Michael Cox (singer)
Encyclopedia
Michael James Cox is a British
-born former pop singer
and actor
. As Michael Cox, he had a top ten hit
on the UK singles chart
in 1960 with "Angela Jones", produced by Joe Meek
. He later worked as an actor, and in TV in New Zealand
, using both his full name and the name Michael James.
. After his four younger sisters wrote to ABC TV
demanding that he be given a chance to audition for the pop show Oh Boy!, he was quickly signed up by producer Jack Good
, and made his first appearance on the show in April 1959 singing Ricky Nelson
's "Never Be Anyone Else But You". Good won him a recording deal with Decca Records
, and his first single, "Teenage Love", was written by Marty Wilde
and featured Joe Brown
on guitar. However, neither it nor its follow-up "Too Hot To Handle" were hits.
Cox continued to appear on TV, in Good's new show Boy Meets Girls
, and Good recommended him to record producer
Joe Meek, who at the time was setting up his own label, Triumph. His first record for Triumph was "Angela Jones", a song written by John D. Loudermilk
which was a hit in the US for Johnny Ferguson. Cox's version of the song, produced by Meek, rose to #7 on the UK singles chart in June 1960, but its sales were reportedly hampered by the inability of Meek's small and newly formed record company to meet demand for it. The Triumph label collapsed, and Cox's follow-up, the similar-sounding "Along Came Caroline", also produced by Meek and co-written by Cox under the pseudonym
Michael Steele, was released by the HMV label; it reached #41 on the chart and was Cox's only other hit.
Cox successfully toured in Denmark
and Sweden
with a backing band, as well as in the UK, and continued to record under Meek's direction for several years. He released singles on the HMV, Pye
and Parlophone labels, many of which featured leading session musician
s such as guitarist Big Jim Sullivan
. However, his later recordings were not hits and he gave up his recording career to attend drama school
in the mid-1960s. In 1966, credited as Michael James Cox, he appeared in the movie Where the Bullets Fly
, and he also acted in TV plays and commercials. In 1976, he appeared in the filmed version of the musical written by Roger Glover
, The Butterfly Ball.
In the late 1970s, he began working on cruise ships, where he met his New Zealand-born wife. He started making appearances in the US, eventually emigrating there, before moving on to live in New Zealand. There, he continued to work on TV, credited as Michael James.
Compilations of Cox's recordings, many of which are still highly regarded as examples of early 1960s pop music, were issued on CD by Zircon Records in 1999, and Sequel Records in 2003.
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...
-born former pop singer
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. As Michael Cox, he had a top ten hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The 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 ...
in 1960 with "Angela Jones", produced by Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
. He later worked as an actor, and in TV in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, using both his full name and the name Michael James.
Life and career
He 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...
. After his four younger sisters wrote to ABC TV
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
demanding that he be given a chance to audition for the pop show Oh Boy!, he was quickly signed up by producer Jack Good
Jack Good (producer)
Jack Good is a pioneering former TV television producer, musical theatre producer, record producer, musician and painter of icons.-Career:...
, and made his first appearance on the show in April 1959 singing Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
's "Never Be Anyone Else But You". Good won him a recording deal with Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, and his first single, "Teenage Love", was written by Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, and is the father of pop singers Ricky Wilde, Kim Wilde and Roxanne Wilde.-Career:Wilde was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in...
and featured Joe Brown
Joe Brown
Joe Brown may refer to:*Joe Brown , British singer*Joe David Brown , American novelist*Joe E. Brown , American actor and comedian*Joe L. Brown , Major League Baseball front office executive...
on guitar. However, neither it nor its follow-up "Too Hot To Handle" were hits.
Cox continued to appear on TV, in Good's new show Boy Meets Girls
Boy Meets Girls
Boy Meets Girls was a UK popular music TV show which was launched in September 1959 replacing the earlier show Oh Boy!.The show was presented and produced by Jack Good. Marty Wilde was the principal resident male artist and The Vernons Girls were the female residents. Joe Brown made regular...
, and Good recommended him to record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Joe Meek, who at the time was setting up his own label, Triumph. His first record for Triumph was "Angela Jones", a song written by John D. Loudermilk
John D. Loudermilk
John D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin...
which was a hit in the US for Johnny Ferguson. Cox's version of the song, produced by Meek, rose to #7 on the UK singles chart in June 1960, but its sales were reportedly hampered by the inability of Meek's small and newly formed record company to meet demand for it. The Triumph label collapsed, and Cox's follow-up, the similar-sounding "Along Came Caroline", also produced by Meek and co-written by Cox under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Michael Steele, was released by the HMV label; it reached #41 on the chart and was Cox's only other hit.
Cox successfully toured in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with a backing band, as well as in the UK, and continued to record under Meek's direction for several years. He released singles on the HMV, Pye
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
and Parlophone labels, many of which featured leading session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s such as guitarist Big Jim Sullivan
Big Jim Sullivan
Big Jim Sullivan is an English musician, whose career started in 1959. He is best known as a session guitarist. In the 1960s and 1970s, Sullivan was one of the most "in-demand" studio musicians in the UK, and performed in more than one thousand charting singles over his career...
. However, his later recordings were not hits and he gave up his recording career to attend drama school
Drama school
A drama school or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or department at a college or university; or a free-standing institution ; which specialises in the pre-professional training in drama and theatre arts, such as acting, design and technical theatre, arts administration, and...
in the mid-1960s. In 1966, credited as Michael James Cox, he appeared in the movie Where the Bullets Fly
Where the Bullets Fly
Where the Bullets Fly is a 1966 British comedy spy film directed by John Gilling and starring Tom Adams as Charles Vine and John Arnatt repeating their roles from Licensed to Kill/The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World...
, and he also acted in TV plays and commercials. In 1976, he appeared in the filmed version of the musical written by Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
, The Butterfly Ball.
In the late 1970s, he began working on cruise ships, where he met his New Zealand-born wife. He started making appearances in the US, eventually emigrating there, before moving on to live in New Zealand. There, he continued to work on TV, credited as Michael James.
Compilations of Cox's recordings, many of which are still highly regarded as examples of early 1960s pop music, were issued on CD by Zircon Records in 1999, and Sequel Records in 2003.