Alvin Stardust
Bernard William Jewry (27 September 1942 – 23 October 2014), known professionally as Shane Fenton and later as Alvin Stardust, was an English rock singer and stage actor. Performing first as Shane Fenton in the 1960s, Jewry had a moderately successful career in the pre-Beatles era, hitting the UK top 40 with four singles in 1961–62. However, he became better known for singles released in the 1970s and 1980s as Alvin Stardust, a character he began in the glam rock era, with hits including the UK Singles Chart-topper "Jealous Mind", as well as later hits such as "Pretend" and "I Feel Like Buddy Holly".
Alvin Stardust | |
|---|---|
 Alvin Stardust in 1974 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bernard William Jewry |
| Also known as | Shane Fenton |
| Born | 27 September 1942 Muswell Hill, London, England |
| Died | 23 October 2014 (aged 72) Ifold, West Sussex, England |
| Genres | Glam rock, rock and roll, pop |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1960–2014 |
| Website | Alvin Stardust Official Website |
Early life and career
Bernard William Jewry was born 27 September 1942 in Muswell Hill, then in Middlesex (now in north London).[1][2] Having moved at a young age to Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, where his mother ran a boarding house frequented by musicians and entertainers appearing locally,[3] Jewry attended the Southwell Minster Collegiate Grammar School (now Southwell Minster School) in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, near Newark-on-Trent, as a boarder. He made his stage debut in pantomime at the age of four.
In the early 1960s, Shane Fenton and the Fentones were an unknown teenage band who recorded a demo tape and mailed it in to a BBC programme with the hope of being picked to appear on television. While awaiting a reply from the BBC, the band's 17-year-old singer Shane Fenton (whose real name was Johnny Theakston)[4] died as a result of the rheumatic fever he had suffered in childhood.
The rest of the band (guitarists Jerry Wilcock and Mick Eyre, bassist Graham George Squires and drummer Tony Hinchcliffe) decided to break up, but then unexpectedly received a letter from the BBC inviting them to come to London to audition in person for the programme. Theakston's mother asked the band to stay together, and to keep its name, in honour of her son's memory. Jewry, who was a roadie with them at the time, was asked to join the band and to use Shane Fenton as a pseudonym.[5] The combo had a few hits in the UK Singles Chart:[6] "I'm A Moody Guy", "Walk Away", "It's All Over Now" and their biggest hit, "Cindy's Birthday". These and their subsequent misses were all on Parlophone Records.
Jewry later also appeared in Billy Fury's movie Play It Cool. He was managed by Larry Parnes.[7]
Persona change
Jewry disappeared from the spotlight for a decade after the break-up of the Fentones, working in music management and performing at small venues with his first wife Iris Caldwell, the sister of Rory Storm. During the early 1970s, however, he acquired a new persona, Alvin Stardust, cashing in on the glam rock bandwagon. Alvin Stardust was clearly a reference to Ziggy Stardust, a David Bowie character based on the "C-list" rocker Vince Taylor. The Alvin Stardust character looked remarkably like Taylor with sideburns and black leather outfit.[8] His new name was given to him by Peter Shelley, the co-founder (with Michael Levy) of Magnet Records. Shelley originated the persona of Alvin Stardust, writing, recording and singing the first Stardust single, "My Coo Ca Choo", in 1973. Shelley, however, had no interest in performing live or making public appearances, so even as "My Coo Ca Choo" was climbing the charts, he was on the lookout for someone to take over the role of Alvin Stardust. Hal Carter, Jewry's manager, suggested his client as a substitute.[5] Jewry took over as Stardust in time to lip-synch "My Coo Ca Choo" on its first Top of the Pops appearance.
All further Alvin Stardust records were sung by Jewry. Stardust had further chart successes with the hits "Jealous Mind" (UK No. 1),[9] "You, You, You", "Red Dress" and "Good Love Can Never Die". In total, he amassed seven Top Ten entries, in a chart span lasting almost 25 years.[10]
Stardust was part of the Green Cross Code road safety campaign Children's Heroes (1976), which saw him instructing children to look both ways before they crossed the road.[11]
After the 1980s
"Pretend" was a hit in the United Kingdom in 1981, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart. It reached number one in the Dutch Top 40 in November 1981. The song was also successful in Portugal in 1983.[12]
Alvin Stardust was a guest act on the Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show in 1981.
The singles "I Feel Like Buddy Holly" (written and produced by Mike Batt) and "I Won't Run Away" reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in 1984. "So Near To Christmas" was a minor hit, No. 29, in the same year.
He participated in A Song for Europe, the UK qualifying heat of the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1985, with the song "The Clock on the Wall". He finished in third place behind Vikki and Kerri Wells.[13]
He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1985 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.[14]
In 1986, Stardust performed the duet "I Hope and I Pray" with Sheila Walsh on her album Shadowlands, which was released as a single. That year he also performed at Windsor Castle as a lead in the Lloyd Webber–Rice musical Cricket.
Stardust also starred in the UK tour of Godspell and played Uriah Heep in David Copperfield – The Musical and Sir Billy Butlin in The Butlin Story at the London Palladium. In 2005 he starred as the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, also at the London Palladium.[11]
Stardust made numerous television appearances, and continued to tour as a performer and singer. In 1989, he also hosted his own Sunday morning children's TV series on ITV called It's Stardust. It featured stories, songs, poems, jokes and also cartoons and shows for younger children, including The Adventures of Parsley, Little Miss and Satellite City.
On 2 October 2011, Stardust was initiated into the Grand Order of Water Rats, an entertainment fraternity.[15]
In 2011, Stardust made a return to the stage as a singer rather than an actor, and played the Arts Guild Theatre in Greenock on 28 October 2011.[16]
Personal life
Stardust was married three times. In Liverpool in 1964 as Bernard W. Jewry he married Iris Caldwell,[17] sister of Rory Storm and an ex-girlfriend of both George Harrison and Paul McCartney, having grown up with them in Liverpool.[18] In 1981, Stardust married the actress Liza Goddard,[19] again under the name of Bernard W. Jewry.[20] Their daughter, Sophie Jewry, was critically injured at the age of two months after she fell down a set of stairs and suffered a severe fracture of the skull; she later recovered from her injuries.[19] Stardust was married to the actress and choreographer Julie Paton at the time of his death.[21]
He had two sons and two daughters,[22] the youngest of whom had Cliff Richard as one of her godparents.[23]
His eldest son, Shaun Fenton, was born in 1969.[24] His birth was registered in December 1969 under the name of Fenton.[25] The other son is the drum and bass producer Adam F.
Death
Stardust died at home after a brief illness; this was confirmed by his manager on 23 October 2014. He was buried at St. Thomas Church, Swansea, where he had married Julie Paton.[26] His death came weeks before he was due to release his first album for 30 years, and six days after what became his last show at the Regal Cinema, Evesham.[26] He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer 18 months earlier, which later metastasised.[11]
Discography
| Year | Title | UK Albums Chart |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Untouchable | 4 |
| 1974 | Alvin Stardust | 37 |
| 1975 | Rock With Alvin | 52 |
| 1981 | A Picture of You | Non-Chart |
| 1984 | I Feel Like... | Non-Chart |
| 2014 (posthumous release) | Alvin | Non-Chart |
| Year | Title | UK Singles Chart | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | "I'm A Moody Guy" b/w "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" | 22 | Parlophone R 4827 |
| 1962 | "Walk Away" b/w "Fallen Leaves on the Ground" | 38 | Parlophone R 4866 |
| "It's All Over Now" b/w "Why Little Girl" | 29 | Parlophone R 4883 | |
| "The Mexican" b/w "Lover's Guitar" [The Fentones instrumental release, without Shane Fenton] | 41 | Parlophone R 4899 | |
| "Cindy's Birthday" b/w "It's Gonna Take Magic" | 19 | Parlophone R 4921 | |
| "The Breeze and I" b/w "Just For Jerry" [The Fentones instrumental release, without Shane Fenton] | 48 | Parlophone R 4937 | |
| "Too Young For Sad Memories" b/w "You're Telling Me" | — | Parlophone R 4951 | |
| 1963 | "I Ain't Got Nobody" b/w "Hey Miss Ruby" | — | Parlophone R 4982 |
| "A Fool's Paradise" b/w "You Need Love" [solo release, without The Fentones] | — | Parlophone R 5020 | |
| "Don't Do That" b/w "I'll Know" [solo release, without The Fentones] | — | Parlophone R 5047 | |
| 1964 | "Hey Lulu" b/w "I Do Do You" | — | Parlophone R 5131 |
| 1972 | "Eastern Seaboard" b/w "Blind Fool" [solo release, without The Fentones] | — | Fury Records FY 305 |
| 1977 | EP: "I'm A Moody Guy" [re-issue] / "Walk Away" [re-issue] b/w "Cindy's Birthday" [re-issue] / "It's All Over Now" [re-issue] | — | EMI Records 2696 |
| Year | Title | UK Singles Chart | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | "The Fly" b/w "Perdona Mia" [both tracks as Jo Jo Ellis] | — | Fury Records FY 302 |
| 1973 | "My Coo Ca Choo" b/w "Pull Together" (vocal by Peter Shelley) | 2 | Magnet Records MAG 1 |
| 1974 | "Jealous Mind" b/w "Guitar Star" | 1 | Magnet MAG 5 |
| "Red Dress" b/w "Little Darlin'" | 7 | Magnet MAG 8 | |
| "You You You" b/w "Come On!" | 6 | Magnet MAG 13 | |
| "Tell Me Why" b/w "Roadie Roll On" | 16 | Magnet MAG 19 | |
| 1975 | "Good Love Can Never Die" b/w "The Danger Zone" | 11 | Magnet MAG 21 |
| "Sweet Cheatin' Rita" b/w "Come On" | 37 | Magnet MAG 32 | |
| "Move It" b/w "Be Smart Be Safe (The Green Cross Code Song)" | — | Magnet MAG 39 | |
| "Angel From Hamburger Heaven" b/w "Be Smart Be Safe (The Green Cross Code Song)" | — | Magnet MAG 51 | |
| 1976 | "It's Better to be Cruel Than be Kind" b/w "Here I Go Again" | — | Magnet MAG 62 |
| "The Word is Out" b/w "No Parking Space" | — | Magnet MAG 71 | |
| 1977 | "Growin' Up" b/w "A Hobo's Life" | — | Magnet MAG 88 |
| 1981 | "Pretend" b/w "Goose Bumps" | 4 | Stiff Records BUY 124 |
| "Jealous Mind" [re-issue] b/w "My Coo Ca Choo" [re-issue] | — | Magnet MAG 301 | |
| "A Wonderful Time Up There" b/w "I Love You So Much" | 56 | Stiff BUY 132 | |
| 1982 | "Weekend" b/w "Butterflies" | — | Stiff BUY 142 |
| "I Want You Back in My Life Again" b/w "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" | — | Stiff BUY 152 | |
| "A Picture of You" b/w "Hold Tight" | — | Stiff BUY 160 | |
| 1983 | EP: "My Coo Ca Choo" / "Guitar Star" / "Red Dress" b/w "You You You" / "Dreambreaker" / "You're My Everything" | — | Scoop Records 7SR 5030 |
| "Walk Away Renee" b/w "Victim of Romance" | — | Stiff BUY 182 | |
| 1984 | "I Feel Like Buddy Holly" b/w "Luxury" | 7 | Chrysalis Records CHS 2784 |
| "I Won't Run Away" b/w "Tigers Don't Climb Trees" | 7 | Chrysalis CHS 2829 | |
| "So Near to Christmas" b/w "Alright - O.K." | 29 | Chrysalis CHS 2835 | |
| 1985 | "Got a Little Heartache" b/w "Again" | 55 | Chrysalis CHS 2856 |
| "(The) Clock on the Wall" b/w "Show You the Way" [cancelled single] | — | Chrysalis ALVIN 1 | |
| "Sleepless Nights" b/w "Show You the Way" | — | Chrysalis CHS 2879 | |
| "So Near to Christmas" b/w "Alright - O.K." [re-issue] + "(The) Clock on the Wall" b/w "Show You the Way" [double single pack] | 81 | Chrysalis ALV 3 | |
| 1986 | "Jailhouse Rock (The Coming Out Mix)" b/w "Love is Real" | — | Magnet DUST 1 |
| "I Hope and I Pray" b/w "Speak of Love" [both duets with Sheila Walsh] | — | Chrysalis ALV 4 | |
| "Just Like Lovers" b/w "Ride Your Bike" [both tracks as The Jury] | — | Chrysalis CHS 3045 | |
| 1989 | "Christmas" b/w "Executive" | — | Honey Bee Records HONEY 13 |
| 1995 | "My Coo Ca Choo" [with Jo Brand] / "My Coo Ca Choo" (Instrumental Mix) / "My Coo Ca Choo" (Extended Mix) | — | Elite Records 30384 00042 |
| 2004 | "Boppin' On Saturday Night" / "Rockin' All Over the Nation" / "Slam That Pedal Down" [all tracks with the Wild Black Jets] | — | Starfish Music CD 02004-0 |
References
- "Alvin Stardust: the great reinventor". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- Selby, Jenn (23 October 2014). "Alvin Stardust dead: Singer passes away following short battle with cancer aged 72". The Independent. London. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- Alvin Stardust official online encyclopedia, Timeline Archived 29 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 29 October 2014
- "Alvin's life in showbiz". BBC Nottingham. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- Sweeting, Adam (23 October 2014). "Alvin Stardust obituary". The Guardian. London.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 197. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- Thompson, Dave. "Biography of Shane Fenton and the Fentones". Allmusic. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
- "David Bowie names the 'real' Ziggy Stardust". The Independent. London. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 156. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 524. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- "Alvin Stardust, glam rock singer, dies aged 72". BBC News. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- "June 1983: Portugal Top 20 Singles". Imagizer.imageshack.us. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- "Alvin Stardust: Life and career in pictures". BBC News. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- "Alvin Stardust". Bigredbook.info. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
- "Biography of a Water Rat". Gowr.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- Moroney, David (24 October 2011). "Alvin is set to hit the stage". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
- Register of Marriages for Liverpool North Registration District, Vol. 10D (1964), p. 338: CALDWELL, IRIS D, and JEWRY, BERNARD W
- Bletchly, Rachael (5 October 2012). "'He saw her standing there and a pop classic was born': Teenager who inspired famous song and dated TWO Beatles". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- "Singer's baby recovers after fall down stairs". The Glasgow Herald. 22 December 1981. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- Register of Marriages for Haringey Registration District, Vol. 12 (1981), p. 1181: GODDARD, LOUISE E, and JEWRY, BERNARD W.
- Turner, Robin (1 November 2014). "Alvin Stardust's Welsh wedding picture as he's laid to rest in church he got married in". walesonline. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- Savill, Richard (8 September 2006). "Alvin Stardust's son swaps glam for grammar". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- OK! – Issue 261, 27 April 2001, p.46
- Wilby, Peter (13 June 2017). "Elite private headteacher: 'The children we educate will create a fairer society'". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- Register of Births for Liverpool Registration District, Vol. 10D (1969), p. 1313: FENTON, Shaun Alan, mother CALDWELL
- Singh, Anita (23 October 2014). "Alvin Stardust dies after short illness". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- Brown, Tony (2000). The Complete Book of the British Charts (1st ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 843. ISBN 0-7119-7670-8.
External links
- "Alvin Stardust Official Website". Archived from the original on 8 August 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2014.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
- Imdb
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