Malcolm Vaughan (22 March 1929 – 9 February 2010) was a Welsh

traditional pop Traditional pop (also known as vocal pop or pre-rock and roll pop) is Western culture, Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known ...

singer and actor. Known for his distinctive

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

voice, he had a number of

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in the United Kingdom during the 1950s.

Biography

Born Malcolm James Thomas, in

Abercynon Abercynon () is a village and community (Wales), community (and electoral ward) in the Cynon Valley within the unitary authority of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The community comprises the village and the districts of Carnetown and Grovers Field to ...

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

, he spent much of his childhood in the village of

Troedyrhiw Troed-y-rhiw (, ) is a village and community in the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Its population at the 2011 census was 5,296. It features the Troed-y-rhiw railway station. Governance The community shares a border with the electo ...

, near

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of K ...

after his family relocated there, and sang with the local choir. He first appeared as a stage actor in 1944 when he was cast in

Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flintshi ...

's comedy ''

The Druid's Rest ''The Druid's Rest'' is a 1943 comedy play by the British writer Emlyn Williams. Set in his native Wales it was based on memories of village life there. It takes place entirely in The Druid's Rest a bar in a small community who mistakenly believe ...

'' at the St. Martin's Theatre in London's West End and went on to appear at the

London Hippodrome The Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survi ...

in the musical comedy ''Jenny Jones'', where his singing abilities were first noted by the critic

James Agate James Evershed Agate (9 September 1877 – 6 June 1947) was an English diarist and theatre critic between the two world wars. He took up journalism in his late twenties and was on the staff of ''The Manchester Guardian'' in 1907–1914. He late ...

who said of him that he was "allowed to talk too much and sing too little". He followed this up with a role in a variety show organized by the bandleader and impresario

Jack Hylton Jack Hylton (born John Greenhalgh Hilton; 2 July 1892 – 29 January 1965) was an English pianist, composer, band leader and impresario. Hylton rose to prominence during the British dance band era, being referred as the "British King of Jazz ...

, and a part in the

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...

play ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' at the

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at the junction of Denman Street and Sherwood Street, near Piccadilly Circus, in the City of Westminster, London. It opened in 1928. In its early years the theatre presented a wide range of ...

, which was directed by

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

and also appeared in the first stage production of the popular BBC

Children's Hour ''Children's Hour'', initially ''The Children's Hour'', was the BBC's principal recreational service for children (as distinct from "Broadcasts to Schools") which began during the period when radio was the only medium of broadcasting. ''Childre ...

programme ''The Adventures of Larry the Lamb'' in which he was Dennis the Dachshund, and was an errand boy in the film '' Bedelia'' alongside

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was a British actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), '' Night Train to Munich ...

. He was called up for

National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

in 1947, and served with the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

in Egypt and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, but returned to acting after being demobbed and appeared in Aladdin and Dick Whittington on ice in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, and in 1952 teamed up with three other vocalists to form the ''Welsh Street Singers'' and also went on to support

Old Mother Riley Old Mother Riley is a fictional character portrayed from about 1934 to 1954 by Arthur Lucan and from 1954 to the 1980s by Roy Rolland as part of a British music hall act. Old Mother Riley (full comedy name: Daphne Bluebell Snowdrop Riley) is a ...

in pantomime, then appeared in the revue ''Going Gay in Eastbourne'' in 1953, where he befriended the comedian Kenneth Earle. The pair decided to form a double act, but did not like the sound of "Earle and Thomas". However, after trying out different names they settled on "Earle and Vaughan". In 1963, Malcolm Thomas changed his name by

deed poll A deed poll (plural: deeds poll) is a legal document binding on a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an intention or create an obligation. It is a deed, and not a contract, because it binds only one party. Etymology Th ...

to Malcolm Vaughan. Alongside Earle, Vaughan became the straight man in half of a comedy double act in

variety theatre Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a compè ...

. It was here that his singing career began to develop thanks to his strong voice and after the BBC disc jockey Jack Jackson saw Earle and Vaughan performing at the

Chiswick Empire The Chiswick Empire was a theatre facing Turnham Green in Chiswick that opened in 1912 and closed and was demolished in 1959. A venue for touring artists, some of the greatest names in drama, variety and music hall performed there including Georg ...

in 1955. Jackson was impressed with Vaughan's impersonation of

Mario Lanza Mario Lanza ( , ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer a ...

and arranged an audition with the head of

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

Wally Ridley Walter John Ridley (28 February 1913 – 23 January 2007) was a British record producer and songwriter. Primarily associated with traditional pop music especially in the 1950s, he produced hit records by Alma Cogan, Max Bygraves, Ronnie Hilton ...

. Ridley encouraged Vaughan to record popular ballads of the day and Vaughan had his first hit with " Ev'ry Day of My Life" in 1955. The song reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart. "Ev'ry Day of My Life" was the first of many hits he achieved throughout the latter half of the 1950s, three other major releases being " St. Therese of the Roses" in 1956, 1957's "

My Special Angel "My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957. It was first recorded by the Sonny Land Trio and released by them in 1957, and was a crossover hit that year for Bobby Helms. "My Special Angel," which Bobby Helms rec ...

" and "More Than Ever" (" Come prima") in 1958. In October 1956, he was scheduled to appear on BBC TV's '' Off The Record'' to promote the release of " St. Therese of the Roses". However, the appearance was cancelled after a BBC committee decided that the song was unsuitable for broadcast because "the lyric is contrary both to

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

doctrine and to

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

sentiment." The resulting controversy coupled with airplay on

Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...

ensured the record's success. It climbed to No. 3 and stayed in the UK Singles Chart for five months and ultimately sold half a million copies. Also in 1956, Earle and Vaughan made their debut at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

in '' The British Record Show'', and in January 1957 they appeared on ITV's ''

Sunday Night at the London Palladium ''Tonight at the London Palladium'' is a British television variety show that is hosted from the London Palladium theatre in the West End. Originally produced by ATV for the ITV network from 1955 to 1969, it went by its original name ''Sunday ...

''. Later in 1957 Vaughan appeared in that year's ''

Royal Variety Show The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal ...

'' alongside other 1950s stars, including

Ronnie Hilton Ronnie Hilton (born Adrian Hill; 26 January 1926 – 21 February 2001) was an English singer. According to his obituary in ''The Guardian'' newspaper, "For a time Hilton was a star – strictly for home consumption – with nine Top 20 hits be ...

Dickie Valentine Richard Bryce ( Maxwell; 4 November 1929 – 6 May 1971), known professionally as Dickie Valentine, was a British pop singer who enjoyed great popularity in Britain during the 1950s. In addition to several other Top Ten hit singles, Valentine h ...

and

David Whitfield David Whitfield (2 February 1925 – 15 January 1980) was a popular British male tenor vocalist from Hull. In November 1953 he became the first British male artist to have a number one single in the UK with " Answer Me" (Lita Roza having had a ...

. In 1960, he took part in the national preselection to represent the United Kingdom in that year's Eurovision Song Contest, singing "Each Tomorrow", but he was beaten by

Bryan Johnson Bryan Johnson (born August 22, 1977) is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, writer and author. He is the founder and former CEO of Kernel, a company creating devices that monitor and record brain activity, and OS Fund, a venture ca ...

, whose "Looking High, High, High" went on to finish in second place. In 1961 Vaughan was inducted into the exclusive entertainment fraternity, the

Grand Order of Water Rats The Grand Order of Water Rats is a British entertainment industry fraternity and charitable organisation based in London. Founded in 1889 by the music hall comedians Joe Elvin and Jack Lotto, the order is known for its high-profile membership an ...

. The rise in popularity of

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

saw a dramatic change in musical tastes, and unlike many of his contemporaries, Vaughan's musical career barely survived into the 1960s. However, he continued to act, mostly doing theatre work, and his music continues to be played on the radio. Earle and Vaughan continued as a double act throughout the 1960s before deciding to split up in 1972. Kenneth Earle went on to become an agent, while Vaughan continued on stage, touring in productions of '' The Good Old Days''. He retired in 1982. Vaughan spent a few of his latter years working on the switchboard at the RAF Central Medical Establishment in London. In his later years, Vaughan was diagnosed with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. In 2009, his wife published his autobiography, which helped to raise money for a local Alzheimer's charity. He died, at the age of 80, on 9 February 2010 in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...

, East Sussex, England. He is survived by his widow, Gay (née Hands), and two sons, Daryl Earle Haydn Samuel (born 1957) and Damon Charles Michael (born 1963).

Hit songs

All chart hits were on the

label. * " Ev'ry Day of My Life" / "Mama" (1955) UK No. 5 * "More Than A Millionaire" / "Take Me Back Again" (1955) * "With Your Love" / "Small Talk" (1955) UK No. 18 * "

Only You (And You Alone) "Only You (And You Alone)" (often shortened to "Only You") is a doo wop song composed by Buck Ram, the manager of the Platters, the group that made the song famous in the US, the UK and Belgium. The Platters's lead vocals are by Tony Williams. ...

" / "I'll Be Near You" (1956) * "St. Therese of the Roses" / "Love Me as Though There Were No Tomorrow" (1956) UK No. 3 * "The World is Mine" / "Now" (1957) UK No. 26 * "Chapel of The Roses" / "Guardian Angel" (1957) UK No. 13 * " Oh My Papa" / "What Is My Destiny" (1957) * "

" / "The Heart of a Child" (1957) UK No. 3 * "To Be Loved" / "My Loving Arms" (1958) UK No. 14 * "Ev'ry Hour Ev'ry Day of My Life" / "Miss You" (1958) * "More Than Ever" (" Come prima") / "A Night to Remember" (1958) UK No. 5 * "Wait for Me" (Ti dirò) / "Willingly" (1959) UK No. 13 * "

You'll Never Walk Alone "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical '' Carousel''. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and e ...

" / "The Holy City" (1959) * "Oh So Wunderbar" / "For Everyone in Love" (1960) * "My Love For You" / "

Lady of Spain "Lady of Spain" is a popular song composed in 1931 by Tolchard Evans with lyrics by " Erell Reaves", a pseudonym of Stanley J. Damerell and Robert Hargreaves (1894–1934)I, and by Henry Tilsley. The sheet music was published in London by the ...

" (1960) * "There's No Other Love" / "Dolce Vita" (1961) * " The Wedding" / "Guardian Angel" (1961) * "This Side of Heaven" / "The Love of a Lifetime" (1963)

References

External links

A biography

Singers of the Fabulous Fifties
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vaughan, Malcolm People from Abercynon 1929 births 2010 deaths Welsh male film actors Welsh male singers Welsh tenors 20th-century British Army personnel Male actors from Rhondda Cynon Taf

Biography

Hit songs

Further reading

References

External links