Russ Conway
Encyclopedia
Russ Conway was a British popular music
pianist
. Conway had 20 piano
instrumental
s in the UK Singles Chart
between 1957 and 1963, including two number one hits
.
, England
. He had no formal piano training, but won a scholarship to Bristol Cathedral Choir. He was largely self-taught on piano as he whiled away hours as a youngster in a three-year Borstal stay. His father then let him join the Merchant Navy.
Conscripted into the Royal Navy 1942, he served in the Merchant Navy from 1942 to 1948, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
as signalman in a minesweeping flotilla "for distinguished service, efficiency and zeal" in clearance of mines in the Aegean and operations during the relief of Greece 1944-1945. During his Navy service he lost the tip of his 3rd finger right hand while using a bread slicer.. He was discharged on health grounds due to a stomach ulcer.
Conway was talent-spotted while playing in a London
club
, signed to EMI's Columbia
label and spent the mid 1950s providing backing for artists on their roster, including Gracie Fields
and Joan Regan
. He recorded his first solo
single
"Party Pops" in 1957, a "medley of standard songs" which included "Roll the Carpet Up" and "The Westminster Waltz".
Between 1957 and 1963 Conway had 20 U.K. chart hits, achieving a cumulative total of 83 weeks on the UK Singles Chart
in 1959 alone. This included two self-penned number one instrumental
s, "Side Saddle" and "Roulette", the latter deposing Elvis Presley
's "A Fool Such As I". He was a fixture on light entertainment TV
shows and radio
for many years afterwards, appearing at the London Palladium on a number of occasions and becoming a regular on The Billy Cotton Band Show
for several seasons.
His career was blighted by ill health, including a nervous breakdown and subsequently a stroke which preventing him from performing between 1968 and 1971. He also at times drank heavily and smoked up to 80 cigarettes a day. He was prescribed anti-depressants and had periods of severe self-doubt. But he kept up playing. Having being diagnosed with stomach cancer in the late 1980s, he founded in 1990, along with his friend writer and broadcaster
Richard Hope-Hawkins, the Russ Conway Cancer Fund and they staged charity
gala shows in major theatres that raised thousands of pounds for cancer
charities.
He appeared as himself in French and Saunders
' 1994 Christmas special, playing "I Like It" in their spoof of The Piano
.
Conway, who never married, died on 16 November 2000. Richard Hope-Hawkins delivered the main eulogy at Conway's funeral
held at the historic St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol. Elton John
sent a wreath. In 2001 Hope-Hawkins devised, staged and directed a tribute to Conway at the Colston Hall
, Bristol with an all-star cast. The £11,000 raised by the event was donated to St Peter's Hospice, Bristol.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. Conway had 20 piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
s in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
between 1957 and 1963, including two number one hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
.
Career
Conway was born Trevor Herbert Stanford in BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He had no formal piano training, but won a scholarship to Bristol Cathedral Choir. He was largely self-taught on piano as he whiled away hours as a youngster in a three-year Borstal stay. His father then let him join the Merchant Navy.
Conscripted into the Royal Navy 1942, he served in the Merchant Navy from 1942 to 1948, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy and members of the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, up to and including the rank of Chief Petty Officer, for bravery and resourcefulness on active service...
as signalman in a minesweeping flotilla "for distinguished service, efficiency and zeal" in clearance of mines in the Aegean and operations during the relief of Greece 1944-1945. During his Navy service he lost the tip of his 3rd finger right hand while using a bread slicer.. He was discharged on health grounds due to a stomach ulcer.
Conway was talent-spotted while playing in a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, signed to EMI's Columbia
Columbia Graphophone Company
The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
label and spent the mid 1950s providing backing for artists on their roster, including Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
and Joan Regan
Joan Regan
Joan Regan is a traditional pop music singer from the UK, popular during the 1950s and early 1960s.-Biography:...
. He recorded his first solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Party Pops" in 1957, a "medley of standard songs" which included "Roll the Carpet Up" and "The Westminster Waltz".
Between 1957 and 1963 Conway had 20 U.K. chart hits, achieving a cumulative total of 83 weeks on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1959 alone. This included two self-penned number one instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
s, "Side Saddle" and "Roulette", the latter deposing Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's "A Fool Such As I". He was a fixture on light entertainment TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shows and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
for many years afterwards, appearing at the London Palladium on a number of occasions and becoming a regular on The Billy Cotton Band Show
Billy Cotton Band Show
The Billy Cotton Band Show was a popular Sunday afternoon radio programme on the BBC Light Programme from 1949 to 1968.The band leader, Billy Cotton, was a larger-than-life Cockney character who started each show with the cry “Wakey-Wake-aaaay!”, followed by the band’s signature tune “Somebody...
for several seasons.
His career was blighted by ill health, including a nervous breakdown and subsequently a stroke which preventing him from performing between 1968 and 1971. He also at times drank heavily and smoked up to 80 cigarettes a day. He was prescribed anti-depressants and had periods of severe self-doubt. But he kept up playing. Having being diagnosed with stomach cancer in the late 1980s, he founded in 1990, along with his friend writer and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
Richard Hope-Hawkins, the Russ Conway Cancer Fund and they staged charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
gala shows in major theatres that raised thousands of pounds for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
charities.
He appeared as himself in French and Saunders
French and Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
' 1994 Christmas special, playing "I Like It" in their spoof of The Piano
The Piano
The Piano is a 1993 New Zealand drama film about a mute pianist and her daughter, set during the mid-19th century in a rainy, muddy frontier backwater on the west coast of New Zealand. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion, and stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin...
.
Conway, who never married, died on 16 November 2000. Richard Hope-Hawkins delivered the main eulogy at Conway's funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
held at the historic St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol. Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
sent a wreath. In 2001 Hope-Hawkins devised, staged and directed a tribute to Conway at the Colston Hall
Colston Hall
The Colston Hall is a concert hall and grade II listed building situated on Colston Street, Bristol, England. A popular venue catering for a variety of different entertainers, it seats approximately 2,075 and provides licensed bars, a café and restaurant....
, Bristol with an all-star cast. The £11,000 raised by the event was donated to St Peter's Hospice, Bristol.
LPs
- Pack Up Your Troubles (1958) - UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#9 - Songs To Sing In Your Bath (1959) - UK #8
- Family Favourites (1959) - UK #3
- Time To Celebrate (1959) - UK #3
- My Concerto For You (1960) - UK #5
- Party Time (1960) - UK #7
- At The Cinema (1961)
- Russ Conway Presents 24 Piano Greats (1977) - UK #25
Singles
UK singles with highest position in the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
- "Party Pops" (1957) #24
- "Got a Match" (1958) #30
- "More Party Pops" (1958) #10
- "The World Outside" (1959) #24
- "Side Saddle" (1959) #1
- "Roulette" (1959) #1
- "China Tea" (1959) #5
- "Snow Coach" (1959) #7
- "More And More Party Pops" (1959) #5
- "Royal Event" (1960) #15
- "Fings Ain't Wot They Used To Be" (1960) #47
- "Lucky Five" (1960) #14
- "Passing Breeze" (1960) #16
- "Even More Party Pops" (1960) #27
- "Pepe" (1961) #19
- "Pablo" (1961) #45
- "Say It With Flowers" (1961) #23
- "Toy Balloons" (1961) #7
- "Lesson One" (1962) #21
- "Always You And Me" (1962) #33