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United Kingdom In The Eurovision Song Contest 1961
The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1961 with the song " Are You Sure?", written by John Alford and Bob Day, and performed by themselves as the Allisons. The British participating broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), selected its entry through a national final. The entry came 2nd in the contest and reached No2 in the UK singles charts. Before Eurovision ''A Song for Europe'' The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) held a national pre-selection to choose the song that would go to the Eurovision Song Contest 1961. It was held on 15 February 1961 and presented by Katie Boyle. The songs were voted on by a total of 120 jurors aged between 19 and 40 who were divided into 12 juries of ten in the following cities: Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast, Leeds, Bangor, Manchester, Norwich, Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Bristol, and Southampton. The Eric Robinson Orchestra supplied the music and vocal backing was provided by the Beryl Stott Si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Song For Europe
A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''English alphabet#Letter names, a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient Greek letter alpha, from which it derives. The uppercase version consists of the two slanting sides of a triangle, crossed in the middle by a horizontal bar. The lowercase version is often written in one of two forms: the double-storey and single-storey . The latter is commonly used in handwriting and fonts based on it, especially fonts intended to be read by children, and is also found in italic type. In English, ''English articles, a'' is the indefinite article, with the alternative form ''an''. Name In English, the name of the letter is the ''long A'' sound, pronounced . Its name in most other languages matches the letter's pronunciation in open syllables. History The earliest know ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Are You Sure? (The Allisons Song)
"Are You Sure?" is a song by pop duo The Allisons, that represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, performed in English. The song was performed 15th on the night of the contest, held on 18 March 1961, following 's Jean-Claude Pascal with "Nous les amoureux", and preceding 's Betty Curtis Roberta Corti (21 March 1936 – 15 June 2006), better known by her stage name Betty Curtis, was an Italian singer active from 1957 to 2004. Curtis grew up in the Zone 8 of Milan's borough Cagnola. She started singing in night clubs at an early a ... with " Al di là". The song received 24 points, placing 2nd in a field of 16, the third consecutive second place Eurovision finish for the UK for whom two subsequent Eurovision entrants would also be second-place finishers before " Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw would give the UK its first Eurovision victory in . "Are You Sure?" was also the first UK Eurovision entrant to become a Top Ten hit reaching #2 UK, the be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Allisons
The Allisons were an English pop duo consisting of Bob Day (born Bernard Colin Day; 2 February 1941 – 25 November 2013) and John Alford (born Brian Henry John Alford, 31 December 1939 – 13 November 2023). They were marketed as being brothers, using the surname of Allison. Career The Allisons represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961 with the song " Are You Sure?". They came second with 24 points. The song was released as a single on the Fontana label, and climbed to number 1 on the UK ''NME'' pop chart, while in the chart compiled by the Official Charts Company the song spent six weeks at number 2 and a further three weeks in the top 4. "Are You Sure" sold over one million records, earning a gold disc. In Germany the single reached number 11. Despite a couple of minor follow-up hits, the duo disbanded in 1963. Alford initially tried songwriting, but he and Day teamed up for short tours to keep the 'Allisons' name alive. Additionally, in the 197 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurovision Song Contest 1961
The Eurovision Song Contest 1961 was the 6th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 18 March 1961 in the in Cannes, France. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (RTF), and originally known as the (), the contest was held in following the country's victory at the with the song "Tom Pillibi" by Jacqueline Boyer. It was the second time that France had hosted the contest, becoming the first country to host the contest on two separate occasions, following the which was also held in the in Cannes. Just as in 1959, the event was presented by Jacqueline Joubert, one of only three individuals to have hosted more than one Eurovision Song Contest. A new record of sixteen countries competed in this event, with the thirteen nations which competed in 1960 returning alongside , and , all three making their first contest appearances. The winner was with the song "", composed by Jacques Datin, written by and performed by Jean-Claude Pascal, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Allisons
The Allisons were an English pop duo consisting of Bob Day (born Bernard Colin Day; 2 February 1941 – 25 November 2013) and John Alford (born Brian Henry John Alford, 31 December 1939 – 13 November 2023). They were marketed as being brothers, using the surname of Allison. Career The Allisons represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961 with the song " Are You Sure?". They came second with 24 points. The song was released as a single on the Fontana label, and climbed to number 1 on the UK ''NME'' pop chart, while in the chart compiled by the Official Charts Company the song spent six weeks at number 2 and a further three weeks in the top 4. "Are You Sure" sold over one million records, earning a gold disc. In Germany the single reached number 11. Despite a couple of minor follow-up hits, the duo disbanded in 1963. Alford initially tried songwriting, but he and Day teamed up for short tours to keep the 'Allisons' name alive. Additionally, in the 197 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Broadcasting Corporation
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public broadcasting, public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current state with its current name on New Year's Day 1927. The oldest and largest local and global broadcaster by stature and by number of employees, the BBC employs over 21,000 staff in total, of whom approximately 17,200 are in public-sector broadcasting. The BBC was established under a Royal charter#United Kingdom, royal charter, and operates under an agreement with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Its work is funded principally by an annual Television licensing in the United Kingdom, television licence fee which is charged to all British households, companies, and organisations using any type of equipment to receive or record live television broadcasts or to use the BBC's streaming service, BBC iPlayer, iPla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Katie Boyle
Caterina Irene Elena Maria Boyle, Lady Saunders (; 29 May 1926 – 20 March 2018), usually known as Katie Boyle, was an Italian-born British actress, writer, radio announcer and television personality. She became best known for presenting the Eurovision Song Contest on a record four occasions: in , , and ; the first three in London and the last in Brighton, England. She was also an agony aunt, answering problems that had been posted by readers of the '' TVTimes''. Early life, modelling and film career She was born on 29 May 1926 in a royal palace in Florence, Tuscany, Italy, which had once belonged to the Italian royal family, the daughter of an Italian marquis (the Marchese Demetrio Imperiali di Francavilla) and his English wife, Dorothy Kate Ramsden. She came to the United Kingdom in 1946 and started a modelling career, which included work for such publications as '' Vogue''. She also appeared in several 1950s films, the first being '' Old Mother Riley Headmistress'' (1950) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Wynter
Mark Wynter (born Terence Sidney Lewis; 29 January 1943) is an English singer and actor, who had four Top 20 singles in the 1960s, including "Venus in Blue Jeans" and " Go Away Little Girl". He enjoyed a lengthy career from 1960 to 1968 as a pop singer and teen idol, and developed later into an actor in film, musicals and plays. Career With his early musical career on a proper footing, Terry Lewis decided to change his name to lessen the confusion with the American comedian, Jerry Lewis. He was entered as one of the contenders for the UK's place in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961, with "Dream Girl", but finished fourth behind The Allisons. His cover version of the American hit by Jimmy Clanton, "Venus in Blue Jeans" (1962), was his biggest success. Although he recorded a number of singles for the Decca and Pye labels in the UK, he made few albums. Some recorded material came to light in 2004 when Wynter discovered old tapes. On 8 April 1968 Wynter escaped from a burn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Craig Douglas
Terence Perkins (born 13 August 1941) known professionally as Craig Douglas, is an English pop singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His sole UK chart-topper, "Only Sixteen" (1959), sold more copies in the UK than Sam Cooke's original version. Career Born a twin, in Newport, Isle of Wight, the former Terence Perkins was employed as a milkman before becoming a professional singer and was known to many as the 'Singing Milkman'. His manager was Bunny Lewis, who gave him the name Craig Douglas. Lewis saw the name outside a house in Scotland. Douglas said there were a number of Terrys around at the time and not many Craigs, and that was one of the reasons his name was changed. Voted Best New Singer in 1959 in the British music magazine ''NME'', Douglas went on to record eight cover versions of former American hit songs, in his total of nine Top 40 UK singles. Amongst that tally, Douglas had a Number One single in 1959 with "Only Sixteen", which easily outso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ricky Valance
David Spencer (10 April 193612 June 2020), known professionally as Ricky Valance, was a Welsh pop singer. He was best known for the UK number one single " Tell Laura I Love Her", which sold more than a million copies in 1960. He was the first male Welsh singer to have a UK number one single hit. Early life Born as David Spencer in Ynysddu, Monmouthshire, Wales, the eldest of seven children, he sang in his church choir and worked in a coal mine and a factory before joining the RAF at the age of 17. "First Person: Ricky Valance", ''South Wales Argus'', 19 December 2012 retrieved 12 June 2020. Music career He started his musical career after leaving the armed forces. He performed in local < ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bryan Johnson (singer)
Bryan Johnson (18 July 1926 – 18 October 1995) was an English singer and actor. Biography Having been eliminated in the semi-finals of the 1957 UK heats for Eurovision, he later emulated his brother and sister-in-law, Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson, by coming second in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960, with " Looking High, High, High". The single reached number 20 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1960. Johnson also participated in ''A Song for Europe'', the UK qualifying heat for Eurovision in 1961. His song, "A Place in the Country" came fifth. He was also an actor who, in Donald Wolfit's company, played such roles as Feste in ''Twelfth Night'' and the Fool in ''King Lear''. In Ronald Harwood's biography of Wolfit, the actor is quoted as saying (p. 251) that he was "the best Fool I ever had". Later he played roles in musicals such as ''Lock Up Your Daughters'', and enjoyed a late success as Scrooge in a touring production of ''A Christmas Carol''. He was an actor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anne Shelton (singer)
Anne Shelton (born Patricia Jacqueline Sibley, 10 November 1923 – 31 July 1994) was a popular English vocalist, who is remembered for providing Forces Sweetheart, inspirational songs for soldiers both on radio broadcasts, and in person, at British military bases during the Second World War. During the 1950s and 60s, Shelton had some success on the UK Singles Chart, topping it in 1956 with "Lay Down Your Arms (1956 song), Lay Down Your Arms". Early life Shelton was born on 10 November 1923 in Dulwich, South London. Singing career In May 1940 at age 16, she appeared on the BBC talent radio show "Monday Night at Eight" and sang 'Let the Curtain Come Down'. The dance-band leader Bert Ambrose heard her performance, and signed her to sing with his prestigious and popular 'Ambrose Orchestra'. She made her first broadcast with Ambrose in June 1940 and she soon made her first solo record for Rex Records "I Can't Love You Any More" backed with "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
