Billy Fury had a string of successful recordings in the late 1950s and early 60s which have rightly assured him of a place in pop music history. However, his early aspirations in the music business were as a songwriter rather than as a performer. Billy’s natural shyness went against any idea of him being a singer, and it was his hope of selling a couple of songs to 50s pop star Marty Wilde that started him on his rise to fame.
Billy Fury was born Ronald Wycherley during World War Two in an area of blitz-torn Liverpool known as the Dingle. He made his appearance on 17 April 1940, ahead of some of the heaviest and persistent bombing of the conflict, when the Luftwaffe tried to flatten Liverpool docks. It was a tough upbringing. Ronald, and younger brother Albert, were plagued by illness during their early childhood and had spells in hospital with rheumatic fever which would influence their lives, especially Ron whose heart was damaged.
Because of his recurring illness, young Ronald missed much of his schooling and left school with just basic skills. He got a job on a River Mersey tugboat while nurturing his ambition to be a songwriter, influenced by the country music, jazz, and rhythm and blues he heard on records brought in by sailors returning from the US. He sent a photograph and a tape of some of his compositions to London pop music promoter Larry Parnes. The photograph was his mother’s idea, the songs were his.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2023-Ausgabe von Best of British.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2023-Ausgabe von Best of British.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
THE FEW ON SCREEN
Steven Taylor looks at the Battle of Britain across film and TV
Table Service
Rachel Toy looks at the history of Ridgway Homemaker tableware
Hever Forever
Claire Saul studies the newly refurbished Boleyn Apartment at Hever Castle & Gardens - a castle fit for a queen
Shining a Light
Tony O’Neil tunes into the history of the last manned lightvessel
The Man With the Goldeneye
Film stills photographer Keith Hamshere describes how he came to enter the world of James Bond
THE ORIGINAL GOLDEN BALLS
lan Wheeler looks back on 70 years of Tiger comic and Roy of the Rovers, and chats to the man who edited and oversaw both titles
To Play the Queen
Chris Hallam looks back on the life of one of the UK’s best known lookalikes
POOLING RESOURCES
Martin Handley looks at what life was like after the Vernons Girls
POSTCARD FROM= SUSSEX
Bob Barton indulges in pleasure piers and fairground delights, as well as fulfilling a long-held ambition to visit the home of Rudyard Kipling
Oh, Miss Jones
Chris Hallam looks back at the origins and legacy of Rising Damp, ITV's most successful sitcom