Billy Fury

Statue of Billy Fury in Liverpool

Billy Fury (born April 17, 1940 in Liverpool , England , † January 28, 1983 in London , England; actually Ronald William Wycherley ) was a British rock 'n' roll singer from the Liverpool Mersey beat environment.

Life

Wycherley took piano lessons at the age of eleven, and three years later he got a guitar. After school he took various odd jobs , including on the tug Formby , where he got to know country and western music through seafarers from the United States . He started the Formby Sniffle Group , which played in local cafes.

In 1957 Wycherley wrote the piece Margo (Don't Go) for Margo King . In 1958 he made demo recordings, which he also sent to music manager Larry Parnes . Parnes signed him and gave him the stage name Billy Fury .

Billy Fury's first single, Maybe Tomorrow , rose to the top 20 in the charts. Many fans still consider the first album, Sound of Fury , to be Billy Fury's best.

Other hits followed, including Halfway to Paradise (1961 number 3) and Jealousy (1961 number 2), but it never reached number 1. However, Fury had more top 20 hits in the 1960s than most other artists and groups. He was only surpassed by the Beatles , Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley .

In search of a backing band, Fury had the Silver Beatles auditioned, but refrained from getting involved. Fury's many backing bands included the Blue Flames and an early version of Mott the Hoople .

Billy Fury has also appeared on numerous television shows and starred in series and films. In 1962 he flew to Los Angeles with Larry Parnes to present Elvis Presley with several gold and silver plates.

In 1965 Fury had his last top 10 hit with In Thoughts of You . His health began to deteriorate. At times he had to shorten his appearances beforehand. As a child, Fury had suffered from a heart defect. In 1971 he had a heart operation.

In 1969, Fury married Judith Hall, but the marriage did not last long. After that he lived with Lisa Rosen. Fury went through depression and alcohol problems, plus financial problems. In 1976 a second heart operation took place. In March 1982 he had a severe heart attack, with symptoms of paralysis and temporary blindness.

Billy Fury died on January 28, 1983 of complications from his heart failure.

Discography

Albums

Chart placements

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)	Remarks
		UK
1960	The Sound of Fury	UK18 (2 weeks) UK
1961	Halfway to Paradise	UK5 gold (9 weeks)UK
1963	Billy	UK6 (21 weeks) UK
	We want Billy	UK14 (2 weeks) UK	Live album
1983	Hit parade	UK49 gold (15 weeks)UK	Best of album
	The Only One	UK56 (1 week) UK
2008	His Wondrous Story - The Complete Collection	UK10 gold (10 weeks)UK	Compilation
2018	The Symphonic Sound of Fury	UK53 (1 week) UK

Official publications

• Sound of Fury (1960)
• Billy Fury (1960)
• Halfway to Paradise (1961)
• Billy (1963)
• We Want Billy (1963) MONO
• We Want Billy (1963) STEREO
• I've Gotta Horse (1965)
• Best of Billy Fury (1967)
• World of Billy Fury (1972)
• The Billy Fury Story (1977)
• Billy Fury - The Golden Years (1979)
• World of Billy Fury, Volume 2 (1980)
• Sound of Fury (1981), reprint of: The Sound of Fury 1960
• Hit Parade (1982)
• Billy Fury in Interview With Stuart Coleman (200 copies only) (1983)
• We Want Billy (1983), reprint of: We Want Billy 1963
• The One and Only Billy Fury (1983)
• Memories (1983), reissue of Billy Fury - The Golden Years
• The Missing Years 1967-80 (1983)
• Loving You (1984)
• The Other Side of Billy Fury (1984)
• Sticks 'n' Stones (1985)
• The EP Collection (1985)
• Billy (1986), reprint of: Billy 1963
• Billy Fury (1986), reprint of: Billy Fury 1960
• Halfway to Paradise (1986), reprint of: Halfway to Paradise 1961
• The Collection (1987)
• Hit Parade (1987), new edition of: Hit Parade 1982
• The Best of Billy Fury (1987), (Reissue of: BF - The Golden Years - 1983)
• The Sound of Fury (2000), reissue of: The Sound of Fury 1960 and 1981
• The Very Best of Billy Fury CD (1987)
• The Sound of Fury + 10, (1988), CD reissue of Sound of Fury with 10 additional songs
• Billy Fury - The Collection (1992)
• The Other Side of Billy Fury CD (1993)
• The 40th Anniversary Anthology CD (1998)
• Wondrous Place Live CD (2000)
• The Sound of Fury CD (2000)
• Billy Fury Unplugged (2000)
• The Symphonic Sound of Fury (2018)

Singles

Chart placements

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)	Remarks
		UK
1959	Maybe Tomorrow Billy Fury	UK18 (9 weeks) UK
	Margo Billy Fury	UK28 (1 week) UK
1960	Colette Billy Fury	UK9 (10 weeks) UK
	That's Love The Sound of Fury	UK19 (11 weeks) UK
	Wondrous Place Billy Fury	UK25 (10 weeks) UK	1999 Re-entry for 1 week with two publications at the same time: place 83 for K-tel and place 98 for Deram / Decca
1961	A Thousand Stars Halfway to Paradise	UK14 (10 weeks) UK	Original: Kathy Young (US 3rd place)
	Don't Worry Halfway to Paradise	UK40 (2 weeks) UK
	Halfway to Paradise Halfway to Paradise	UK3 (23 weeks) UK	Authors: Carole King , Gerry Goffin
	Jealousy	UK2 (12 weeks) UK	1951 a number 3 hit for Frankie Laine in the USA
	I'd Never Find Another You We Want Billy!	UK5 (15 weeks) UK
1962	Letter full of tears	UK32 (6 weeks) UK
	Last Night Was Made for Love We Want Billy!	UK4 (16 weeks) UK
	Once Upon a Dream We Want Billy!	UK7 (13 weeks) UK
	Because of Love	UK18 (14 weeks) UK
1963	Like I've Never Been Gone We Want Billy!	UK3 (15 weeks) UK
	When Will You Say I Love You We Want Billy!	UK3 (12 weeks) UK
	In summer	UK5 (11 weeks) UK
	Somebody Else's Girl The World of Billy Fury Vol. 2	UK18 (7 weeks) UK
1964	Do You Really Love Me Too? The World of Billy Fury Vol. 2	UK13 (10 weeks) UK
	I will	UK14 (12 weeks) UK	Author: Dick Glasser ; Hits for Vic Dana (1962), Dean Martin (1965), Ruby Winters (1977)
	It's Only Make Believe The Billy Fury Story	UK10 (10 weeks) UK	Number 1 hit in UK and USA in 1958 for Conway Twitty
1965	I'm Lost Without You The Billy Fury Story	UK16 (10 weeks) UK
	In Thoughts of You The Billy Fury Story	UK9 (11 weeks) UK
	Run to My Lovin 'Arms The Billy Fury Story	UK25 (7 weeks) UK
1966	I'll Never Quite Get Over You The World of Billy Fury Vol. 2	UK35 (5 weeks) UK
	Give Me Your Word Memories	UK27 (7 weeks) UK	Number 1 hit in 1955 in UK for Tennessee Ernie Ford
1982	Love or Money The One and Only	UK57 (5 weeks) UK
	Devil or Angel The One and Only	UK58 (4 weeks) UK
1983	Let Me Go, Lover / Forget Him The One and Only	UK59 (7 weeks) UK	Let Me Go, Lover was a number 1 hit in the US in 1955 for Joan Weber

Official publications

• Maybe Tomorrow / Gonna Type a Letter (1959)
• Margo / Don't Knock Upon My Door (1959)
• Angel Face / Time Has Come (1959)
• My Christmas Prayer / Last Kiss (1959)
• Colette / Baby How I Cried (1960)
• That's Love / You Don't Know (1960)
• Wondrous Place / Alright Goodbye (1960)
• A Thousand Stars / Push Push (1960)
• Don't Worry / Talkin 'in My Sleep (1961)
• Halfway to Paradise / Cross My Heart (1961)
• Jealousy / Open Your Arms (1961)
• I'd Never Find Another You / Sleepless Nights (1961)
• Letter Full of Tears / Magic Eyes (1962)
• Last Night Was Made for Love / A King for Tonight (1962)
• Once Upon a Dream / If I Lose You (1962)
• Because of Love / Running Around (1962)
• Like I've Never Been Gone / What Do You Think You're Doing (1963)
• When Will You Say: "I Love You"? / All I Wanna Do Is Cry (1963)
• In Summer / I'll Never Fall in Love Again (1963)
• Somebody Else's Girl / Go Ahead and Ask Her (1963)
• Do You Really Love Me Too? / What Am I Going to Do (1963)
• I Will / Nothin 'Shakin' (1964)
• It's Only Make Believe / Baby What Do You Want Me to Do (1964)
• Hippy Hippy Shake / Glad All Over (1964) Export copy for the Scandinavian market with two different picture covers
• I'm Lost Without You / You Better Believe It Baby (1965)
• In Thoughts of You / Away from You (1965)
• Run to My Lovin 'Arms / Where Do You Run (1965)
• I'll Never Quite Get Over You / I Belong to the Wind (1966)
• Don't Let a Little Pride Stand in Your Way / Didn't See the Real Thing Come Along (1966)
• Give Me Your Word / She's So Far Out She's In (1966)
• Hurtin 'Is Loving / Things Are Changing (1967)
• Loving You / I'll Go Along With It (1967)
• Suzanne in the Mirror / It Just Don't Matter Now (1967)
• Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt / Baby Do You Love Me (1968)
• Silly Boy Blue / One Minute Woman (1968)
• Phone Box / Any Morning Now (1968)
• Lady / Certain Things (1968)
• I Call for My Rose / Bye Bye (1969)
• All the Way to the USA / Do My Best for You (1969)
• Why Are You Leaving? / Old Sweet Roll (1970)
• Paradise Alley / Well Alright (1970)
• Will the Real Man Stand Up? / At This Stage (1972)
• I'll Be Your Sweetheart / Fascinating Candle Flame (1974)
• Halfway to Paradise / Turn My Back on You (1976)
• Jealousy / Last Night Was Made for Love (1978)
• Don't Knock Upon My Door / Margo (1979)
• Gonna Type a Letter / Maybe Tomorrow (1979)
• Be Mine Tonight / No Trespassers (1981) picture cover
• Love or Money / Love Sweet Love (1982) picture cover
• Devil or Angel / Don't Tell Me Lies (1982) picture cover
• Halfway to Paradise / Cross My Heart (1983) picture cover
• Devil or Angel / Lost Without You 1983 (Flexidisk, free supplement to Tribute To Billy Fury Book)
• Let Me Go Lover / Your Words (only 200 pressed) (1983) picture cover
• Forget Him / Your Words (1983) picture cover
• Halfway to Paradise / Last Night Was Made for Love (1983)
• Halfway to Paradise / Last Night Was Made for Love (1983) picture cover
• Jealoousy / I Will (1983)

EPs

• Maybe Tomorrow (1959)
• Billy Fury (1961)
• Billy Fury No 2 (1962)
• Play It Cool (1962)
• Billy Fury Hits (1962)
• Discs-A-Gogo (Various Artists - Billy Fury represented with Don't Walk Away ) (1963)
• Billy Fury and The Tornados (1963)
• Am I Blue (1963)
• Billy Fury and The Gamblers (1965)
• Long Live Rock (Various Artists - Billy Fury represented with Long Live Rock and A Thousand Stars ) (1973)
• Single Heroes (Various Artists - Billy Fury represented with Wondrous Place ) (1982)
• My Christmas Prayer (1983)
• Suzanne in the Mirror (1985)

Posthumous honors

In July 2011, in honor of the artist , a path in the London borough of Hampstead was officially named Billy Fury Way . The trail is not far from Decca Studio , where Fury recorded many of his tracks. The Billy Fury Way runs close to the train tracks belonging to the London Underground line and lies east of West Hampstead station in the area between West End Lane (B 510) in the west and Lithos Road / Finchley Road in the east.

Web links

• Official Billy Fury Website ( Memento of December 10, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
• Billy Fury fan (English)
• The Site Where the Good Times Never Ended (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Sources Great Britain: Charts / Awards (search)
2. ↑ Jonathan Turton (West Hampstead Life): Billy Fury Way officially opens (English; article from July 29, 2011)