Frankie Vaughan

Frankie Vaughan
Frankie Vaughan
Background information
Birth name	Frank Ableson
Born	3 February 1928; Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Died	17 September 1999 (aged 71); High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
Genres	Easy listening; traditional pop;
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1940s–1999
Labels	HMV, Philips, Columbia, Pye

Frankie Vaughan, CBE, DL (born Frank Ableson, 3 February 1928 – 17 September 1999)^[1] was an English singer of easy listening and traditional pop music, who recorded more than 80 singles in his lifetime. He was known as "Mr. Moonlight" after one of his early hits.^[2]

Life and career

Frankie Vaughan and Marilyn Monroe in Let's Make Love (1960)

Frankie Vaughan was born Frank Ableson to a Jewish family in Devon Street, Liverpool.^[1] The name 'Vaughan' came from a grandmother whose first grandson he was, who used to call Frank 'my number one' grandson, in whose Russian accent 'one' sounded like 'Vaughan'.^[1] 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 to the clubs, dedicating his monetary compensation from one song each year to them.^[1] He was an evacuee during World War II.^[2] He started out at the club intending to be a boxer.^[1] He attended the Lancaster College of Art on a scholarship and was a vocalist in their 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 in a design contest, he left for London, where he won second prize on a radio talent show.^[1]

Vaughan's career began in the late 1940s performing song and dance routines. He was known as a fancy dresser, wearing top hat, bow tie, tails, and cane.^[1] In the 1950s he worked for a few years with the band of Nat Temple, and after that period he then began making records under his own name. In 1955, he recorded what was to become his trademark song, "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl".^[1]

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". In 1956, his cover of "The Green Door" reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart.^[3] The same year he was voted 'Showbusiness Personality of the Year'.^[2] In early 1957, his version of "The Garden of Eden", reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart. In 1961, Vaughan hit No. 1 in the UK again, with "Tower of Strength", but the rise of beat music eclipsed his chart career for two or three years, before he returned to the Top 10 in 1967 with "There Must Be A Way".^[1] Chart success eluded him after this although he did have two more Top 40 singles; "Nevertheless" and "So Tired".^[3] In 1957 he was voted the eighth most popular star at the British box office.^[4]

Managed at this time by former journalist and theatrical agent Paul Cave,^[5] Vaughan stayed in the United States for a time to make a film with Marilyn Monroe, Let's Make Love (1960), and was an actor in several other films, but his recordings were never chart hits in the US,^[2] with the exception of "Judy", which reached No.100 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1958. In 1961, Vaughan was on the bill at the Royal Variety Performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Coventry Street, London.

In 1985, Vaughan starred in a stage version of 42nd Street at Drury Lane in London,^[1] opposite his old friend Shani Wallis who appeared in their first film together, Ramsbottom Rides Again. After a year, he nearly died of peritonitis and had to leave the cast.^[1] Vaughan was married to Leeds-born Stella Shock from 1951 until his death; the couple had three children, David, Susan and Andrew.^[2]

In 1994, he was one of a few to be honoured by a second appearance on This Is Your Life, when he was surprised by Michael Aspel. Vaughan had been a subject of the show previously in April 1970 when Eamonn Andrews surprised him at the Caesar's Palace nightclub in Luton.

Despite frequent bouts of ill-health, Vaughan continued performing until shortly before his death in 1999.

Awards and honours

Vaughan was created an OBE in 1965, a CBE in 1996,^[1] and as a resident of High Wycombe had been a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Buckinghamshire since 1993. He was an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University.^[6]

Death

Vaughan died from heart failure in Oxford in 1999, aged 71.^[1]^[2] His wife Stella donated archival materials, including scores and sheet music he had collected throughout his career to Liverpool John Moores University in 2000.^[6]

Discography

Singles

1950 – "The Old Piano Roll Blues" / "Daddy's Little Girl"
1950 – "Stay with the Happy People" / "Give Me You"
1953 – "My Sweetie Went Away" / "Strange"
1953 – "Too Marvelous for Words" / "No Help Wanted"
1953 – "Look at That Girl" (cover of Guy Mitchell) / "Send My Baby Back to Me"
1953 – "Bye Bye Baby" / "False Hearted Lover"
1953 – "Hey Joe" (cover of Frankie Laine) / "So Nice in Your Arms"
1953 – "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (cover of The Four Lads) / "Cloud Lucky Seven" (cover of Guy Mitchell) – UK No. 11
1954 – "The Cuff of My Shirt" (cover of Guy Mitchell) / "Heartless"
1954 – "From the Vine Came the Grape" / "She Took"
1954 – "Jilted" / "Do, Do, Do, Do, Do, Do It Again" (duets with Alma Cogan)
1954 – "Out in the Middle of The Night" / "Crazy About You"
1954 – "My Son, My Son" (cover of Eddie Calvert) / "Cinnamon Sinner" (cover of Tony Bennett)
1954 – "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" (cover of The Fontane Sisters) / "Danger Signs " – UK No. 12
1955 – "Too Many Heartaches" / "Unsuspecting Heart" (cover of Sunny Gale)
1955 – "Tweedle Dee" (cover of LaVern Baker) / "Give Me the Moonlight Give Me the Girl" – UK No. 17
1955 – "Wildfire" / "That's How a Love Song Was Born"
1955 – "Something's Gotta Give" / "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road"
1955 – "Seventeen" (cover of Boyd Bennett) / "Meet Me on the Corner" (cover of Max Bygraves) – UK No. 18
1956 – "My Boy Flat Top" (cover of Dorothy Collins, also recorded by Boyd Bennett) / "Stealin'" – UK No. 20
1956 – "This Is the Night" / "Rock Candy Baby"
1956 – "Escape in the Sun" / "Honey Hair Sugar Lips Eyes of Blue" (cover of The Crew-Cuts)
1956 – "Lucky Thirteen" / "Let's Go Steady"
1956 – "The Green Door" (cover of Jim Lowe) / "Pity the Poor, Poor Man " – UK No. 2
1957 – "The Garden of Eden" / "Priscilla" – UK No. 1
1957 – "These Dangerous Years" / "Isn't This a Lovely Evening"
1957 – "What's Behind That Strange Door" / "Cold Cold Shower"
1957 – "Man on Fire" / "Wanderin' Eyes" – UK No. 6
1957 – "Gotta Have Something in the Bank Frank" (duet with The Kaye Sisters) / "Single" – UK No. 8
1957 – "Kisses Sweeter than Wine" (cover of Jimmie Rodgers) / "Rock-A-Chicka" – UK No. 8
1958 – "Can't Get Along Without You" / "We're Not Alone" – UK No. 11
1958 – "Kewpie Doll" (cover of Perry Como) / "So Many Women" – UK 10
1958 – "Wonderful Things" / "Judy" – UK No. 22 ("Judy" also reached No. 100 in the US Billboard Hot 100)
1958 – "Am I Wasting My Time on You" / "So Happy in Love" – UK 25
1959 – "That's My Doll" / "Love Is the Sweetest Thing" – UK No. 28
1959 – "Honey Bunny Baby" / "The Lady Is a Square"
1959 – "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl" / "Happy Go Lucky" (re-issue)
1959 – "Come Softly to Me" (cover of The Fleetwoods) / "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart" (duets with The Kaye Sisters) – UK No. 9
1959 – "The Heart of a Man" / "Sometime Somewhere" – UK No. 5
1959 – "Walkin' Tall" / "I Ain't Gonna Lead This Life" – UK No. 28
1960 – "What More Do You Want" / "The Very Very Young" – UK No. 25
1960 – "Love Me Now" / "I Was a Fool"
1960 – "Kookie Little Paradise" / "Mary Lou" – UK No. 31
1960 – "Milord" (cover of Édith Piaf) / "Do You Still Love Me" – UK No. 34
1961 – "Tower of Strength" (cover of Gene McDaniels) / "Rachel" (cover of Al Martino) – UK No. 1
1961 – "Don't Stop – Twist!" / "Red Red Roses" – UK No. 22
1962 – "I'm Gonna Clip Your Wings" / "Travelin' Man" (cover of Ricky Nelson)
1962 – "Hercules" / "Madeleine" – UK No. 42
1963 – "Hey Mama" / "Brand New Motor" – UK No. 21
1963 – "You're the One for Me" / "I Told You So"
1963 – "Loop De Loop" / "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight" (cover of Tony Bennett) – UK No. 5
1964 – "Alley Alley Oh" / "Gonna Be a Good Boy Now"
1964 – "Hello Dolly" / "Long Time No See" – UK No. 18
1964 – "Susie Q" / "I'll Always Be in Love With You"
1964 – "Someone Must Have Hurt You a Lot" / "Easter Time" – UK No. 46
1965 – "The Happy Train" / "You Darlin' You"
1965 – "Wait" / "There Goes the Forgotten Man"
1966 – "Cabaret" / "Gotta Have You"
1967 – "There Must Be a Way" / "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You" (cover of Dean Martin) – UK No. 7
1967 – "So Tired" / "If I Didn't Care" – UK No. 21
1968 – "Nevertheless" / "Girl Talk" – UK No. 29
1968 – "Mame" / "If I Had My Way"
1968 – "Souvenirs" / "Getting Used to Having You Around"
1969 – "The Same Old Way" / "You Can't Stop Me Dancing"
1969 – "Hideaway" / "Hold Me Close to You"
1970 – "Peace Brother Peace" / "You'll Never Walk Alone"
1970 – "With These Hands" / "I'll Give You Three Guesses"
1971 – "Find Another Love" / "Lorelei"
1971 – "Make The Circus Come To Town" / "What Am I To Do With Mei"
1972 – "[Paradise (1931 song)|Paradise]]" / "Same Old Love"
1972 – "Good Old Bad Old Days" / "The Good Things in Life"
1974 – "Unchained Melody" / "I'll Never See Julie Again"
1975 – "It's Too Late Now" / "Somewhere in This World"
1975 – "Close Your Eyes" / "Our World of Love"
1975 – "After Loving You" / "Feelings"
1976 – "I'll Never Smile Again" / "Ragtime Cowboy Joe"
1976 – "One" / "Love Is Here to Stay"
1977 – "Red Sails in the Sunset" / "Seasons for Lovers"
1977 – "Take Me" / "Lemon Drops, Lollipops and Sunbeams"
1978 – "Think Beautiful Things" / "I Am Lucky"
1979 – "Think Beautiful Things" / "Simple Kiss"
1983 – "Stockport" / "Showmanship"
1984 – "Dreamers" / "Two Different Worlds"
1987 – "When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New" / "Lucky"

^[3]

Albums

Philips

1957 – Happy Go lucky
1958 – Frankie Vaughan Showcase
1959 – Frankie Vaughan at the London Palladium – UK No. 6
1961 – Let Me Sing – I'm Happy
1961 – Warm Feeling
1962 – Live at the Talk of the Town
1963 – All Over Town
1965 – My Kind of Song
1966 – Return Date at the Talk of the Town
1967 – Frankie Vaughan Songbook – UK No. 40
1971 – This is Frankie Vaughan

Columbia

1967 – There Must Be a Way – UK No. 22
1968 – The Second Time Around
1970 – Mr Moonlight
1971 – Double Exposure
1972 – Frankie
1972 – Frankie Vaughan Sing-a-Long
1973 – Frankie Vaughan Sings

Pye

1973 – Sincerely Yours
1974 – Someone Who Cares
1975 – Seasons for Lovers
1977 – Golden Hour Presents Frankie Vaughan

Ronco

1977 – 100 Golden Greats – UK No. 24
1985 – Love Hits and High Kicks

Big V records

1979 – Moonlight and Love Songs