Michael Holliday
Encyclopedia
Norman Alexander Milne, known professionally as Michael Holliday (26 November 1924 – 29 October 1963) was a British
crooner
popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
He had a string of chart
hits
in the pre-Beatles era in the UK
, including two number one singles
, "The Story of My Life
" and "Starry Eyed".
, England, and brought up in Kirkdale. His career in music began by winning an amateur talent contest, ‘New Voices of Merseyside’, at the Locarno Ballroom, West Derby Road, Newsham, Liverpool. Then, while working as a seaman in the Merchant Navy, Michael was persuaded to enter a talent contest at Radio City Music Hall in New York
and again he won, inspiring him to seek a career in show business
. In 1951 he secured two summer seasons' work as a vocalist with Dick Denny's band at Butlin's Holiday Camp, Pwllheli
.
Band, another Butlin’s contracted band that toured when the summer season's work was over. They also broadcast occasionally for BBC Radio
.
In December 1954 Holliday wrote to the BBC requesting a TV audition. His audition came in April 1955 and he made his first TV appearance on The Centre Show on 22 July 1955. This TV performance was seen by Norrie Paramor
, then head of A&R
for EMI
's Columbia
record label
, who signed him as a solo
artist
.
He also sang "Four Feather Falls
", the theme tune to the puppet
-based television program
of the same name.
, and had a mental breakdown
in 1961. He committed suicide
two years later, dying from a suspected drugs overdose in Croydon
, Surrey
. His grave is at Anfield Cemetery
, Priory Road, Liverpool.
Columbia released a tribute album in his memory which included a eulogy by Bing Crosby.
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...
crooner
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
He had a string 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 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...
in the pre-Beatles era 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...
, including two number one singles
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...
, "The Story of My Life
The Story of My Life (song)
"The Story of My Life" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and published in 1957.The song became a 1957 hit for US country singer Marty Robbins, staying at number one on the country chart for four weeks and reaching number fifteen on the Billboard Top 100 and number two on...
" and "Starry Eyed".
Early life
Michael Holliday was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
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...
, England, and brought up in Kirkdale. His career in music began by winning an amateur talent contest, ‘New Voices of Merseyside’, at the Locarno Ballroom, West Derby Road, Newsham, Liverpool. Then, while working as a seaman in the Merchant Navy, Michael was persuaded to enter a talent contest at Radio City Music Hall in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and again he won, inspiring him to seek a career in 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 ....
. In 1951 he secured two summer seasons' work as a vocalist with Dick Denny's band at Butlin's Holiday Camp, Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
.
Singing career
In March 1953 he joined the Eric WinstoneEric Winstone
Eric Winstone was an English big band leader and composer.Playing piano in his spare time from a job as Westminster Gas and Coke Company led him to form his first band in 1935...
Band, another Butlin’s contracted band that toured when the summer season's work was over. They also broadcast occasionally for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
.
In December 1954 Holliday wrote to the BBC requesting a TV audition. His audition came in April 1955 and he made his first TV appearance on The Centre Show on 22 July 1955. This TV performance was seen by Norrie Paramor
Norrie Paramor
Norrie Paramor was a British record producer, composer, arranger, and orchestral conductor.Although the term "producer" was not in circulation at the time Paramor started producing records , he effectively began this role in 1952 when he became Recording Director for EMI's Columbia...
, then head of 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 :...
for EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Columbia
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...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, who signed him as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
He also sang "Four Feather Falls
Four Feather Falls
Four Feather Falls was the third puppet TV show produced by Gerry Anderson for Granada Television, from an idea by Barry Gray.-Production:The show was made on a tight budget and could not afford sophisticated special effects...
", the theme tune to the puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
-based television program
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...
of the same name.
Illness and death
Holliday had an ongoing problem with stage frightStage fright
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially . In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common...
, and had a mental breakdown
Mental breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
in 1961. He committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
two years later, dying from a suspected drugs overdose in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. His grave is at Anfield Cemetery
Anfield Cemetery
Anfield Cemetery, also known as the City of Liverpool Cemetery, is on Priory Road, Anfield, Liverpool, England .It covers an area of some and includes axial and circular paths, two chapels and a Gothic style catacomb. The layout of the cemetery was designed by Edward Kemp.The cemetery is adjacent...
, Priory Road, Liverpool.
Columbia released a tribute album in his memory which included a eulogy by Bing Crosby.
Discography
UK single (release date), highest chart position- "The Yellow Rose of TexasThe Yellow Rose of Texas"The Yellow Rose of Texas" is a traditional folk song. The original love song has become associated with the legend of how an indentured servant named Emily Morgan "helped win the battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution."...
" / "Stein Song", (September 1955) - "Sixteen TonsSixteen Tons"Sixteen Tons" is a song about the life of a coal miner, first recorded in 1946 by American country singer Merle Travis and released on his box set album Folk Songs of the Hills the following year...
" / "The Rose Tattoo", (January 1956) - "Nothin' To Do" / "Perfume, Candy And Flowers", (March 1956), 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 ...
#20 - "Hot Diggity (Dog Diggity Boom)" / "The Gal With The Yallow Shoes", (June 1956), UK #13
- "Ten Thousand Miles" / "The Runaway Train", (September 1956), UK #24
- "I Saw Esau" / "Yallow Yallow Gold", (January 1957)
- "My House Is Your House" / "Love Is StrangeLove Is Strange"Love Is Strange" was a crossover hit by American rhythm and blues duet Mickey & Sylvia, which was released in late November 1956 by the Groove record label.The song was based on a guitar riff by Jody Williams. The co-writers of the song are of some dispute...
", (March 1957) - "Four WallsFour Walls (song)"Four Walls" is a country song published in 1957 by Marvin Moore and George Campbell, written by Winifred J. Bartly in 1957.Jim Reeves’ recording is the best known; it has been recorded by other artists, including Bing Crosby and Willie Nelson...
" / "Wringle Wrangle", (May 1957) - "All of YouAll of You"All of You" is a popular song written by Cole Porter and published in 1954.It was featured in the musical film Silk Stockings and been recorded by Fred Astaire, Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald on her 1972 album: Ella Loves Cole, Billie Holiday, Tony Martin, and Anita O'Day.The jazz pianist Bill Evans...
" / "It's The Good Things We Remember", (July 1957) - "Old Cape CodOld Cape Cod"Old Cape Cod" is a song, written by Claire Rothrock, Milton Yakus, and Allan Jeffrey, and published in 1957.The recording by Patti Page was released by Mercury Records as catalog number 71101; flip side "Wondering." It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on June 3, 1957...
" / "Love You Darlin’", (September 1957) - "The Story of My LifeThe Story of My Life (song)"The Story of My Life" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and published in 1957.The song became a 1957 hit for US country singer Marty Robbins, staying at number one on the country chart for four weeks and reaching number fifteen on the Billboard Top 100 and number two on...
" / "Keep Your Heart", (January 1958), UK #1 - "In Love" / "Rooney", (February 1958), UK #26
- "Stairway Of Love" / "May I?", (May 1958), UK #3
- "I'll Always Be In Love With You" / "I'll Be Lovin' You Too", (June 1958), UK #27
- "She Was Only Seventeen" / "The Gay Vagabond", (September 1958)
- "My Heart is An Open Book" / "Careless Hands", (November 1958)
- "Palace Of Love" / "The Girls From The County Armagh", (February 1959)
- "Moments Of Love" / "Dearest", (May 1959)
- "Life Is A Circus" / "For You, For You", (August 1959)
- "Starry Eyed" / "The Steady Game", (November 1959), UK #1
- "SkylarkSkylark (song)"Skylark" is an American popular song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Hoagy Carmichael, published in 1941. Mercer said that he struggled for a year after he got the music from Carmichael before he could get the lyrics right....
" / "Dream Talk", (March 1960), UK #39 - "Little Boy LostLittle Boy Lost (song)Little Boy Lost, was an Australian hit song, recorded by Johnny Ashcroft. He composed this song from a lyric idea put forward by DJ, Tony Withers.-Historic event:The song accurately relates the saga of Australia’s greatest land and air search...
" / "The One Finger Symphony", (June 1960), UK #50 - "Catch Me A Kiss" / "Stay in Love", (November 1960)
- "The Miracle of Monday Morning" / "Remember Me", (February 1961)
- "Dream Boy Dream" / "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her NowI Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now"I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" is a popular song. The music was written by Joseph E. Howard and Harold Orlob, the lyrics by Will M. Hough and Frank R. Adams. The song was published in 1909...
", (June 1961) - "Wishin' On A Rainbow / "I Don't Want You To See Me Cry", (April 1962)
- "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?" / "It Only Takes A Minute", (September 1962)
- "Laugh and the World Laughs With You" / "Iron Fence", (February 1963)
- "Between Hello And Goodbye" / "Just To Be With You Again", (July 1963)
- "Drums / "Can I Forget You", (November 1963)
- "Dear Heart" / "My Year Of Love", (March 1964)
- "My Last Date (With You)" / "Always is a Long, Long Time", (June 1964)
External links
- Crossland, Ken The Man Who Would Be Bing (2004)
- Ken Crossland Online
- 'The Man Who Would Be Bing' Book Synopsis
- Discography of singles
- [ Michael Holliday biography] at Allmusic websiteWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...