Happy 65th birthday today to one of the strongest voices in 60s pop, Miss Helen Shapiro.
Nowadays very much seen as a product of her age, her music never aged well; nor did it make much of an impact Stateside. Thus, unlike more versatile contemporaries such as Dusty Springfield and Sandie Shaw, her commercial chart success was very short-lived and hardly lasted out of her teens.
Her most famous (and biggest) hit was of course Walking Back to Happiness. However, in my opinion this lesser-known single is much more appropriately camp...
Facts about Helen Shapiro:
- She sang in her school band "Susie and the Hula Hoops," which featureded Marc Bolan (then using his real name of Mark Feld) as guitarist.
- On her countrywide tour in 1963, The Beatles were her support act.
- She was one of the stars of the short-lived soap Albion Market in the 1980s.
- Born into a Jewish family in Clapton, London, she has unfortunately nowadays turned to one of those weird cults beloved of Manhattan Cable "Jews for Jesus".
Don't forget Shirley on BBC2 on Thursday, 9pm :) x
ReplyDeleteAs if... Jx
ReplyDeleteI spoke to her once on the phone. She was looking to buy a Mr potato head.
ReplyDeleteShe was born with one. Jx
ReplyDeleteknew her by sight, but never heard her.
ReplyDeletenice voice!