Frankie Vaughan (February 3, 1928-September 17, 1999) was a singer of traditional pop music in the 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."
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 the 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.
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.
Frankie's career began in the late 1940s in the theater 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."
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.
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).
He continued performing until 1985, when he starred in a stage version of "42nd Street" at Drury Lane in London. After a year, he started having bad health and had to leave the cast, and died in 1999 of heart failure.
Recordings
- 1953 - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (cover of The Four Lads)/ Cloud Lucky Seven
- 1954 - The Cuff Of My Shirt/ Heartless
- 1954 - My Son, My Son/ Cinnamon Sinner (cover of Tony Bennett)
- 1954 - Happy Days And Lonely Nights (cover of The Fontane Sisters)/ Danger Signs
- 1955 - Too Many Heartaches/ Unsuspecting Heart (cover of Sunny Gale )
- 1956 - My Boy Flat Top (cover of Dorothy Collins , also done by Boyd Bennett )/ Stealin'
- 1956 - The Green Door (cover of Jim Lowe )/ Pity The Poor Man
- 1957 - Garden Of Eden/ Priscilla
- 1957 - What's Behind That Strange Door/ Cold Cold Shoulder
- 1957 - These Dangerous Years/ Isn't This A Lovely Evening
- 1957 - Man On Fire/ Wanderin' Eyes
- 1957 - Gotta Have Something In The Bank Frank/single with Kaye Sisters
- 1957 - Kisses Sweeter Than Wine (cover of Jimmie Rodgers)/ Rock-A-Chicka
- 1958 - We're Not Alone/ Can't Get Along Without You
- 1958 - Kewpie Doll (cover of Perry Como)/ So Many Women
- 1958 - Wonderful Things/ Judy
- 1958 - Am I Wasting My Time On You/ So Happy In Love
- 1959 - Give Me The Moonlight Give Me The Girl/ Happy Go Lucky (Re-Issue)
- 1959 - That's My Doll/ Love Is The Sweetest Thing/
- 1959 - Honey Bunny Baby/ The Lady Is A Square
- 1959 - Come Softly To Me (cover of The Fleetwoods)/ Say Something Sweet To Your Sweetheart- with Kaye Sisters
- 1959 - The Heart Of A Man/ Sometime Somewhere
- 1959 - Walkin' Tall/ I Ain't Gonna Lead This Life
- 1960 - What More Do You Want/ The Very Very Young
- 1960 - Kookie Little Paradise/ Mary Lou
- 1960 - Milord/ Do You Still Love Me
- 1961 - Tower Of Strength/ Rachel
- 1961 - Don't Stop Twist/ Red Red Roses
- 1962 - I'm Gonna Clip Your Wings/ Travellin' Man (cover of Ricky Nelson)
- 1962 - Hercules/ Madeleine
- 1963 - Loop De Loop/ There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight (cover of Tony Bennett)
- 1963 - Hey Mama/ Brand New Motor
- 1963 - You're The One For Me/ I Told You So
- 1964 - Alley Alley Oh/ Gonna Be A Good Boy Now
- 1964 - Hello Dolly/ Long Time No See
- 1964 - Susie Q/ I'll Always Be In Love With You
- 1964 - Someone Must Have Hurt You A Lot/ Easter time
- 1965 - The Happy Train/ You Darlin' You
- 1965 - Wait/ There Goes The Forgotten Man
- 1966 - Hurt Yourself/ Nighthawk -with the Valli Boys
- 1966 - Cabaret/ Gotta Have You
- 1967 - There Must Be A Way/ You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You (cover of Dean Martin)
- 1967 - So Tired/ If I Didn't Care
- 1968 - Nevertheless/ Girl Talk
- 1968 - Mame/ If I Had My Way
- 1968 - Souveneirs/ Getting Used To Having You Around
- 1969 - The Same Old Way/ You Can't Stop Me Dancing
- 1969 - Hideaway/ Hold Me Close To You
External links
