan continued on stage, touring in productions of The Good Old Days
. He retired in 1982.
Malcolm spent a few of his latter years working on the switchboard at the RAF Central Medical Establishment in London.
In his later years, Malcolm Vaughan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease
. In 2009 his wife published his autobiography which helped to raise money for a local Alzheimer's charity.
He died, at the age of 80, on 9 February 2010 in Eastbourne
, East Sussex
, England
. He is survived by his widow, Gaye (née Hands), and two sons, Daryl Earle Haydn Samuel (born in 1957) and Damon Charles Michael (born in 1963).
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...
traditional pop music
Traditional pop music
Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and 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...
. Known for his distinctive tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
, he had a number of 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....
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the United Kingdom
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...
during the 1950s.
Biography
He was born Malcolm James Thomas, the son of a coal miner in AbercynonAbercynon
Abercynon is a small village in the Cynon Valley in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. The unitary authority is now known as Rhondda Cynon Taff. It is composed of the village of Abercynon itself,Carnetown,Glancynon,Park View and Pontcynon. However, in recent years the sign to show motorists they are entering...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. He spent much of his childhood in the village of Troedyrhiw, near Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
after his family relocated there, and sang with the local choir.
He first appeared as a stage actor in 1944 when he was cast in Emlyn Williams
Emlyn Williams
George Emlyn Williams, CBE , known as Emlyn Williams, was a Welsh dramatist and actor.-Biography:He was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family in Mostyn, Flintshire....
’s comedy The Druid’s Rest at the St. Martin's Theatre in 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 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. He went on to appear at the London Hippodrome in the musical comedy Jenny Jones, where his singing abilities were first noted by the critic James Agate
James Agate
James Evershed Agate was a British diarist and critic. In the period between the wars, he was one of Britain's most influential theatre critics...
who said of him that he was “allowed to talk too much and sing too little”. He followed this up with a role in a variety show organised by the bandleader and impresario Jack Hylton
Jack Hylton
Jack Hylton was a British band leader and impresario.He was born John Greenhalgh Hilton in the Great Lever area of Bolton, Lancashire, the son of George Hilton, a cotton yarn twister. His father was an amateur singer at the local Labour Club and Jack learned piano to accompany him on the stage...
, and a part in the Thornton Wilder
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He received three Pulitzer Prizes, one for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two for his plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day.-Early years:Wilder was born in Madison,...
play The Skin Of Our Teeth at the Piccadilly Theatre
Piccadilly Theatre
The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, England.-Early years:Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A...
, which was directed by Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
. He also appeared in the first stage production of the popular BBC Children's Hour
Children's Hour
Children's Hour—at first: "The Children's Hour", from a verse by Longfellow—was the name of the BBC's principal recreational service for children during the period when radio dominated broadcasting....
programme The Adventures of Larry the Lamb in which he was Dennis the Dachshund, and was an errand boy in the film Bedelia alongside Margaret Lockwood.
He was called up for National Service
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
in 1947, and served with the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, but returned to acting after being demobbed. He appeared in Aladdin and Dick Whittington on ice in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, and in 1952 teamed up with three other vocalists to form the Welsh Street Singers. He went on to support Old Mother Riley
Old Mother Riley
Old Mother Riley was a music hall act which originally ran from about 1934 to 1954 played by Arthur Lucan, then from 1954 to 1977 by Roy Rolland....
in pantomime, then appeared in the revue Going Gay in Eastbourne in 1953, where he befriended the comedian Kenneth Earle. The pair decided to form a double act, but did not like the sound of "Earle and Thomas". However, after trying out different names they settled on "Earle and Vaughan". In 1963, Malcolm Thomas changed his name by deed poll
Deed poll
A deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an active intention...
to Malcolm Vaughan.
Alongside Earle, Vaughan became the straight man in half of a comedy double act in variety theatre. It was here that his singing career began to develop thanks to his strong voice and after the BBC disc jockey Jack Jackson
Jack Jackson (British radio)
Jack Jackson was a British trumpeter and bandleader who became a highly influential radio disc jockey....
saw Earle and Vaughan performing at the Chiswick Empire in 1955. Jackson was impressed with Vaughan's impersonation of Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
and arranged an audition with the head of HMV Records Wally Ridley. Ridley encouraged Vaughan to record popular ballads of the day and Vaughan had his first hit with "Ev'ry Day of My Life
Ev'ry Day of My Life
"Ev'ry Day of My Life" is a popular song written in 1954 by Al Jacobs and Jimmie Crane.Two of the most popular versions of this song were recorded by Malcolm Vaughan and The McGuire Sisters...
" in 1955. The song reached #5 in the UK charts. "Ev'ry Day of My Life" was the first of many hits he achieved throughout the latter half of the 1950s, three other major releases being "St. Therese of the Roses
St. Therese of the Roses
"St. Therese Of The Roses" is a 1956 popular song written by Remus Harris and Arthur Strauss. The song takes the form of a prayer to St. Therese of the Roses by a man who is about to marry asking the saint for her to send her blessings to himself and his sweetheart so they will have a happy and...
" in 1956, 1957's "My Special Angel
My Special Angel
"My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957.The song became a crossover hit in 1957 for Bobby Helms. "My Special Angel" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent four weeks at number one on the US Country music chart...
" and "More Than Ever (Come Prima
Come Prima
"Come Prima" is a popular song, with lyrics by Mario Panzeri and music by Vincenzo Di Paola and Sandro Taccani....
)" in 1958.
In October 1956 he was scheduled to appear on BBC TV's Off The Record
Off the Record
"Off the record" is a term related to journalism sourcing; see Journalism sourcing#Using confidential information.Off the record may also refer to:- Music :* Off the Record , a 1977 album by Sweet...
to promote the release of "St. Therese of the Roses
St. Therese of the Roses
"St. Therese Of The Roses" is a 1956 popular song written by Remus Harris and Arthur Strauss. The song takes the form of a prayer to St. Therese of the Roses by a man who is about to marry asking the saint for her to send her blessings to himself and his sweetheart so they will have a happy and...
". However, the appearance was cancelled after a BBC committee decided that the song was unsuitable for broadcast because "the lyric is contrary both to Roman Catholic doctrine and to Protestant sentiment." The resulting controversy coupled with airplay on Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
ensured the record's success. It climbed to #3 and stayed in the charts for five months and ultimately sold half a million copies.
Also in 1956 Earle and Vaughan made their debut at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
in The British Record Show, and in January 1957 they appeared on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium is a British television variety show produced by ATV for the ITV network, originally running from 1955 to 1967, with a brief revival in 1973 and 1974...
. Later in 1957 Vaughan appeared in that year's Royal Variety Show alongside other 1950s stars, including Ronnie Hilton
Ronnie Hilton
Ronnie Hilton was an English singer and radio presenter. According to his obituary in The Guardian newspaper, "Hilton was one of those 1950s vocalists whose career coincided with rock and roll's 1956 onslaught on the ballad dominated hit parade...
, Dickie Valentine
Dickie Valentine
Dickie Valentine was an English pop singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Valentine was born Richard Maxwell , though Valentine was known as Richard Bryce as his mother later married Bryce and gave her young son the same name. He was born in Marylebone, London...
and David Whitfield
David Whitfield
David Whitfield was a popular British male tenor vocalist. This operatic-style tenor had a formidable and predominantly female fan base in the 1950s.-Life and career:...
. In 1960 he took part in the national preselection
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960
The United Kingdom held a national preselection to choose the song that would go to the Eurovision Song Contest 1960. The semi-finals were held on 2 February and 4 February 1960 and the final was held on 6 February 1960...
to represent the United Kingdom in that year's Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1960
The Eurovision Song Contest 1960 was the fifth in the series, and was held on 29 March 1960 in London. France's win this year was their second in the contest....
, singing "Each Tomorrow", but he was beaten by Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson (singer)
Bryan Johnson was an English singer and actor.Having been eliminated in the semi finals of the 1957 UK heats for Eurovision, he later emulated his brother and sister-in-law, Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson, by coming second in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960, with "Looking High, High, High"...
, whose "Looking High, High, High" went on to finish in second place.
The rise in popularity of 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...
saw a dramatic change in musical tastes, and unlike many of his contemporaries, Vaughan's musical career barely survived into the 1960s. However, he continued to act, mostly doing 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...
work, and his music continues to be played on the radio. Earle and Vaughan continued as a double act throughout the 1960s before deciding to split up in 1972. Kenneth Earle went on to become an agent, while Vaughan continued on stage, touring in productions of The Good Old Days
The Good Old Days
The Good Old Days is a popular BBC television light entertainment programme which ran from 1953 to 1983.It was performed at the Leeds City Varieties and recreated an authentic atmosphere of the Victorian–Edwardian music hall with songs and sketches of the era performed by present-day...
. He retired in 1982.
Malcolm spent a few of his latter years working on the switchboard at the RAF Central Medical Establishment in London.
In his later years, Malcolm Vaughan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. In 2009 his wife published his autobiography which helped to raise money for a local Alzheimer's charity.
He died, at the age of 80, on 9 February 2010 in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England
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...
. He is survived by his widow, Gaye (née Hands), and two sons, Daryl Earle Haydn Samuel (born in 1957) and Damon Charles Michael (born in 1963).
Hit songs
All chart hits were on the His Master's Voice label.- "Ev'ry Day of My LifeEv'ry Day of My Life"Ev'ry Day of My Life" is a popular song written in 1954 by Al Jacobs and Jimmie Crane.Two of the most popular versions of this song were recorded by Malcolm Vaughan and The McGuire Sisters...
" / "Mama" (1955) UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#5 - "More Than A Millionaire" / "Take Me Back Again" (1955)
- "With Your Love" / "Small Talk" (1955) UK #18
- "Only You (And You Alone)Only You (And You Alone)"Only You " is a pop song composed by Buck Ram. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters, with lead vocals by Tony Williams, in 1955....
" / "I'll Be Near You" (1956) - "St. Theresa of the Roses" / "Love Me as Though There Were No Other" (1956) UK #3
- "The World is Mine" / "Now" (1957) UK #26
- "Chapel of The Roses" / "Guardian Angel" (1957) UK #13
- "Oh My Papa" / "What Is My Destiny" (1957)
- "My Special AngelMy Special Angel"My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957.The song became a crossover hit in 1957 for Bobby Helms. "My Special Angel" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent four weeks at number one on the US Country music chart...
" / "The Heart of a Child" (1957) UK #3 - "To Be Loved" / "My Loving Arms" (1958) UK #14
- "Ev'ry Hour Ev'ry Day Of My Life" / "Miss You" (1958)
- "More Than Ever (Come PrimaCome Prima"Come Prima" is a popular song, with lyrics by Mario Panzeri and music by Vincenzo Di Paola and Sandro Taccani....
) / "A Night to Remember" (1958) UK #5 - "Wait for Me" / "Willingly" (1959) UK #13
- "You'll Never Walk AloneYou'll Never Walk Alone (song)"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...
" / "The Holy City" (1959) - "Oh So Wunderbar" / "For Everyone In Love" (1960)
- "My Love For You" / "Lady of SpainLady of Spain (song)"Lady Of Spain" is a popular song, written in 1931 by Robert Hargreaves, Tolchard Evans, Stanley J. Damerell, and Henry Tilsley.-Performance:...
" (1960) - "There's No Other Love" / "Dolce Vita" (1961)
- "The WeddingThe Wedding (song)"The Wedding", sometimes credited as "The Wedding ", is a popular song from 1964 recorded by British singer Julie Rogers. The song was included on Rogers' extended play from 1964, which was also titled The Wedding, and has appeared on various compilation albums in the years since its...
" / "Guardian Angel" (1961) - "This Side of Heaven" / "The Love of a Lifetime" (1963)