Singing The Blues

On Friday Chris told us about the total shutdown in Canada and that she was singing the blues all afternoon. Since that time I can’t get that song out of my mind. My ears are full of it. And so it takes me back to 1957 in London.

I had left school and was about to be married when a young Tommy Steele hit the airwaves with the song Singing the Blues.

The song had been recorded the year before by Guy Mitchell, a well-known artist from the United States but here we had our own homegrown boy singing as well and even better than a well-known singer. This was before the Beatles and before any of the Boybands became famous.

I remember I bought a copy of the disc and how my parents hated it. And of course, this was before Elvis hit the headlines.

He, Elvis, sent my parents, along with everybody else’s parents, into a total turmoil. What would they say if they could hear the music teenagers are listening to today?

This 20-year-old Tommy Steele has gone on to be one of the most loved entertainers in Britain today

Tommy Steele performing in Stockholm in 1957

In the 1979 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his work as an entertainer and actor.

In 2019, Steele was awarded the Freedom of the City of London. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ceremony at Mansion House was delayed until 20 July 2021.

He was knighted in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment and charity

So he is Sir Thomas Hicks but to my generation, he will always be the much loved Tommy Steele.

In addition to being an entertainer, he is a well-regarded sculptor. Four of his works are on public display. These include Eleanor Rigby (his tribute to The Beatles), in Stanley Street, Liverpool, and Union in Twickenham Stadium. the home. of Rugby.

Steele’s legendary career does not just end here. He is also an established writer and published author.

Well done Tommy. Such great memories.