Scott Fitzgerald (singer)
Encyclopedia
Scott Fitzgerald is a Scottish
singer, who had his biggest success in the 1970s and later represented the UK
in the Eurovision Song Contest
.
", a duet
with Yvonne Keeley
and also featuring the St. Thomas More School Choir
, which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart
in 1978. It sold more than one million copies. This version was later used in the 1995 film
, Babe
, which went on to win a FCCA Award for Best Original Music and grossed $254,134,910 worldwide.
Fitzgerald also starred in the musical film
Never Too Young To Rock, which featured himself, Mud
, The Glitter Band
and The Rubettes
.
In 1988, he was chosen to sing the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song
"Go
". It was written
and composed by Julie Forsyth, herself a former member of singing group Guys 'n' Dolls and daughter of the entertainer Bruce Forsyth
. Forsyth joined Fitzgerald on stage at the contest in Dublin, alongside her husband Dominic Grant (also of Guys n' Dolls) and Des Dyer (formerly of Jigsaw
), to perform backing vocals
. Ronnie Hazlehurst
conducted
the live orchestration
. Fitzgerald came second in the contest, by one point, to Switzerland
's entry performed by Celine Dion
. According to author and contest historian, John Kennedy O'Connor, in his book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, this was the closest contest yet, the winning margin being 0.73%. "Go" reached #52 in the UK Singles Chart
in April 1988.
In a Daily Mirror article, Fitzgerald was said to have pleaded with the BBC
to let him forego the Song For Europe 1989 contest, and be selected automatically, in order to try again at winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Fitzgerald and Keeley reunited in 1992 for the single "United We Stand", which was released on Reb Bullet Records. They were both featured on the Babe soundtrack as the opening song. The soundtrack was released in the United States
on 15 August 1995.
Fitzgerald still tours in Europe
and throughout the world.
His son, Ki Fitzgerald, is a classical
crossover singer, called the Bad Boy of Opera. He was also an original member of the UK boy band
, Busted, then using the stage name
of Ki McPhail.
Scott Fitzgerald (born William McPhail, 28 April 1948, Glasgow
, Scotland
) is a Scottish
singer, who had his biggest success in the 1970s and later represented the UK
in the Eurovision Song Contest
.
", a duet
with Yvonne Keeley
and also featuring the St. Thomas More School Choir
, which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart
in 1978. It sold more than one million copies. This version was later used in the 1995 film
, Babe
, which went on to win a FCCA Award for Best Original Music and grossed $254,134,910 worldwide.
Fitzgerald also starred in the musical film
Never Too Young To Rock, which featured himself, Mud
, The Glitter Band
and The Rubettes
.
In 1988, he was chosen to sing the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song
"Go
". It was written
and composed by Julie Forsyth, herself a former member of singing group Guys 'n' Dolls and daughter of the entertainer Bruce Forsyth
. Forsyth joined Fitzgerald on stage at the contest in Dublin, alongside her husband Dominic Grant (also of Guys n' Dolls) and Des Dyer (formerly of Jigsaw
), to perform backing vocals
. Ronnie Hazlehurst
conducted
the live orchestration
. Fitzgerald came second in the contest, by one point, to Switzerland
's entry performed by Celine Dion
. According to author and contest historian, John Kennedy O'Connor, in his book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, this was the closest contest yet, the winning margin being 0.73%. "Go" reached #52 in the UK Singles Chart
in April 1988.
In a Daily Mirror article, Fitzgerald was said to have pleaded with the BBC
to let him forego the Song For Europe 1989 contest, and be selected automatically, in order to try again at winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Fitzgerald and Keeley reunited in 1992 for the single "United We Stand", which was released on Reb Bullet Records. They were both featured on the Babe soundtrack as the opening song. The soundtrack was released in the United States
on 15 August 1995.
Fitzgerald still tours in Europe
and throughout the world.
His son, Ki Fitzgerald, is a classical
crossover singer, called the Bad Boy of Opera. He was also an original member of the UK boy band
, Busted, then using the stage name
of Ki McPhail.
Scott Fitzgerald (born William McPhail, 28 April 1948, Glasgow
, Scotland
) is a Scottish
singer, who had his biggest success in the 1970s and later represented the UK
in the Eurovision Song Contest
.
", a duet
with Yvonne Keeley
and also featuring the St. Thomas More School Choir
, which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart
in 1978. It sold more than one million copies. This version was later used in the 1995 film
, Babe
, which went on to win a FCCA Award for Best Original Music and grossed $254,134,910 worldwide.
Fitzgerald also starred in the musical film
Never Too Young To Rock, which featured himself, Mud
, The Glitter Band
and The Rubettes
.
In 1988, he was chosen to sing the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song
"Go
". It was written
and composed by Julie Forsyth, herself a former member of singing group Guys 'n' Dolls and daughter of the entertainer Bruce Forsyth
. Forsyth joined Fitzgerald on stage at the contest in Dublin, alongside her husband Dominic Grant (also of Guys n' Dolls) and Des Dyer (formerly of Jigsaw
), to perform backing vocals
. Ronnie Hazlehurst
conducted
the live orchestration
. Fitzgerald came second in the contest, by one point, to Switzerland
's entry performed by Celine Dion
. According to author and contest historian, John Kennedy O'Connor, in his book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, this was the closest contest yet, the winning margin being 0.73%. "Go" reached #52 in the UK Singles Chart
in April 1988.
In a Daily Mirror article, Fitzgerald was said to have pleaded with the BBC
to let him forego the Song For Europe 1989 contest, and be selected automatically, in order to try again at winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Fitzgerald and Keeley reunited in 1992 for the single "United We Stand", which was released on Reb Bullet Records. They were both featured on the Babe soundtrack as the opening song. The soundtrack was released in the United States
on 15 August 1995.
Fitzgerald still tours in Europe
and throughout the world.
His son, Ki Fitzgerald, is a classical
crossover singer, called the Bad Boy of Opera. He was also an original member of the UK boy band
, Busted, then using the stage name
of Ki McPhail.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
singer, who had his biggest success in the 1970s and later represented the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Career
Fitzgerald's greatest success was with "If I Had WordsIf I Had Words
"If I Had Words" was a 1977 UK hit song performed by Scott Fitzgerald as a duet with Yvonne Keeley. It reached number 3 in the UK charts and number 24 in the Australian charts in 1978. It sold more than one million copies...
", a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Yvonne Keeley
Yvonne Keeley
Yvonne Keeley is a Dutch pop music singer. She is the sister of Patricia Paay. Her surname is often misspelt as Keely....
and also featuring the St. Thomas More School Choir
St Thomas More RC Language College
St Thomas More Language College is a Roman Catholic secondary school in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is named after Thomas More who was beheaded by King Henry VIII when Lord Chancellor. Saint Thomas More lived in the Chelsea borough which is where the school is now...
, which reached number three 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 1978. It sold more than one million copies. This version was later used in the 1995 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
, which went on to win a FCCA Award for Best Original Music and grossed $254,134,910 worldwide.
Fitzgerald also starred in the musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
Never Too Young To Rock, which featured himself, Mud
Mud (band)
Mud were an English glam rock band, formed in February 1968, best remembered for their single "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974...
, The Glitter Band
The Glitter Band
The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first four hit singles by Gary Glitter from 1972 to 1973. The...
and The Rubettes
The Rubettes
The Rubettes were an English pop band assembled in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, then the head of A&R at Polydor Records, and his co-songwriter, Tony Waddington, after their doo-wop and 1950s American pop-influenced songs had been rejected by a number of existing acts...
.
In 1988, he was chosen to sing the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Go
Go (Scott Fitzgerald song)
"Go", written and composed by Julie Forsyth, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, performed by Scott Fitzgerald....
". It was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and composed by Julie Forsyth, herself a former member of singing group Guys 'n' Dolls and daughter of the entertainer Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
. Forsyth joined Fitzgerald on stage at the contest in Dublin, alongside her husband Dominic Grant (also of Guys n' Dolls) and Des Dyer (formerly of Jigsaw
Jigsaw (band)
Jigsaw were an English pop music group, fronted by the singer-songwriter duo of Clive Scott and Des Dyer. In Australia the group was called "British Jigsaw" due to the existence of a local band of the same name.-Overview:...
), to perform backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
. Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronald "Ronnie" Hazlehurst was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director....
conducted
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
the live orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
. Fitzgerald came second in the contest, by one point, to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's entry performed by Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
. According to author and contest historian, John Kennedy O'Connor, in his book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, this was the closest contest yet, the winning margin being 0.73%. "Go" reached #52 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 ...
in April 1988.
In a Daily Mirror article, Fitzgerald was said to have pleaded with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to let him forego the Song For Europe 1989 contest, and be selected automatically, in order to try again at winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Fitzgerald and Keeley reunited in 1992 for the single "United We Stand", which was released on Reb Bullet Records. They were both featured on the Babe soundtrack as the opening song. The soundtrack was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 15 August 1995.
Fitzgerald still tours in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and throughout the world.
His son, Ki Fitzgerald, is a classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
crossover singer, called the Bad Boy of Opera. He was also an original member of the UK boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
, Busted, then using the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of Ki McPhail.
External links
Scott Fitzgerald (born William McPhail, 28 April 1948, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) is a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
singer, who had his biggest success in the 1970s and later represented the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Career
Fitzgerald's greatest success was with "If I Had WordsIf I Had Words
"If I Had Words" was a 1977 UK hit song performed by Scott Fitzgerald as a duet with Yvonne Keeley. It reached number 3 in the UK charts and number 24 in the Australian charts in 1978. It sold more than one million copies...
", a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Yvonne Keeley
Yvonne Keeley
Yvonne Keeley is a Dutch pop music singer. She is the sister of Patricia Paay. Her surname is often misspelt as Keely....
and also featuring the St. Thomas More School Choir
St Thomas More RC Language College
St Thomas More Language College is a Roman Catholic secondary school in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is named after Thomas More who was beheaded by King Henry VIII when Lord Chancellor. Saint Thomas More lived in the Chelsea borough which is where the school is now...
, which reached number three 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 1978. It sold more than one million copies. This version was later used in the 1995 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
, which went on to win a FCCA Award for Best Original Music and grossed $254,134,910 worldwide.
Fitzgerald also starred in the musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
Never Too Young To Rock, which featured himself, Mud
Mud (band)
Mud were an English glam rock band, formed in February 1968, best remembered for their single "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974...
, The Glitter Band
The Glitter Band
The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first four hit singles by Gary Glitter from 1972 to 1973. The...
and The Rubettes
The Rubettes
The Rubettes were an English pop band assembled in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, then the head of A&R at Polydor Records, and his co-songwriter, Tony Waddington, after their doo-wop and 1950s American pop-influenced songs had been rejected by a number of existing acts...
.
In 1988, he was chosen to sing the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Go
Go (Scott Fitzgerald song)
"Go", written and composed by Julie Forsyth, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, performed by Scott Fitzgerald....
". It was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and composed by Julie Forsyth, herself a former member of singing group Guys 'n' Dolls and daughter of the entertainer Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
. Forsyth joined Fitzgerald on stage at the contest in Dublin, alongside her husband Dominic Grant (also of Guys n' Dolls) and Des Dyer (formerly of Jigsaw
Jigsaw (band)
Jigsaw were an English pop music group, fronted by the singer-songwriter duo of Clive Scott and Des Dyer. In Australia the group was called "British Jigsaw" due to the existence of a local band of the same name.-Overview:...
), to perform backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
. Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronald "Ronnie" Hazlehurst was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director....
conducted
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
the live orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
. Fitzgerald came second in the contest, by one point, to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's entry performed by Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
. According to author and contest historian, John Kennedy O'Connor, in his book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, this was the closest contest yet, the winning margin being 0.73%. "Go" reached #52 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 ...
in April 1988.
In a Daily Mirror article, Fitzgerald was said to have pleaded with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to let him forego the Song For Europe 1989 contest, and be selected automatically, in order to try again at winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Fitzgerald and Keeley reunited in 1992 for the single "United We Stand", which was released on Reb Bullet Records. They were both featured on the Babe soundtrack as the opening song. The soundtrack was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 15 August 1995.
Fitzgerald still tours in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and throughout the world.
His son, Ki Fitzgerald, is a classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
crossover singer, called the Bad Boy of Opera. He was also an original member of the UK boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
, Busted, then using the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of Ki McPhail.
External links
Scott Fitzgerald (born William McPhail, 28 April 1948, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) is a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
singer, who had his biggest success in the 1970s and later represented the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Career
Fitzgerald's greatest success was with "If I Had WordsIf I Had Words
"If I Had Words" was a 1977 UK hit song performed by Scott Fitzgerald as a duet with Yvonne Keeley. It reached number 3 in the UK charts and number 24 in the Australian charts in 1978. It sold more than one million copies...
", a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Yvonne Keeley
Yvonne Keeley
Yvonne Keeley is a Dutch pop music singer. She is the sister of Patricia Paay. Her surname is often misspelt as Keely....
and also featuring the St. Thomas More School Choir
St Thomas More RC Language College
St Thomas More Language College is a Roman Catholic secondary school in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is named after Thomas More who was beheaded by King Henry VIII when Lord Chancellor. Saint Thomas More lived in the Chelsea borough which is where the school is now...
, which reached number three 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 1978. It sold more than one million copies. This version was later used in the 1995 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
, which went on to win a FCCA Award for Best Original Music and grossed $254,134,910 worldwide.
Fitzgerald also starred in the musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
Never Too Young To Rock, which featured himself, Mud
Mud (band)
Mud were an English glam rock band, formed in February 1968, best remembered for their single "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974...
, The Glitter Band
The Glitter Band
The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first four hit singles by Gary Glitter from 1972 to 1973. The...
and The Rubettes
The Rubettes
The Rubettes were an English pop band assembled in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, then the head of A&R at Polydor Records, and his co-songwriter, Tony Waddington, after their doo-wop and 1950s American pop-influenced songs had been rejected by a number of existing acts...
.
In 1988, he was chosen to sing the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Go
Go (Scott Fitzgerald song)
"Go", written and composed by Julie Forsyth, was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, performed by Scott Fitzgerald....
". It was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and composed by Julie Forsyth, herself a former member of singing group Guys 'n' Dolls and daughter of the entertainer Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
. Forsyth joined Fitzgerald on stage at the contest in Dublin, alongside her husband Dominic Grant (also of Guys n' Dolls) and Des Dyer (formerly of Jigsaw
Jigsaw (band)
Jigsaw were an English pop music group, fronted by the singer-songwriter duo of Clive Scott and Des Dyer. In Australia the group was called "British Jigsaw" due to the existence of a local band of the same name.-Overview:...
), to perform backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
. Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronald "Ronnie" Hazlehurst was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director....
conducted
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
the live orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
. Fitzgerald came second in the contest, by one point, to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's entry performed by Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
. According to author and contest historian, John Kennedy O'Connor, in his book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, this was the closest contest yet, the winning margin being 0.73%. "Go" reached #52 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 ...
in April 1988.
In a Daily Mirror article, Fitzgerald was said to have pleaded with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to let him forego the Song For Europe 1989 contest, and be selected automatically, in order to try again at winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Fitzgerald and Keeley reunited in 1992 for the single "United We Stand", which was released on Reb Bullet Records. They were both featured on the Babe soundtrack as the opening song. The soundtrack was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 15 August 1995.
Fitzgerald still tours in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and throughout the world.
His son, Ki Fitzgerald, is a classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
crossover singer, called the Bad Boy of Opera. He was also an original member of the UK boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
, Busted, then using the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of Ki McPhail.