Tommy Steele

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Tommy Steele

Tommy Steele OBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
(born 17 December 1936 in London, England) is an English

England

Teen idol

?Teen idols refers to someone idolized by teens; a teen idol is often young but in many cases no longer teenaged. Often, a teen idol is an actor or a pop singer, but some sports figures have had an appeal to teenagers....
and rock 'n' roll star. Born Thomas Willam Hicks in Mason Street, Bermondsey

Bermondsey

Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth, London....
, London

London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, England

England

Cockney

The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End of London....
image and boy-next-door looks won him success as a musician

Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
, singer and actor.

re landing a singing career, Steele tried his hand at a number of odd jobs and had a brief spell as a merchant seaman

Merchant seaman

A merchant seaman describes someone employed in Merchant shipping. According to local terminology, they may be defined as being employed in:* the Merchant Marine, especially in the United States...
.

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Encyclopedia

Tommy Steele OBE

Order of the British Empire

England

Teen idol

Bermondsey

London

England

Cockney

Musician

Singer

Before landing a singing career, Steele tried his hand at a number of odd jobs and had a brief spell as a merchant seaman

Merchant seaman

National service

National service is a common name for mandatory or voluntary government service programs . National service was common in the 20th century, and many young people spent one or more years in such programs....
, having failed the medical examination because, at 18 years old, he was diagnosed as suffering with cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy, which literally means "heart muscle disease," is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both....
(According to his autobiography "Bermondsey Boy" he failed the medical because he had Flat Feet!) While on leave or during dock

Dock (maritime)

A dock is a man-made feature involved in the handling of boats or ships. However the exact meaning varies between different variants of the English language....
strike

Strike action

Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform labour . A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances....
s, he played guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
and banjo

Banjo

The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by Slavery in the United States Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments....
and sang in The 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho

Soho

Soho is an area in the centre of the West End of London of London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is an entertainment district which for much of the later part of the 20th century had a reputation for its sex shops as well as its night life and film industry....
, both as a solo performer and with Wally Whyton

Wally Whyton

Wally Whyton , was a United Kingdom musician, songwriter and radio and TV personality.He grew up listening to jazz, blues and folk music, and learned to play first the piano, then trombone, and finally guitar....
's Vipers Skiffle Group. When a ship Steele was serving on docked in the U.S.A., he heard the music of Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin Holley, known professionally as Buddy Holly was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll. Although his success lasted only a year and a half before his The Day the Music Died, Holly is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll." His works and...
and fell in love with rock 'n' roll, turning his back on the British skiffle craze. He was discovered by free lance photographer John Kennedy, who believed Steele could be Britain's answer to Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was an United Statesn singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis", and is also sometimes referred to as "List of honorific titles in popular music" or "The King"....
. Later co-manager Larry Parnes is incorrectly credited with creating the stage name 'Tommy Steele.' It was Steele who adapted the surname of his Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a historical and geographical subregion in northern Europe that includes the Scandinavian Peninsula. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark; some authorities also include Finland and some might even include Iceland....
n paternal grandfather, Thomas Stil-Hicks (pronounced Steel-Hicks), adding another E to the spelling.

Steele shot quickly to fame in the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
as the frontman for a rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
band, The Steelmen, after their first single, "Rock With The Caveman," reached number 13 in the UK singles charts in 1956. Steele and other British singers would pick known hits from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, record their cover versions of these songs and release them in the UK before the American versions could enter the charts. Most of Steele's 1950s recordings were covers of American hits, such as "Singing the Blues

Singing the Blues

"Singing the Blues" is a popular music song. It was written by Melvin Endsley and was published in 1956 in music.The best-known recording of the song, released in October 1956 by Guy Mitchell, spent 9 weeks at #1 on the Billboard magazine chart from December 8, 1956 in music - February 2, 1957 in music, despite competition from rival versio...
" and "Knee Deep in the Blues". Although Steele never proved a serious threat to Presley's popularity in the UK, he did admirably well on the 1950s British pop charts and "Singing the Blues" got to Number 1. (Guy Mitchell

Guy Mitchell

Guy Mitchell was a List of Croatian Americans popular music singer, was successful in his homeland as well in the United Kingdom and Australia....
was number 1 with "Singing the Blues" on 4 January 1957 and Tommy Steele on 11 January 1957.)

Secret meeting with Elvis Presley in England

For many years it was thought that Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

England

Tarmac

Tarmac is a type of pavement , pioneered by John Loudon McAdam in around 1820. Strictly speaking, Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901....
at Prestwick Airport airport in Scotland

Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
where his military plane, en route to the United States after completing his military service in West Germany

West Germany

West Germany was the common English name for the Germany , from its formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when East Germany was dissolved and its States of Germany became part of the Federal Republic, ending the more than 40-year division of Germany....
, stopped to re-fuel. However, on 21 April 2008, in a (BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio radio station and the List of most-listened-to radio programs in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult contemporary music or Album-orientated rock, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres....
) interview with theatre impresario Bill Kenwright

Bill Kenwright

Bill Kenwright Order of the British Empire is an actor, theatrical producer. He is also the Chairman of Everton F.C.....
, it emerged that Presley, then 23, had in fact visited England for a day, after striking a phone conversation with Steele in London in 1958. According to Kenwright: "Elvis flew in for a day and Tommy showed him round London. He showed him the Houses of Parliament and spent the day with him". Kenwright admitted on 22 April 2008 that he was not sure whether he should have told the story. Tommy Steele said: “It was two young men sharing the same love of their music. I swore never to divulge publicly what took place and I regret that it has found some way of getting into the light. I only hope he can forgive me."

Officials at Prestwick Airport immediately issued a statement requesting proof, photographic, or otherwise, of the said meeting. Until such proof is provided, they shall continue to regard Prestwick Airport as the only place in Britain where Elvis Presley ever set foot, the marker, photographs, and special lounge at the said airport being a vivid reminder to the credibility to that claim.

Lamar Fike, a former member of the Memphis Mafia

Memphis Mafia

The Memphis Mafia was the nickname for a group of friends, associates, employees and "yes-men" whose main function was to be around Elvis Presley from 1954 until he died....
, who lived with Presley at the time, has posted a claim on www.elvisinfonet.com that it was him, not Presley who visited London and Tommy Steele for a day in 1958.

Actor

The increase in home-grown musical talent during the 1960s allowed Steele to progress to a career in stage and film musicals, leaving behind his pop idol identity. In the West End

West End theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world....
he appeared in the title role of Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen , also known as simply H. C. Andersen ); was a Denmark author and poet, most famous for his fairy tales. Among his best-known stories are "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "The Snow Queen", "The Little Mermaid", "Thumbelina", "The Little Match Girl", "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Red Shoes "....
. On film, he recreated his London and Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City....
stage role in Half A Sixpence
Half a Sixpence

Half a Sixpence is a musical comedy written as a Star vehicle for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pop star Tommy Steele....
, and played character roles in The Happiest Millionaire
The Happiest Millionaire

The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film, based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. The film received an Academy Awards nomination for Costume Design by Bill Thomas....
and Finian's Rainbow
Finian's Rainbow (film)

Finian's Rainbow is a 1968 in film United States film musical theatre directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy is based on their Finian's Rainbow....
, although many critics found his personality to be somewhat overwhelming on screen. In this latter film, probably his best known appearance in the movies, he co-starred with Petula Clark

Petula Clark

Petula Clark, Order of the British Empire , is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II....
and Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire was an United States Academy Award-winning film and Broadway theatre dance, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of seventy-six years, during which he made thirty-one musical films....
.

In 1983, Steele directed and starred in the West End

West End theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world....
stage production of Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain (musical)

Singin' in the Rain is a musical theatre with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown....
at the famed London Palladium

London Palladium

The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster....
. In 1991 he toured with Some Like It Hot

Sugar (musical)

Sugar is a 1972 Broadway theater Musical theatre based on the screenplay for the film Some Like it Hot, which was written by Billy Wilder and I.A.L....
the stage version of the Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon

'John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III' was an United States actor known principally for his comedic roles. He starred in over 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Days of Wine and Roses , Irma La Douce, The Odd Couple , The Out-of-Towners , Glengarry Glen Ross , The China Syndrome and JFK ....
and Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model, and a sex symbol.After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946....
film. In 2003, after a decade-long hiatus, save his one man shows An Evening With Tommy Steele and What A Show!, he toured as Ebenezer Scrooge

Ebenezer Scrooge

Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. He is a cold-hearted, tight fisted, selfish man, who despises Christmas and all things which engender happiness....
in a production of Scrooge: The Musical, an adaptation of Scrooge
Scrooge (1970 film)

Scrooge is a 1970 in film musical film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic 1843 story, A Christmas Carol. It was filmed in London, directed by Ronald Neame, and starred Albert Finney in the title role....
. Following this return, he reprised his role at the Palace Theatre

Palace Theatre

Palace Theatre may refer to:...
, Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853....
over Christmas 2004, and brought the production to the London Palladium for Christmas 2005. In 2008 at the age of 71 Tommy toured in the lead role of the stage musical Dr Dolittle.

Author and other talents

In the early 1980s, Steele wrote and published a book titled The Final Run, a novel about World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
and the evacuation of Dunkirk.

He also wrote a children's novel, entitled Quincy, about a reject toy trying to save himself and his fellow rejects in the basement of a toy store from the furnace the day after Christmas

Christmas

Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
. This was turned into a film in 1979, in which Steele played Quincy and Mel Martin

Mel Martin

Mel Martin is an England actor. Her father was the Painting Frank Martin .She has appeared in many British television programmes and films including The Pallisers, Love for Lydia, Bergerac, Adam Dalgliesh, Inspector Morse, Lovejoy , Cadfael and Midsomer Murders ....
played Quincy's girlfriend doll, Rebecca.

He has developed a talent as a sculptor and two of his major works are on public display: Bermondsey Boy at the Rotherhithe

Rotherhithe

Rotherhithe is a district of central SE16 London in the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the London Docklands area....
Civic Centre, and Eleanor Rigby which he sculpted and gave to the city of Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool [] is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a History of borough status in England and Wales in 1207 and was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1880....
as a tribute to The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
. The statue stands in Stanley Street, Liverpool

Stanley Street, Liverpool

Stanley Street, in Liverpool City Centre, runs south between Dale Street and Whitechapel. As well as being home to numerous businesses ranging from Estate agents to Solicitors, some residents live in apartments in upper floors of some of the buildings....
, not far from The Cavern Club

The Cavern Club

The Cavern Club is a rock and roll club at 10 Mathew Street, Liverpool, England. Opened on Wednesday 16 January 1957, the club is where Brian Epstein was introduced to The Beatles on 9 November 1961....
.

A Daily Mail
Daily Mail

The Daily Mail is a United Kingdom newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1896 by Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun ....
article on 26 August 2006 previewing Steele's new autobiography

Autobiography

An autobiography is a biography written by its subject . The term was first used by the poet Robert Southey in 1809 in the English language Periodical publication Quarterly Review, but the form goes back to antiquity....
(see below) states that Steele has another sculpture featuring two rugby

Rugby football

Rugby football may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of football developed in different areas of England....
players on display at England's rugby stadium at Twickenham

Twickenham

Twickenham is a town in west London, England.It is the principal town, by population, within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames....
. It also states that Steele is an artist of some note and has exhibited at the Royal Academy

Royal Academy

The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London, England. As an academy, it functions to encourage British art, and has a membership of practising artists....
.

Steele's autobiography was published in September 2006 and is entitled Bermondsey Boy: Memories of a Forgotten World (London: Joseph) ISBN 0-7181-4972-6

Personal life

Steele married Ann Donoghue in 1960. They have one daughter, Emma.

Discography

Partial discography.

Singles

With the Steelmen

"Rock With the Caveman"/ "Rock Around the Town" - UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
no. 13 (Decca 1956)
"Doomsday Rock"/ "Elevator Rock" (Decca 1956)
"Singing the Blues
Singing the Blues

"Singing the Blues" is a popular music song. It was written by Melvin Endsley and was published in 1956 in music.The best-known recording of the song, released in October 1956 by Guy Mitchell, spent 9 weeks at #1 on the Billboard magazine chart from December 8, 1956 in music - February 2, 1957 in music, despite competition from rival versio...
"/ "Rebel Rock" - UK charts no. 1 (Decca 1956)
"Knee Deep in the Blues"/ "Teenage Party". - UK charts no. 15 (Decca 1957)
"Butterfingers"/ "Cannibal Pot" - UK charts no. 8 (Decca 1957)
"Shiralee"/ "Grandad’s Rock" - UK charts no. 11 (Decca 1957)
"Water, Water"/ "A Handful of Songs" - UK charts no. 5 (Decca 1957)
"Hey You!"/ "Plant a Kiss" - UK charts no. 28 (Decca 1957)
"Happy Guitar"/ "Princess" - UK charts no. 20 (Decca 1958)
"Nairobi"/ "Neon Sign" - UK charts no. 3 (Decca 1958)
"Only Man on the Island"/ "I Puts the Lightie On" - UK charts no. 16 (Decca 1958)

Solo

"It’s All Happening"/ "What Do You Do?" (Decca 1958 )
"Come On, Let’s Go"/ "Put a Ring on Her Finger". - UK charts no. 10 (Decca 1958)
"A Lovely Night"/ "Marriage Type Love" (Decca 1958)
"Hiawatha"/ "The Trial" (Decca 1959)
"Tallahassee Lassie"/ "Give, Give, Give" - UK charts no. 16 (Decca 1959)
"You Were Mine"/ "Young Ideas" (Decca 1959)
"Little White Bull"/ "Singing Time" - UK charts no. 6 (Decca 1959)
"What a Mouth"/ "Kookaburra" - UK charts no. 5 (Decca 1960)
"Happy Go Lucky Blues"/ "Girl with the Long Black Hair" (Decca 1960)
"Must Be Santa"/ "Boys and Girls" - UK charts no. 40 (Decca 1960)
"My Big Best Shoes/ The Dit Dit Song (Decca 1961)
"Writing on the Wall"/ "Drunken Guitar" - UK charts no. 30 (Decca 1961)
"Hit Record"/ "What a Little Darling" (Decca 1962)
"Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

"Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" is a folk music song of the 1960s written by Pete Seeger and Joe Hickerson....
"/ "Butter Wouldn’t Melt in Your Mouth" (Decca 1963)
"He’s Got Love"/ "Green Eye" (Decca 1963 )
"Flash Bang Wallop"/ "She’s Too Far Above Me" (Decca 1963)
"Egg and Chips"/ "The Dream Maker" (Columbia 1963)
"Half a Sixpence
Half a Sixpence

Half a Sixpence is a musical comedy written as a Star vehicle for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pop star Tommy Steele....
"/ "If the Rain’s Got to Fall" (RCA 1965)
"Fortuosity"/ "I’m a Brass Band" (Vista 1967)
"King’s New Clothes"/ "Wonderful Copenhagen" (Pye 1974)
"Half a Sixpence"/ "If the Rain’s Got to Fall" (Safari 1984)
"Singing the Blues"/ "Come On, Let’s Go" (Old Gold 1985)13

Filmography

The Tommy Steele Story (1957)
The Duke Wore Jeans (1957)
Tommy the Toreador (1959)
Light Up the Sky! (1960) known as Skywatch in the US
It's All Happening (1963) known as The Dream Maker in the US
Half a Sixpence
Half a Sixpence (film)

Half a Sixpence is a 1967 in film United Kingdom musical film directed by George Sidney. The screenplay by Beverley Cross is adapted from his Musical_theatre#Definitions for the Half a Sixpence, which was based on Kipps, a 1905 novel by H.G....
(1967)
The Happiest Millionaire
The Happiest Millionaire

The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film, based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. The film received an Academy Awards nomination for Costume Design by Bill Thomas....
(1967)
Finian's Rainbow
Finian's Rainbow (film)

Finian's Rainbow is a 1968 in film United States film musical theatre directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy is based on their Finian's Rainbow....
(1968)
Twelfth Night (1969) (made for TV)
Where's Jack?
Where's Jack?

Where's Jack? is a 1969 in film film based around the exploits of notorious 18th century criminal Jack Sheppard and London "thieftaker" Jonathan Wild....
(1969)
The Yeomen of the Guard (1978)
Quincy's Quest (1979)

Tommy Steele

Singer

Secret meeting with Elvis Presley in England

Actor

Author and other talents

Personal life

Discography

Singles

Filmography

See also

External links