Frankie Vaughan

Frankie Vaughan (3 February, 1928-17 May, 1999) was a singer of traditional pop music in the United Kingdom.

Related Topics:
3 February - 1928 - 17 May - 1999 - Singer - Traditional pop music - United Kingdom

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was born Frank Abelson in Liverpool, England. The name Vaughan came from a grandmother whose first grandson he was, who used to call Frank "my number one" grandson, in whose Russian-Jewish accent "one" sounded like "Vaughan."

Related Topics:
Liverpool - England

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In his early life, he was a member of the Lancaster Lads Club, a member group of the National Association of Boys' Clubs in the UK, and in his career he was a major contributor to the clubs, dedicating his monetary compensation from one song each year to them. He started out at the club intending to be a boxer. Then at age 14 he received a scholarship to the Lancaster College of Art, where he sang in the dance band. After a stint in the Royal Army Medical Corps in World War II (where he spent most of his time boxing) he returned to art school, this time at the Leeds College of Art.

Related Topics:
Boxer - Lancaster College of Art - Royal Army Medical Corps - World War II - Leeds

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When he won a prize to design a furniture exhibition stand, he left for London, where he won second prize on a radio talent show.

Related Topics:
London - Radio

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Frankie's career began in the late 1940s in the theatre doing variety song and dance acts. He was known as a fancy dresser, wearing top hat, bow tie, tails, and cane. In the 1950s he began making records, and was very popular in the UK. In 1955, he recorded what was to become his trademark song, "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl."

Related Topics:
1940s - Variety - 1950s - Record - 1955

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He recorded a large number of songs that were covers of United States hit songs, including Perry Como's "Kewpie Doll," Jimmie Rodgers' "Kisses Sweeter than Wine,"Boyd Bennett's "Seventeen" (also covered in the US by the Fontane Sisters), Jim Lowe's "The Green Door," and (with the Kaye Sisters) the Fleetwoods' "Come Softly to Me." From the 1950s through the 1960s, his recordings were popular chart toppers in the UK.

Related Topics:
Cover - United States - Perry Como - Kewpie Doll - Jimmie Rodgers' - Kisses Sweeter than Wine - Boyd Bennett - Seventeen - Fontane Sisters - Jim Lowe - The Green Door - Kaye Sisters - Fleetwoods - Come Softly to Me

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He came to the United States in 1960 to make a movie with Marilyn Monroe, "Let's Make Love," and was an actor in several other movies, but his recordings were never chart hits in the US (though one, "Judy," did make the charts briefly and at a very low spot; even that one never got much air play in the US).

Related Topics:
United States - 1960 - Marilyn Monroe - Let's Make Love - Judy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He continued performing until 1985, when he starred in a stage version of "42nd Street" at Drury Lane in London. After a year, he suffered a near fatal bout of peritonitis and had to leave the cast. He was married to Stella from (1950-1999) and they had three children. He died from heart failure in 1999, aged 71.

Related Topics:
1985 - 42nd Street - Drury Lane - Stella - (1950-1999) - Heart failure - 1999 - 71

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~