Mersey Beat - Lance Fortune

Christopher Morris was born on the 4th of January 1940 in Birkenhead and was a classically trained pianist who started out with a local group whilst at Birkenhead School called 'The Firecrests' after he received a guitar at Christmas 1956. He performed on vocals, guitar and piano together with Dave Williams on vocals and lead guitar, Brian Wrench on vocals and drums, Barry Ezzra on vocals and rhythm guitar and Gavin Melville on vocals and bass guitar.
He was in fact the first Merseyside pop star to appear at The Cavern where he was backed by 'The Jaywalkers', who were themselves to find fame with Dale Roberts as their lead singer.
In 1959 he went down to London and visited Tom Littlewood the manager of the 2i's Coffee bar who took him on as a singer for six weeks. Barry, the resident guitarist remembers: "Lance Fortune (then Chris Morris) and me (guitar) part of resident entertainment here in summer 1959 with Keith Kelly, Joe Moretti. Adam Faith lurking at the back of the place, Hank M, Wee Willie Harris. Not great on names, but so many faces… And Tom Littlewood giving us dried unsold sandwiches and an orange juice at the end of long, sweaty sessions…"

Having been accepted by Aberystwyth University for a geography degree Chris had a decision to make and he chose show business. He was then discovered here singing by the famous impresario Larry Parnes who renamed him, as he did all his artists, Lance Fortune but Lance opted for Tom Littlewood as his manager. Soon after, he secured a recording contract with PYE with his debut single 'Be Mine', the first produced by the legendary producer/engineer Joe Meek in what turned out to be his first all solo production. It was a hit in February 1960, achieving a Number 4 position in the UK charts, but this was Fortune's biggest hit as sadly his following singles failed to follow up on this initial success. He had another Top 50 entry with 'This Love I Have For You' in May 1960. Larry Parnes reacted to Chris ignoring his offer by naming ex Lancashire weaver Clive Powell 'Lance Fortune' as well sending him a letter saying he would take action unless he stopped using the name Lance Fortune. Tom Littlewood reacted and said, ''Parnes is bluffing. My solicitor is taking steps to see his boy stops using the name." Larry Parnes relented saying, "I've got a Fury and a Wilde, it's about time I had some Fame," and changed him to Georgie Fame. Although Powell was against changing his name he realised that if he wanted to get on in the music business, he had no choice. ( He was right and was successful ).
In April 1960, Lance Fortune and Jerry Keller replaced Eddie Cochran on Gene Vincent's then current UK tour, after Cochran's untimely death in a road accident. In June 1963 he appeared as a support act with 'The Beatles' in two concerts at The Odeon in Guildford,

Lance Fortune was to be just one of Larry Parnes' protégés. These were handsome young men, who Parnes believed would be attractive to a teeny bopper audience and he achieved various levels of success as a manager. He liked surnames that suggested excitement such as Billy Fury (originally Ron Wycherley), Vince Eager (Roy Taylor), Dickie Pride (Richard Knellar), Duffy Power (Ray Howard), Johnny Gentle (John Askew), Terry Dene (Terence Williams), Nelson Keene (Malcolm Holland), and Georgie Fame (Clive Powell). He also managed Tommy Bruce, and Joe Brown, but failed to persuade the latter to change his name to Elmer Twitch.
 

Dave Lee and the Staggerlees 1963 -
2nd left - Lance Fortune on bass guitar

Lance continued his solo career, being  backed on a tour of Mecca Ballrooms by 'The Fourtones' who split up in late July 1962 and after a short break Lance agreed in 1963 to join Sheffield based 'Dave Lee and the Staggerlees'.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2016/10/mersey-beat-alby-sorrells.html