Halfway to Paradise

Pete Nelson remembers singer-songwriter Billy Fury

- Pete Nelson

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.