UK Singles Chart

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

A few days late but Jane Morgan turned 96 on May 3rd. 

Scored a UK #1 in 1958.

Here she is unveiling her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. Looks great... but that was 9 years ago, and little has been heard from her since.
 

 

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

Cross posting here for completeness:

Florian Schneider, founding member of Kraftwerk, has died aged 73.

To my knowledge appeared on every UK hit single – they had 15 between 1975 and 2007, and yet The Model / Computer Love (#1 in 1981) was their only top 10 hit despite their wider popularity.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sweet Pea Atkinson, one of the vocalists for Was (Not Was), has died aged 74.

They had 11 UK hit singles between 1984 and 1992. 

Shake You Head was their biggest hit. It reached #4 in 1992. Bizarrely the track features uncredited vocals from Ozzy Osbourne and Kim Basinger!

Walk the Dinosaur was their other top 10 hit (#10 in 1987). The song featured on the soundtracks for Super Mario Bros. (1993) and The Flintstones (1994).
 

[YoungWillz 21,029]

34 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Cross posting here for completeness:

Sweet Pea Atkinson, one of the vocalists for Was (Not Was), has died aged 74.

They had 11 UK hit singles between 1984 and 1992. 

Shake You Head was their biggest hit. It reached #4 in 1992. Bizarrely the track features uncredited vocals from Ozzy Osbourne and Kim Basinger!

Walk the Dinosaur was their other top 10 hit (#10 in 1987). The song featured on the soundtracks for Super Mario Bros. (1993) and The Flintstones (1994).
 

Atkinson is NOT a miss for me, their 1984 debut single only reached #41. I will have to remove Atkinson for consideration from my 1987 list.

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

Crossposting for completeness.

London rapper Ty dead at 47 from COVID-19 – Guardian obit.

UK #65 in 2004 with Oh You Want More (also features Roots Manuva).
 

 

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

On 11/03/2020 at 16:10, Cat O'Falk said:

 

https://www.robertfarnonsociety.org.uk/index.php/legends/johnny-gregory

 

 

The G.R.O. says they married in late 1923 and he was born Primono G G Gregori. in late 1924. I presume one of the 'G's is for Giovanni - the Italian for John.

 

 

 

Surname	First name(s)	Spouse	District	Vol	Page
Marriages Sep 1953   (>99%)
Biten	Joan E	Gregory	Willesden	5f	726
Biten	Joan E	Gregori	Willesden	5f	726
GREGORI	Primono G G	MARTIN	Willesden	5f	726
GREGORI	Primono G G	BITEN	Willesden	5f	726
GREGORY	John P	MARTIN	Willesden	5f	726
GREGORY	John P	BITEN	Willesden	5f	726
MARTIN	Joan E	GREGORY	Willesden	5f	726
MARTIN	Joan E	GREGORI	Willesden	5f	726

 

I can't find a death entry in the G.R.O. no matter what permutation of names I use for him. Maybe he's still alive.

 

Someone has edited the Wiki page of Johnny Gregory to say he died on 22nd April aged 95.

 

I’ll leave his entry for now until there’s confirmation via an obit or the GRO.

[YoungWillz 21,029]

More to the point, where's @Cat O'Falk?

 

And nowt on Twitter re Gregory.

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

Yes was thinking that myself. @Cat O'Falk reveal yourself so we know the 'rona hasn't got you.

Whilst I'm here @YoungWillz, I spoke to one of my mates who is a local journo in Portsmouth. Ronnie Harris is still living there in his 90s, though I'm told he's pretty frail. Still, must be one of the earliest UK acts still kicking about.

[YoungWillz 21,029]

Family Dogg.

 

Doreen de Veuve was a fashion designer, but that's all I can find.

 

Zooey Quinn is mentioned as the youngest of the group here: https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/60s/69/Record-Mirror-1969-05-03-S-OCR.pdf and probably nothing you don't know, she also designed clothes, from there I got Twitter: https://twitter.com/zooeyvintageway not updated since 2015, and from there the Etsy profile: https://www.etsy.com/uk/people/zooeylive so if she is still there, resident in Tampa, Florida.

[YoungWillz 21,029]

In passing, I'll note that while searching for information on The Blue Flames, I came across a post on another forum by our very own @machotrouts regarding Tan Tan Thornton.

 

Be sure your footprints will find you out.

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

13 hours ago, YoungWillz said:

Family Dogg.

 

Doreen de Veuve was a fashion designer, but that's all I can find.

 

Zooey Quinn is mentioned as the youngest of the group here: https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/60s/69/Record-Mirror-1969-05-03-S-OCR.pdf and probably nothing you don't know, she also designed clothes, from there I got Twitter: https://twitter.com/zooeyvintageway not updated since 2015, and from there the Etsy profile: https://www.etsy.com/uk/people/zooeylive so if she is still there, resident in Tampa, Florida.

Doreen de Veuve, found her marriage record. Her husband is famous businessman and thoroughbred owner Michael Tabor. She's born in April 1941 as per Company Check, and that's good enough for me.

Pam "Zooey" Quinn... Rate Your Music says real name is Pamela Houghton.
There are a few Tampa residents on Ancestry which could be her, here are two of the more likely:
Pamela H Houghton b. 28/4/1947 (would mean the info about her being the youngest in the link above would have to be wrong)... it says she has a PO Box address though... hmmm
Pamela M Quinn b. 15/12/1953 (would've made her 15 when she was on that track, not impossible but also means she would have had to legally change her name to Quinn at some point).
Anyway, nothing substantial but worth noting incase anything else comes to light in the meantime.

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

On 29/02/2020 at 20:10, Ulitzer95 said:

L

Little Richard 05 Dec 1932 – 09 May 2020 (87) BBC obit
Wiki American rock and roll and R&B singer-songwriter and pianist from Macon, Georgia, real name Richard Penniman, inaugural inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986
14/12/1956 Rip it Up #30
08/02/1957 Long Tall Sally #3
22/02/1957 Tutti Frutti #39 B-side to Long Tally Sally
08/03/1957 She's Got it #15
15/03/1957 The Girl Can't Help it #9 B-side to She's Got it
28/06/1957 Lucille #10
13/09/1957 Jenny Jenny #11
29/11/1957 Keep a Knockin' #21
28/02/1958 Good Golly, Miss Molly #8
11/07/1958 Ooh! My Soul #22
02/01/1959 Baby Face #2
03/04/1959 By the Light of the Silvery Moon #17
05/06/1959 Kansas City #26
11/10/1962 He Got What He Wanted #38
04/06/1964 Bama Lama Bama Loo #20
 

Little Richard's entry updated.

[YoungWillz 21,029]

Two artists who had a hit with a song called Lucille dead this year!

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

2 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Two artists who had a hit with a song called Lucille dead this year!

The Everly Brothers had a hit with a cover of Lucille... 

[YoungWillz 21,029]

1 minute ago, Ulitzer95 said:

The Everly Brothers had a hit with a cover of Lucille... 

Surviving Everly dead by July?

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

Crossposting.



American soul and R&B singer Betty Wright dead at 66. Metro obit.

Four charting singles in the UK between 1975 and 1989.

This is turning into a brutal year for the UK charts.

[YoungWillz 21,029]

Reports coming in of the death of Takami Asano, guitarist with Godiego who had a couple of  hits on the UK chart:

I am going with Gandhara [Theme From Monkey] (UK #56, March 1980)

 

 

[Miracle Aligner 249]

Is Bernie Toorish of the four lads still alive?

 

If he has that would put him next in line to Vera Lynn on 'person living with earliest Top 12 (as it was in those days) song...

 

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

47 minutes ago, Miracle Aligner said:

Is Bernie Toorish of the four lads still alive?

 

If he has that would put him next in line to Vera Lynn on 'person living with earliest Top 12 (as it was in those days) song...

 

He is indeed. 89 this year.

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

Right, I've finished. All acts from the first two decades of the UK Singles Chart are now listed on page one. 

S and M now complete and I added the vast majority of featured artists such as The Curls, The Anita Kerr Singers, The Jordanaires, The Imperials and most orchestra leaders. Some acts are just too obscure though, with virtually no info e.g. Anne Warren who duetted with Ruby Murray on one record, so I've left them out. I also added Consortium and Jackie Dennis who I missed first time round.

I'm pretty happy with the "end result" and this is without a doubt the most complete list out there but it's by no means finished as I've now started reaching out to some artists to appeal for info. Terry Anderson from B Bumble and the Stingers got back to me and asked me to call him (a stroke has impaired his ability to type responses) and Tony Wilson of Hot Chocolate responded and is going to get back to me with info on what happened to his other partner in The Soul Brothers. I will add info as it comes in, and I will start the 1970s soon(ish).

For now... here is a list of the oldest living artists from 1952–1969:

Ray Anthony b. 20 Jan 1922
Jane Morgan b. 03 May 1924
Robert Earl b. 17 Nov 1926
Dick Hyman b. 08 Mar 1927
Teddie Beverley of The Beverley Sisters b. 05 May 1927
Hank Levine b. 09 Jun 1927
Cleo Laine b. 28 Oct 1927
Ronnie Harris b. c. 1928
Margie Needham of The Chordettes b. 15 Jul 1929
Mike Elliott of The Foundations b. 06 Aug 1929
Leroy Van Dyke b. 04 Oct 1929
Fred Diodati of The Four Aces b. 07 Nov 1930
Rose Brennan b. 01 Jan 1931
Bernie Toorish of The Four Lads b. 02 Mar 1931
Plas Johnson of The Routers b. 21 Jul 1931
John Perkins of The Crew-Cuts b. 28 Aug 1931
Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton of Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames b. 19 Oct 1931
Dave Burgess of The Champs b. 13 Dec 1931 or 1934
June Marlow of The Stargazers b. 1931
Sammy Turner b. 03 Jun 1932
Nina van Pallandt of Nina & Frederik b. 15 Jul 1932
Steve Rowland of The Family Dogg b. 03 Sep 1932
Petula Clark b. 15 Nov 1932
Ray Perkins of The Crew-Cuts b. 24 Nov 1932

Possibly living

Ping Ping b. 1923
Jamo Thomas b. 17 Jan 1928 or c. 1936
Suzi Miller b. 12 Jan 1929

Recent deaths

03 Jan 2020: Bo Winberg of The Spotniks (80)
08 Jan 2020: Edward Byrnes (87)
19 Jan 2020: Robert Parker (89)
20 Jan 2020: Barry Sargeant of The Marauders (79)
26 Jan 2020: Bob Shane of The Kingston Trio (85)
28 Jan 2020: Bob "Reg" Nave of The Lemon Pipers (75)
06 Feb 2020: Lynn Evans of The Chordettes (95)
16 Feb 2020: Pearl Carr (98)
26 Feb 2020: Michael Medwin (96)
20 Mar 2020: Kenny Rogers of Kenny Rogers and The First Edition (81)
08 Apr 2020: Carl Dobkins Jr. (79)
15 Apr 2020: Gene McSpadden of The Imperials Quartet (77)

22 Apr 2020: Chaquito (95)
24 Apr 2020: Harold Reid of The Statler Brothers (80)
25 Apr 2020: Ron Frangipane of The Archies (75)
03 May 2020: Bob Lander of The Spotniks (78)
05 May 2020: Millie (72)
09 May 2020: Little Richard (87)
15 May 2020: Phil May of The Pretty Things (75)
15 May 2020: Brian Walker of The Wurzels (94)

24 May 2020: Al Rex of Bill Haley and his Comets (91)
12 Jun 2020: Ricky Valance (84)
18 Jun 2020: Vera Lynn (103)
25 Jul 2020: Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac (73)

[msc 18,437]

Great work. I keep forgetting Laurie Johnson (composer of many memorable TV theme tunes such as The Avengers and The Professionals) is still with us.

[Toast 16,131]

Awesome work and great reference aid.  Well done.

[Death Impends 7,957]

Excellent excellent work. Besides the "who's alive and who's dead" aspect it's also a very useful geographical reference. I like knowing who was from my home state of NJ, that NY-NJ-PA epicenter was a real force with 60s US hits.

[Paul Bearer 6,101]

Aye, what they /\/\//\ all said. Well done. 

[TQR 14,385]

Fucking hell, this is dedication. Nice work @Ulitzer95 

[Ulitzer95 12,581]

Big thanks to those who helped provide info @Clorox Bleachman, @Cerberus, @Cat O'Falk, @Spade_Cooley, @Toast and a special thanks to @YoungWillz who seems to have a gift for researching!