What's In A Name: UK Singers of the '50s Quiz

Answer: Vera Welch

Vera Lynn was born Vera Margaret Welch in East Ham, Essex, England, on the 20 March 1917.

She made her first record on 17 February 1935 with The Howard Baker Band, it was called "It's Home". She was the "Forces' Sweetheart" during WWII but was still having a number of UK chart hits during the '50s. She had a number one hit with "Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart" for nine weeks on the Billboard pop chart in 1952 which peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart the same year. She had one UK number one hit in 1954 with "My Son, My Son" which was number one for two weeks.

She had her own TV shows in the '70s and '80s and performed on other TV shows which included the "Royal Variety Performance" on seven occasions between 1951 and 1990. She became a Dame in the New Year's Honours list in 1975. In September 2009 at the age of 92, she became the oldest living artist to reach number one on the UK album chart.

Vera Lynn died on the 18 June 2020 in Ditchling, East Sussex, England, aged 103.

Answer: Dickie Valentine

Dickie Valentine was born Richard Maxwell then his mother married a Mr. Bryce and he became Richard Bryce. He was born in Marylebone, London, England, on the 4 November 1929.

He was a call boy at Her Majesty's Theatre in London and later began singing in various clubs. In his late teens, he was performing at the Panama Club one night when a music publisher, Sid Green, saw him and brought him to the attention of the leader of the most popular big band in the UK, Ted Heath and his Music. On the 14 February 1949, he was signed by Ted Heath and joined his band to sing alongside resident singers, Lita Roza and Dennis Lotis.

In the '50s after going solo Dickie Valentine became the UK's pre-Rock'n'Roll heart-throb with eight Top Ten hits on the UK Singles Chart. These included the two number one hits "Finger of Suspicion" (number one for three weeks in 1955) and "Christmas Alphabet" (number one for three weeks in 1955/56).

Dickie Valentine died of injuries received in a car crash in Glangrwyney, near Crickhowell, Wales, on the 6 May 1971, aged of 41.

Answer: Joan Regan

Joan Regan was born Siobhan Bethel in Romford, Essex, England, on the 18 January 1928.

She is not as well remembered as some UK singers from the '50s but between 1953 and 1961 she had five Top Ten hits on the UK Singles Chart. "If I Give My Heart To You" which peaked at number three in 1954 was her biggest hit.

Her singing career began in 1953. She had made a demo record of "Too Young" and "I'll Walk Alone"; this came to the attention of theatrical impresario Bernard Delfont. She then signed a recording contract with Decca Records and by November that year was resident singer on the BBC series "Quite Contrary".

She appeared at the London Palladium, including the Royal Command Performance in 1955, and in 1959 she had her own BBC TV show "Be My Guest", which ran for four series.

Joan Regan died in London, England, on the 12 September 2013 aged 85.

Answer: Ronnie Hilton

Ronnie Hilton was born Adrian Hill in East Riding, Yorkshire, England, on the 26 January 1926.

After leaving school at 14 he worked in an aircraft factory at the beginning of WWII, he then joined the army in the Highland Light Infantry. After WWII in 1947 he worked in a sewing machine factory in Leeds.

He sang in local dance bands in his spare time until a record producer named Wally Ridley heard him sing and arranged a recording session for him. Ridley did not like the name Adrian Hill so changed it to Ronnie Hilton for his first record release "I Wish and Wish" in June 1954, but it did not chart.

Between 1954 and 1965 Ronnie Hilton had five Top Ten hits on the UK Singles Chart, which included the number one hit "No Other Love" (number one for six weeks in 1956).

Ronnie Hilton died after being ill and suffering several strokes in Hailsham, East Sussex, England, on the 21 February 2001 aged 75.

Answer: Cleo Laine

Cleo Laine was born Clementine Dinah Campbell in Southall, London, Middlesex, England, on the 28 October 1927.

After leaving school she had a number of various jobs, she worked as an apprentice hairdresser, a hat-trimmer, a librarian, and in a pawnbroker's shop. At the age of 24, she successfully auditioned for the Johnny Dankworth Seven. She later played with Johnny Dankworth & His Orchestra as well as Johnny Dankworth & His New Radio Orchestra, then she married Johnny Dankworth in 1958.

Although Cleo Laine has received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular and classical music categories she only had one Top Ten entry on the UK Singles Chart when "You'll Answer To Me" peaked at number five in 1961. Her husband, later Sir Johnny Dankworth, had two Top Ten entries on the UK Singles Chart with "Experiments With Mice" (number seven in 1956) and "African Waltz" (number nine in 1961).

Answer: Tommy Steele

Tommy Steele was born Thomas Hicks in Bermondsey, London, England, on the 17 December 1936.

Tommy Steele and The Steele Men burst onto the UK Rock'n'Roll scene in 1956 with "Rock With The Caveman"; it was written by Tommy Steele/Mike Pratt/Lionel Bart and peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in 1956. With songwriters like Mike Pratt, who went on to star as Jeff Randall in the UK TV show "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)", and Lional Bart, who wrote the music and lyrics for the the musicals "Oliver", "Blitz!" and "Maggie May", you would think it would be a Rock'n'Roll standard. It is awful but the newspapers had headlines like "Tommy Steele, Britain's answer to Elvis Presley".

Steele then released his only number one single "Singing The Blues" and there wasn't much Rock'n'Roll after that. He later entered the wider field of entertainment and was in many very successful stage shows and movies.

Tommy Steele has made the claim that Elvis Presley visited London in 1958 and Tommy showed him around London by car.

Answer: Jim Dale

Jim Dale was born James Smith in Rothwell, Northamptonshire, England, in 1935. He trained as a dancer before his debut as a stage comic in 1951.

In 1957 George Martin signed Jim Dale to the record label that The Beatles made so famous later, Parlophone. He hoped the singer may prove to be Parlophone's answer to British rock and roll star Tommy Steele who was signed to the Decca Records label.

Jim Dale started off well when "Be My Girl", written by Artie Singer, peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart in 1957. After three minor hits in 1958 he gave up his pop music career to get back to comedy. He did however keep his hand in and wrote the lyrics for the song "Georgy Girl", with Tom Springfield who composed the music. It was a number three hit on the UK Singles Chart for The Seekers in 1967 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

He later appeared in many British "Carry On" films and in Disney films. Sir Laurence Olivier invited Dale to join the National Theatre Company in London in 1970. He also appeared on Broadway, being nominated for five Tony Awards; in 1980 he won one for Best Actor in a Musical - "Barnum".

Answer: Reginald Leonard Smith

Marty Wilde was born Reginald Leonard Smith in Blackheath, South London, England, on the 13 April 1939.

He had five Top Ten hits in the '50s, all covers of American hits (as was the practice in those days) except one, "Bad Boy", which he wrote himself. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart in 1959. It was the first of only two of his records to reach the Billboard Hot 100, "Bad Boy" peaked at number 45 in 1960 and "Abergavenny" peaked at number 47 in 1969.

In the '60s he had one Top Ten hit when his cover of Bobby Vee's "Rubber Ball" peaked at number nine in 1961. He had some minor hits after that but his UK chart career ended in 1962. He went on to have success as a song writer, co-writing hits such as "Jesamine" by The Casuals, "I'm a Tiger" by Lulu and "Ice in the Sun" by Status Quo, with Ronnie Scott.

Answer: Harry Rodger Webb

Cliff Richard was born Harry Rodger Webb in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, on the 14 October 1940.

Cliff Richard's first hit on the UK Singles Chart was "Move It" written by Ian Samwell, it peaked at number two in 1958. He had eight chart hits in the '50s which included the two number one hits "Living Doll" written by Lionel Bart (number one for six weeks) and "Travellin' Light" written by Sid Tepper/Roy C. Bennett (number one for five weeks). His '50s hits were all with his backing group The Shadows (known as The Drifters on the first five hits).

Cliff Richard and The Shadows were the top British act until The Beatles made the Top Ten in 1963. By the end of the 20th century Cliff Richard had 64 Top Ten hits on the UK Singles chart and 34 Top Ten albums on the UK album chart. He had number one hits in five different decades - the '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s - and at one time was the youngest singer and the oldest singer to have a number one hit single.

His backing group The Shadows (previously The Drifters) had hits until 1981 which included five number one instrumental hits.

Answer: Ronald Wycherley

Billy Fury was born Ronald Wycherley on the 17 April 1940 in Liverpool, England. He first came to prominence when he made his way to the Essoldo cinema/theatre (The Ritz), in Birkenhead, Wirral, in 1958.

He wanted to show some of his songs to the star of the show, Marty Wilde. He somehow got back stage and saw the pop manager and impresario Larry Parnes who had staged the show there. Parnes put him on stage the same night. Billy Fury signed up to the Decca record company and had 11 Top Ten hits on the UK Singles chart between 1960 and 1965. His highest chart position was when "Jealousy" peaked at number two in 1961.

Liverpool is not the only connection between Billy Fury and The Beatles. In 1960 The Fab Four went for an audition in Liverpool to be Fury's backing group, but failed to get the gig. However, John Lennon did not come away empty handed, he had asked for and got Billy Fury's autograph. I wonder how Lennon felt at that audition as he and Billy Fury were both born in 1940 but Fury had already had a Top ten hit two months earlier in March 1960 with "Colette" which peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart.

Billy Fury died of a heart attack on the 28 January 1983, in St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, England, aged 42.

Frank Abelson is Frankie Vaughan, he had two number one hits on the UK Singles Chart with "The Garden Of Eden" (number one for four weeks in 1957) and "Tower Of Strength" (number one for three weeks in 1961).

Norman Milne is Michael Holliday, he had two number one hits on the UK Singles Chart with, "The Story Of My Life" (number one for two weeks in 1958) and "Starry Eyed" (number one for one week in 1960). He was the first singer from Liverpool to have two number one hits on the UK Singles Chart.

William Ashton is Billy J. Kramer. As Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas he had five Top Ten hits on the UK Singles Chart between 1963 and 1965. Two of them hit the top, "Bad To Me" (number one for three weeks in 1963) and "Little Children" (number one for two weeks in 1964).