WEB PAGE NO. 2818 11th September 2021 1ST PICTURE: Young Russ Conway

2nd PICTURE; Royal Navy ID picture

3RD PICTURE; This is Your Life

4TH PICTURE; With Billy Cotton and Cliff Richard

The Twinkling Smile of Russ Conway Russ Conway, DSM was born Trevor Herbert Stanford on 2nd September 1925 and died on 16th November 2000 and had 20 piano instrumentals in the UK Singles Chart between 1957 and 1963, including two number one hits. He was born in Bristol and won a scholarship to Bristol Cathedral Choir School and, after leaving school at 14. He taught himself the piano during a three-year term in a borstal detention centre for stealing from his employers. During the Second World War, he was conscripted into the Royal Navy 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 1944–45. During his Navy service, he lost the tip of the third finger of his right hand while using a bread slicer. At the end of the war, he chose to remain in the Navy, but was discharged in 1948 because of a stomach ulcer. He joined the Merchant Navy as a baggage steward with P&O, but left after a recurrence of the complaint. In 1955, he was talent-spotted while playing in a London club, and was signed to EMI's Columbia label. At Columbia, he worked with Norman Newell, who suggested he adopt the stage name of Russ Conway ('Conway' from Newell's early recording association with the singer Steve Conway, and 'Russ' from the Russ Henderson Steel Band). He then 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, he had 20 UK chart hits, and in 1959 alone he achieved a cumulative total of 83 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. This included two self-penned number one instrumentals, "Side Saddle" and "Roulette", the latter deposing Elvis Presley's "A Fool Such As I". He appeared frequently on light entertainment TV shows and radio for many years afterwards, performing at the London Palladium on a number of occasions and becoming a regular on the Billy Cotton Band Show for several seasons. He also made recordings as a vocalist. Many of his hits feature accompaniment directed by Geoff Love. In 1958 he (as "Trevor H. Stanford") composed, with Norman Newell, the music for the flop musical Mister Venus, which starred Frankie Howerd and Anton Diffring, The show, with book by Ray Galton and Johnny Speight, opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 23rd October 1958 but closed after just sixteen performances. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1959, when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews during a recording session at the BBC's Studio 1 at 201 Piccadilly, London. His career was blighted by ill health, including a nervous breakdown and subsequently a stroke, which prevented 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 been diagnosed with stomach cancer in the late 1980s, in 1990 he founded the Russ Conway Cancer Fund with his friend, writer and broadcaster Richard Hope-Hawkins, 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 "Side Saddle". In the documentary Frankie Howerd: The Lost Tapes, Barry Cryer, commenting on Frankie Howerd not coming out as gay, also said that Russ Conway did not either, as in 'those days' it would have been career suicide. Russ himself said in 1995 that he was unsure about his sexuality: "I haven't the faintest idea what it is....I was certainly no angel in my younger days and I have tried everything there is to try." He never married, died just two weeks after his last public performance. You Write: Colin wites that Winnie the Pooh is banned in China because the Disney Pooh looks too much like their President! Mary Writes: I was lucky enough to live in South Devon for 12 years and a nice run out was to Dartmouth. AA Milne`s son ran the bookshop there and I did visit , like many of the tourists. He was quite a shy man, but very courteous, kind and helpful. He knew of course that many people came in to see him. Years later I was at a book signing at Portsmouth Grammar School where Gyles Brandreth was the speaker, and he said he was his friend & how pleasant he was. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com