Tommy Steele, a great all-rounder, still going strong
Posted: January 22nd, 2008, 12:53 pm
Tommy for me is one of the worlds great all-round entertainers, as a young man just out of the merchant navy he became a rock an roll singer with songs like A Handful Of Songs, Singing The Blues and a favourite of mine Butterfingers. Some of those songs he sang in The Tommy Steele Story, playing himself in an account of his 1st yr in show-business.
In the 50s he also made Tommy The Toreador, playing a merchant sailor mistaken for a bull-fighter with Janet Munroe. In this he sang his big hit Little White Bull. In The Duke Wore Jeans, he played a dual role of a rich and working class young man. He also sang It’s All Been Happening in the film
In the serious Light Up The Lights he and Benny Hill play ex-music hall brothers during WW2 operating a search light. He did the musical It’s All Been Happening with cameos from the likes od Russ Conway.
It was about now he became internationally known with his West-End and Broadway Show Half A Sixpence. This was made into a film with Julia Foster. I get the impression of some in the U.S this wasn’t a hit stateside, but without question it was a hit in the UK. HAS is still shown regulary on UK Tv.
Tommy played a swashbuckler Where’s Jack, playing a loveable highwayman being pursued by lawman Stanley Baker.
In the latter part of his career Tommy’s preferred to work almost exclusively on the stage with West-End hits Hans Christian Anderson, his biggest stage hit Singing In The Rain, Some Like It Hot and recently Scrooge.
the theatre maybe his great love, but it's hurt his career too, because he's performing to a small audience. however, he's still in demand over 50 yrs after he recorded his first hits
In the 50s he also made Tommy The Toreador, playing a merchant sailor mistaken for a bull-fighter with Janet Munroe. In this he sang his big hit Little White Bull. In The Duke Wore Jeans, he played a dual role of a rich and working class young man. He also sang It’s All Been Happening in the film
In the serious Light Up The Lights he and Benny Hill play ex-music hall brothers during WW2 operating a search light. He did the musical It’s All Been Happening with cameos from the likes od Russ Conway.
It was about now he became internationally known with his West-End and Broadway Show Half A Sixpence. This was made into a film with Julia Foster. I get the impression of some in the U.S this wasn’t a hit stateside, but without question it was a hit in the UK. HAS is still shown regulary on UK Tv.
Tommy played a swashbuckler Where’s Jack, playing a loveable highwayman being pursued by lawman Stanley Baker.
In the latter part of his career Tommy’s preferred to work almost exclusively on the stage with West-End hits Hans Christian Anderson, his biggest stage hit Singing In The Rain, Some Like It Hot and recently Scrooge.
the theatre maybe his great love, but it's hurt his career too, because he's performing to a small audience. however, he's still in demand over 50 yrs after he recorded his first hits