Mersey Beat - Billy Fury

Ronald Wycherley

He was the most prodigious talent of his generation of British rock 'n' roll singers, a pioneer of a rock singer writing his own songs, he was a songwriter of considerable ability, and a decent actor as well. He is considered by many to be England's greatest rock 'n' roll star and, like Elvis Presley, capable of dark, brooding, intensely sexual performances such as 'Baby How I Cried' but also of turning in gentle, vulnerable ballads. The one thing he had over Elvis was that he wrote most of his own hit records.
He was the 'bridge' between that era and the Mersey Beat explosion.

John Lennon asks for Billy's autograph

 

Ronald William Wycherley was born on the 17th of April, 1940 in Smithdown Road Infirmary, Liverpool. In 1946 he suffered his first bout of rheumatic fever which weakened his heart valves and led to recurrent poor health. On one of several stays in hospitals he overheard a doctor tell his mother that he might not live to be 30. In later years, he told many of his friends that he expected to die young.
As a 14th birthday present he received his first guitar from his parents, bought from Frank Hessy's in Stanley Street, Liverpool. However Ron was never a great talent on the guitar and more a 'strummer'. As a deckhand on the tugboat 'Formby' he was inspired by the country and western records imported from the USA and he formed a skiffle group for fun calling it the 'Formby Sniffle Groop', performing in local cafes. In 1957, he moved to Joshua Harris's department store, and was inspired by fellow-employee Margo King to write his first song 'Margo (Don't Go')'.

Billy with Larry Parnes

 

In May, 1958, he cut six tracks on a 78 rpm acetate at Percy F. Phillips' recording studio in Liverpool and also sent a tape of songs to impresario Larry Parnes, together with a photograph of himself at the Star Studio, Bold Street. No reply came but his mother wrote again to Larry Parnes who this time invited him to the Birkenhead Essoldo on the 1st of October 1958, where one of his package tours, The Larry Parnes Extravaganza, was being staged. Ron took his guitar along and sang five of his songs to Marty Wilde and Parnes, hoping that Marty would record some of them. First he played 'Maybe Tomorrow' which left everyone for a moment gobsmacked as singers didn't write their own songs. Larry asked Ronnie if he had any more and' Margo Don't Go' was the second to be judged. It received everybody's approval and in a moment that has become music legend, Larry took Billy on stage during the interval and, when the curtains opened, a frightened 18-year-old made his public debut as a singer. The next day, he joined up with the tour and Billy made his professional debut that night in Stretford. Larry Parnes, as he did with nearly all his singers, had renamed him 'Billy' - after band leader Billy Cotton - and 'Fury', to compensate for the singer's shyness.
Billy's first recording, 'Maybe Tomorrow' (one of those he had offered to Marty Wilde) went into the Top 20 and within seven months, he had signed a seven year contract with Decca. With his early performances so suggestive by English standards, he was forced to restrain himself from his more overtly sexual stage moves after a curtain was brought down on one of his shows.

He made the 'Sound Of Fury' a 10-inch album, the first real rockabilly record, with 10 self-penned numbers which remains the favourite recording of many people. Indeed, 'The Rolling Stones' Keith Richard in a 1970's interview declared it as 'one of the greatest rock 'n' roll albums of its era and one that he swore by'.
Every song was recorded during two, 3 hour sessions. Among the backing instrumentalists is Joe Brown, later to have a No.1 with 'Picture Of You' and for backing vocals Billy flew the 'Four Jays' from Liverpool at his own expense, whose drummer, Andy White, played drums on 'The Beatles' 'Love Me Do' when Ringo was declared by George Martin as inadequate.

Following a No.2 success in 1961 with the Goffin-King cover of  'Halfway To Paradise' he then reached No.2 with another amended cover 'Jealousy'. 'Last Night Was Made For Love' and 'Like I've Never Been Gone' followed with high chart positions then 'When Will You Say I Love You' also reached No.3, but ironically the No.1 spot was held by 'From Me To You', the third single by the band that had once failed an audition for the job of Billy's backing group.
Although other chart success continued, Billy never had a No.1 but he did match 'The Beatles' record of 24 chart hits. In fact, in the 1960s, Billy had more top 20 hits in the UK than anyone else with the exception of 'The Beatles', Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley.
In 1962, Billy Fury was the top rock 'n' roll attraction in England, backed by the best band of the era, the legendary 'Tornados' of 'Telstar' fame and appeared on television regularly, even giving a real acting performance in the feature film 'Play It Cool'.
Radio Luxembourg also voted Billy as their favourite UK artist in 1962 and 1966.

After his last top 10 hit, 'In Thoughts Of You', in 1965, Billy began to take the time to indulge his love of wild life on his farm in Wales.
He became unable to undertake much promotional work after signing with EMI's Parlophone label in 1967, only playing cabaret when his health allowed. Billy eventually needed open heart surgery in 1971. He could not afford private treatment, and was admitted to a National Health Service ward. He then took six months' total rest and enjoyed renewed health for a while, on the 100 acre farm that his partner Lisa Rosen bought for them near Llandovery, Wales. Sadly the heart problems that had plagued him throughout his life finally claimed him in 1983 and he died at the tender age of 42.

Statue at the Albert Dock

 

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2017/02/mersey-beat-cilla-black.html