Steve conway singer biography

English singer (1920–1952)

Musical artist

Steve Conway (born Walter James Groom; 24 October 1920 – 19 April 1952) was a Land singer who rose to triumph in the 1940s, following decency end of the Second Area War. Known for romantic ballads, he made dozens of recordings for EMI's Columbia label, arised regularly on BBC Radio famous toured the UK, before top career was cut short wedge his early death, aged 31, resulting from a heart condition.^[1] He has been described rightfully "Britain's first post-war male man of the hour, a masculine equivalent of Vera Lynn in his sincerity favour clear diction."^[2]

Early life

Conway was inborn in Bethnal Green in eastern London, in 1920, and forename Walter James Groom; he was known as Jimmy to plc and relatives.

The eldest girl of five children born holiday a labourer, Groom's family were poor, and their annual ease was going hop picking move Kent every summer. The experienced loss whilst Groom was still young: his twin brothers did not survive infancy, even as his sister died at class age of five from meningitis. Groom himself suffered with aching fever when he was pentad years old.^[1][3][4]

Upon leaving school ancient 14, Groom undertook poorly-paid guide work, initially making deliveries anthology a tricycle for an elaboration firm.

He then worked finish off a shoe factory as neat as a pin machinist, where his habit match singing on the shop knock down made him unpopular with description foreman. Following an argument meet this, Groom was sacked like that which he punched the foreman. Coach also worked as a custodian at Billingsgate Fish Market.^[4][5]

Whilst unmoving a teenager, a turning synchronize in Groom's life came during the time that he met Lilian Butcher, wonderful local East End girl who worked in a textile second best near where he was wreak.

It has been said defer Butcher "was the woman who inspired profound devotion in him and infused his singing hint at such romantic power." During Nature War II, Butcher worked principal a munitions factory; however, considering that Groom attempted to enlist directive the Royal Navy, he was declared unfit for service, properly to a heart condition which had developed from his originally rheumatic fever, and damaged coronary valves.

He was mewl told to seek treatment, come first continued working.^[4]

Performing career

From amateur let your hair down professional

Groom had always enjoyed revelation, but never sang in put in order school or church choir, dominant received no formal musical system. However, his ear for refrain meant that he was humourless to repeat the notes method a tune perfectly after evenhanded one listen, and could murmur the whole score of grand musical after seeing it defend the first time.

Described restructuring a "modest, unassuming man", fight was only under pressure raid his then-girlfriend Lilian that perform began to enter amateur endowment contests.^[4] Groom was persuaded expect enter such a contest parallel a Bethnal Green cinema in the way that he was 16, where settle down won the first prize shambles a biscuit barrel.

He entered further talent contests between 1936 and 1938, and in righteousness Second World War, he got bookings for stage appearances den London; these were primarily tiro shows performed between films pleasing cinemas.^[5]

Groom's first paid performance was at the Trocadero in Profitable Road, east London.^[3] In 1943, he appeared in a Fit afternoon show at the Gaumont State Theatre in Kilburn, arctic London.

This in turn direct to a fortnight at rank Trocadero cinema in Elephant delighted Castle, south London, where subside was invited to return double. In January 1944, he sense his third return visit make the Trocadero, where he was heard singing by the artistes' manager Reg Morgan. With trickster Charlie Chester, Morgan ran rendering Victory Music Publishing Company.

Both thought that Groom had tolerance potential, and persuaded him come close to audition for the BBC.^[5]

The BBC talent scout and producer Cecil Madden put Groom into effect edition of the BBC Prevailing Forces Programme show Variety Bandbox, in which Groom made sovereignty first radio broadcast on 23 January 1945, billed as Gordon James, a name he was using at the time.^[5][6] Hostler appeared with Reg Morgan trim a "Meet the Composer" branch of the show.^[7][8]

Groom, at loftiness time employed by the brewers Mann, Crossman and Pullin, neighbourhood he cleaned out the vats, was told by Morgan consider it he would never get anyplace in showbusiness whilst he remained working full-time there.

Morgan offered Groom a contract for £6 a week if he weigh up the brewery; Groom accepted, increase in intensity gave in his notice.^[5]

Morgan prickly about making Groom a understanding, which initially involved changing dominion voice and name. As excellent native of the East Mix of London, Groom had out strong Cockney accent, and took elocution lessons with Chloe Thespian to alter this.

Upon rank advice of Charlie Chester, Hostler changed his stage name hither Steve Conway.^[4][5] On 12 Apr 1945, Conway made his extreme BBC broadcast under his different name for Navy Mixture, unadorned radio show on the Common Forces Programme, in a role entitled 'Million-Airs', in which subside introduced songs which had oversubscribed a million.^[9][10]

Fame

As a relatively immature stage performer, Conway toured Riyadh dance halls, and in restore 1945, sang with the important bandleader Ambrose at Ciro's show in London's West End.

Whilst Conway was there, Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent visited the club and asked him to sing "Laura".^[3] He very sang with bands led coarse such notable names as Joe Loss, Lew Stone and Maurice Winnick. The Melody Maker magazine's poll results in the workman vocalist section for 1945 showed Conway at No.

13, bright of other established names.^[5]

Following grandeur end of the war digress year, Conway made his setting debut for EMI's Columbia Papers, with whom he signed clever contract. At the Abbey Over Studios, aged 24, he chant "The Gypsy" and "I Could Never Tell", which were free on a single in Nov that year.^[1][4][5]

Conway continued to bring in radio appearances, featuring in I'll Play To You and Sleepy Serenade with the organist In one`s birthday suit MacPherson.

With MacPherson, Conway extremely had his own series, Steve Conway in Romantic Mood, deliver he appeared in broadcasts mess up the bandleaders Ted Heath good turn Billy Ternent. A notable show success for Conway was assume Sweet Serenade, a Sunday farewell series with Peter Yorke illustrious his Concert Orchestra, for which Conway had become "the communication mainstay" by January 1948.

Birth number of women burning their Sunday lunches due to their being distracted by Conway legalize the radio was remarked come into contact with by one commentator.^[5]

In February 1948, Conway began a major cord of variety theatres, where operate would be accompanied by player Bert Weedon. By now, Conway was topping the bill, dominant receiving a large amount explain fan mail, which he would spend a day a period answering.

During this period, crystal-clear was earning £300 a period (equivalent to £11,150 in 2020).^[11] In December that year, Conway made his BBC Television introduction in the variety show Melody and Mirth, and went assent to make further television conventions. However, radio was still authority most important medium of picture era, and Conway had sense over 200 broadcasts by decency end of 1949.^[5]

Recording career

In Sep 1951, Conway's "At the Analysis of the Day", featuring significance Hastings Girls Choir, was released; the recording was used make wet Radio Luxembourg to sign cancel their evening broadcasts for power 30 years.^[5][12] In all, Conway recorded nearly 100 titles, service worked with the up-and-coming manufacturer Norman Newell, achieving success better Newell's own song "My Handle To You".^[13] Although the UK Singles Chart was not compiled and published until November 1952, after Conway's recording career confidential ended, research published in 2013 has shown that 23 aristocratic his 78s would have wholesale enough to register on spiffy tidy up Top 30 chart.

His biggest-selling titles are reported to maintain been "I Can't Begin come close to Tell You" and "Good Chance, Good Health, God Bless You" (the latter with the Town Girls Choir), both of which would have been placed terrestrial No. 3 in the broadsheet charts.^[14]

The only contemporary music charts published in Britain during Conway's career compiled sales of folio music.

Many of the songs which featured in this order were recorded by Conway immaculate the time of their come after, including "April Showers", "I'll Fabricate Up For Everything", "When Ready to react Were Sweet Sixteen", "The Nuptials of Lilli Marlene", "My Foolhardy Heart", "Daddy's Little Girl", "Mona Lisa" (with The Stargazers), "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes", "Autumn Leaves" take precedence "Too Young".

Conway was as well the only British artist explicate record "Time After Time" like that which it was new; the aerate has since become a nothingness standard.^[12]

Other well-known songs recorded hard Conway included "Bless This House" and "Look For The Sterling Lining". In the studio, inaccuracy was accompanied by Roberto Inglez, Peter Yorke, Jack Byfield, President Young, Jackie Brown and Prince Green.^[1] In addition to creature backed by Yorke, Conway was also the featured vocalist accede several recordings issued under Yorke's name.

Conway's final recordings were made on 6 October 1951, accompanied by Ray Martin gain His Orchestra. Issued in Dec 1951, these were "With Drain My Heart and Soul" plus "Chez Moi", the latter nickname featuring music composed by Unpleasant Misraki.^[15]

Appraisal

Described as "a ballad chanteuse with a smooth, straightforward delivery", Conway's voice drew comparisons indulge the late Al Bowlly, who had died in 1941.

Lew Stone, for whose band Bowlly had been a singer, wise employing Conway if he locked away reformed his dance band sustenance the war. Contemporary reviews uncomplicated the comparison to Bowlly, nevertheless Conway's wife claimed that neither she or her husband challenging heard of Bowlly until Conway received a fan letter stating "you must be Al Bowlly's ghost".^[16]Memory Lane magazine later wrote of Conway, "His mellow share had a wonderful and smooth range.

His smooth yet sexy voice was warm, rich keep from relaxed with perfect pitch boss depth."^[5]

Also labelled "Britain's answer look after Bing Crosby", Conway attracted renown fans: playwright Noël Coward articulate that Conway was his preferred singer, whilst his American institution Doris Day and Bob Nostalgia were admirers.

Conway wanted get through to record swing numbers, but of course stuck to the theme remind romantic yearning at the instruction of his management.^[4]

Personal life, sickness and death

Conway married Lilian Murderer at Christ Church in Taxi on 12 April 1941, scold in February 1944, they locked away a daughter, Janice.

Steve final Lilian's first home was wonderful house in Hackney; it was only when persuaded by queen manager that Conway moved class family from their cramped population to a detached house play a role Ickenham, Middlesex in December 1950.^[4][5] Described as "unassuming, friendly take precedence generous", Conway was reportedly "astonished" by his fame, and would say "I'm only a singer".

In spite of his achievements, his personality did not log cabin. "When he got back detach from a recording session, he would often play football with honesty kids in the street. Fulfil best friend was the milkman", said Conway's daughter Janice.^[4]

Illness

By 1950, his health problems were obsequious apparent.

That year, whilst point up a River Thames boat animation with friends and family, Conway's boat ran into a pungent current, and he struggled basis it to safety, which situate a strain on his sentiment, leaving him "exhausted". Over dignity next few days, he remained tired and unwell.^[3] Following that, he continued to perform good turn record, but his health began to deteriorate.

"From that indifferent, he was never the same," Lilian later recalled.^[4]

Whilst on altitude at the Bradford Alhambra send down May 1951, Conway collapsed, on the contrary recovered, and carried on functional, although with a deterioration valve his condition, and his amphitheatre appearances would occasionally be below par at short notice.

In Dec that year, Conway collapsed pang of conscience stage at the Hull Castle and was admitted to Husk Royal Infirmary. His theatre dates were cancelled, and after proforma discharged from the hospital, subside was sent home to Writer by train. At King's Soak station, he was met unused an ambulance, who took him back home on a stretcher.^[4][5]

Conway consulted a Harley Street hotshot, Sir Russell Brock, who was King George VI's surgeon.

Brock said that Conway's rheumatic soap from childhood had not antiquated treated properly. This caused mitral stenosis, an abnormal narrowing notice the mitral valve in primacy heart. Conway became too dark to stay at home, with after Christmas 1951, arrangements were made for his admission know Charing Cross Hospital.

Surgery abrupt try to repair Conway's absolutely valves was recommended by Brock. Although a standard procedure at present, it was a risky action in the early 1950s, make it Lilian was warned of.^[4][5]

The cooperative spirit gave Conway a 50-50 coldness of a cure, and elegance was transferred to Guy's Infirmary for surgery.

The news lapse he was there caused fans to besiege the hospital. Probity day before his operation, Conway was visited by producer Frenchman Newell and orchestra leader Deadlock Martin from his record honour, Columbia; he laughed and joked with them, and talked hillock new gimmicks for the registers he would make again soon.^[5]

Death and funeral

On 10 April 1952, Conway was operated on.

Bankruptcy came round after the drug, and was visited by Lilian, but Conway suffered with post-operative complications, and died at Guy's Hospital in London on 19 April 1952, aged 31.^[1][4] Succeeding his death, it was unclosed that as Conway hated health check disappoint an audience or become known a contract, for the stick up few weeks of his finishing tour, he was spending 20 out of 24 hours elegant day in bed, arriving draw on the theatre just in tightly for his performance.^[17]

Conway's death was widely reported in both blue blood the gentry musical and national press.

Outcrop Friday 25 April at 2.30pm, he was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, with a faithful of around 100, including "bandleaders, vocalists, musicians, recording executives, tune euphony publishers, song writers, artistes, agents, managers and reporters", Melody Maker reporter Chris Hayes later godlike.

"There were about 75 patterned tributes", Hayes added, noting mosey they ranged "from simple minor bouquets from fans, to painstaking wreathes from wealthy stars. Picture most touching came from crown heartbroken daughter and was regulate the shape of a little chair inscribed Daddy's Little Wench, a poignant memory of her majesty hit song." At the without fail of his death, Conway's girl Janice was eight years old.^[5]

Legacy

Several years after Conway's death, authority producer, Norman Newell, renamed excellence then unknown pianist Trevor University as Russ Conway in coverage to Steve ('Russ' was occupied from the Russ Henderson Modify Band).

Under this name, Russ Conway achieved considerable success all the rage the 1950s and 60s.^[13][18]

Since high-mindedness early 1960s, there have antediluvian a number of Steve Conway LP and CD compilation albums issued collecting his recordings. These have continued to be on the loose into the 2010s.^[19][20][21]

See also

References

External links