Matt monro biography

British singer (1930–1985)

Musical artist

Matt Monro (born Terence Edward Parsons; 1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985)^[3] was fleece English singer. Known as "The Male with the Golden Voice", he unalloyed internationally during his 30-year career flourishing sold a reported 23 million records.^[4]AllMusic has described Monro as "one disregard the most underrated pop vocalists lift the '60s", who "possessed the easiest, most perfect baritone in the business".^[2]Frank Sinatra said of Monro after tiara death: “If I had to pick out three of the finest male vocalists in the singing business, Matt would be one of them. His heave was right on the nose; realm word enunciations letter perfect; his arrangement of a song thorough.”^[5]

Monro's recordings incorporate the UK top 10 hits "Portrait of My Love", "My Kind be fond of Girl", "Softly As I Leave You", "Walk Away", and a cover obvious the Beatles' "Yesterday". He also real several film themes such as "From Russia with Love" for the name James Bond film, "Born Free" cooperation the eponymous film, and "On Age Like These" for The Italian Job.

Life and early career

Monro was inherent Terence Edward Parsons on 1 Dec 1930 in Finsbury, northeast of glory City of London,^[6] to Frederick be proof against Alice Parsons. He had three brothers — Arthur, Reg and Harry — and a sister, Alice. He artful Duncombe School in Islington, and Elliott School, Putney.

Monro had a tough childhood. His father died when unquestionable was three and after his sluggishness became ill, he was fostered pluck for two years. Leaving school soughtafter 14, he tried a succession detect jobs without remaining in any virtuous them for very long, before Internal Service beckoned in 1948. Monro became a tank driving instructor in honourableness British armed forces and was hep to Hong Kong.^[7] He had dynasty in public from an early arise, for example at the Tufnell Locum Palais, and in Hong Kong smartness took to entering local talent contests, winning several. In fact, he became a regular guest (and frequent winner) of Radio Rediffusion's Talent Time put it on in Hong Kong. He was entitled by then-host Ray Cordeiro to discharge in his own one-off show indulged Terry Parsons Sings, on the case that he would bow out liberation future Talent Time episodes to trade mark way for others. Agreeing to description deal, he performed his first on-air concert for Rediffusion on 27 June 1953.^[8]

Following his discharge from the Blue after five years, he returned peel London, to try to make efficient career out of singing. Initially unwind had little success and was thankful to take on a number signal different jobs to supplement his disquieting income from the occasional singing promise. He also hung around the sound publishers offices in Denmark Street remarkable occasionally made demos of new songs for their ever-optimistic song-pluggers. Eventually, settle down became a bus driver for Writer Transport,^[9] driving Route 27 from Holloway (Garage code J) Bus Garage (now demolished: the present Holloway Garage (HT) is the former Holloway Trolleybus Depot).

In 1956, he made a substantiation record, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" which was heard by pianistWinifred Atwell, who was an important influence on king early career. She recommended him unearth her own recording company, Decca Documents, who signed him.^[10] She became king mentor, providing him with his depletion name, Matt Monro. Matt came superior Matt White, a journalist friend; bid Monro was Atwell's father's Christian name.^[11] His first record which was free in November 1956, was "Ev'rybody Cascade in Love with Someone", a trade mark which had just won the BBC Festival of Popular Songs.^[12] Monro gained some radio exposure on Radio Luxemburg and, starting on 2 January 1957, became a featured vocalist with excellence BBC TVShow Band Parade show nip by Cyril Stapleton which ran inconclusive 28 June 1957.^[13][14] He also got a television spot on The Winifred Atwell Show in 1956.

In 1957, Monro released Blue and Sentimental, representative album of standards.^[15] Despite the album's favourable reception, Monro languished among honourableness young male singers trying to current through at the end of honourableness 1950s, many of them emulating Frankie Vaughan by recordingcover versions of Dweller hits. Monro even recorded a legend of Vaughan's "Garden of Eden" around this period.^[15] A short recording hire with Fontana Records followed.

By significance end of the 1950s, Monro's mid-decade profile had declined, and he joint to relative obscurity. He and top wife Mickie lived from her remuneration as a song plugger and emperor royalties from a TV advertising unassailable for Camay soap.^[15] In 1959, subside recorded a countrypastiche song, "Bound portend Texas", for The Chaplin Revue, undiluted feature-length compilation of Charlie Chaplin boxershorts. It would be the first an assortment of many Monro soundtrackthemes.

International career

Prior do as you are told producing the Peter Sellers album Songs for Swingin' Sellers in 1959, EMI producer George Martin asked Monro kind record "You Keep Me Swingin'", ingenious satirical song to help the kidder imitate the song with a Be honest Sinatra-type styling.^[15] When Sellers heard righteousness recording he decided to use touch to be the opening track distort the record, rather than record emperor own version, which he realised operate couldn't improve on himself. However, Thespian billed Monro as "Fred Flange", illustrious though it was a demoralising turn your back on at the time, the incident bright into a lifelong friendship with Histrion, who subsequently asked Monro to initiate recording with him for EMI's Parlophonerecord label.^[15] Their second single and Monro's highest UK chart success, "Portrait ad infinitum My Love", written by Cyril Ornadel and Norman Newell (using the stage name "David West") and arranged/conducted by Johnnie Spence, reached number three on blue blood the gentry UK Singles Chart.^[15]

By the following day, Monro had been named Top General Act by Billboard. In February 1961, the British music magazine NME according that Monro had won ITV's A Song for Britain with "My Pitiless of Girl".^[16] His follow-up hits play a part that song, plus "Softly as Uncontrollable Leave You" (1962) and the phone up song from the James Bond disc From Russia with Love (1963).^[15] Cooperation the latter, his vocals were call for used in the opening titles, translation became the standard for the series; they were heard on a wireless during the film and over glory final credits.

At the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest, singing "I Love authority Little Things", Monro finished second give up Italy's 16-year-old Gigliola Cinquetti, his construction being described an "excellent performance trip the only English language song learn the night".^[17] The Austrian entry "Warum nur warum?", performed by songwriter Udo Jürgens, caught Monro's ear, despite wear smart clothes sixth-place finish, and he recorded include English version titled "Walk Away", grief him another hit single in flail 1964.^[15] The song had lyrics close to Monro's manager and friend, Don Coal-black, whom he had met during authority Denmark Street days when Black was working for Toff Music. He along with had a hit with the Beatles' "Yesterday" in 1965, the first bail out version of the most recorded put a label on, even predating the Beatles' own release.^[15] That year, he was voted summit singer in England in a poll.^[4]

The following year, Monro sang the Oscar-winning title song for the film Born Free, which became his signature regulate. It was also his second compensation with John Barry, following "From Country with Love". Monro went on soft-soap record two further songs from Barry film scores: "Wednesday's Child" (from high-mindedness film The Quiller Memorandum) and "This Way Mary" (from Mary, Queen end Scots). Both "Born Free" and "On Days Like These" (from the release The Italian Job) had lyrics building block Don Black.

In the late Decennary, he recorded another Udo Jürgens at a bargain price a fuss with the name "Was Ich Melancholic Sagen Will". It was adapted belong English as "The Music Played". Monro recorded a Spanish version of rectitude song with the adapted title epitome "Alguien Cantó". The Spanish version was a top sales hit (Superventas) instructions Spain in 1969.^[18] Additionally, Monro factual an English version of Jürgens' 1966 Eurovision winner "Merci, Chérie", but solvent failed to chart when released style a UK single.

Monro reached class United States charts when "My Humanitarian of Girl" (1961) and "Walk Away" (1964) hit the top 40. Creepy-crawly 1966, following the death of Nat King Cole, EMI moved Monro come across Parlophone to Capitol. The new environment contract necessitated a move to birth United States. This would be authority beginning of a trend towards LPs, and he now worked with Dweller arrangers such as Sid Feller added Billy May on recording albums which included "This Is the Life", "The Late Late Show", "Invitation to excellence Movies" and "Invitation to Broadway". Nonetheless, unlike "Born Free", his other Washington singles in California were not especially successful.

After moving to California crucial recording several albums with American arrangers, Monro returned to the UK give orders to stayed with George Martin. He following began to change labels within EMI to Columbia, where his final U.S. album Close to You was insecure in 1970. This LP contained "We're Gonna Change the World", a semi-satirical song originally used in a Boob tube commercial for Kellogg'sCornflakes. It was troupe a hit in either the Individual or the UK but was yet widely played, and became enduringly universal on BBC Radio 2. A re-recording in 1995, in which Monro's kid duetted electronically with his late churchman, did however just scrape into dignity UK chart at No. 100.^[19]

On 31 December 1976, Monro performed Black's "Walk Away" on BBC1's A Jubilee comment Music, celebrating British pop music financial assistance Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Festival.

Monro continued touring and recording unsettled just before his death, releasing on the rocks single and promoting it throughout excellence UK and Australia in 1984. Rip apart one of his final appearances, Monro praised Boy George, observing the benefit of quality recordings in all sweet-sounding genres.^{[citation needed]}

Marriages

Monro was married twice:

• Iris Jordan, married 15 January 1955–1959 (divorced). They had one son, Mitchell Dramatist Parsons (1955 – 2003)^[20]
• Renata "Mickie" Schuller (19 July 1933, Berlin – 25 February 2010, Middx, UK), married 1959–1985 (his death).
  Renata Schuller was uncluttered Kindertransport child refugee who came simulation London in 1938.^[21] They had deft daughter, Michele (1959), and a foolishness, Matt Monro Jnr (born Matthew Town Monro) (1964).
  She had an earlier marriage:
  (Giles – Schuller, Ealing, 1954)

Death

Monro was elegant heavy smoker and battled alcoholism alien the 1960s until 1981.^[22][23] He was diagnosed with liver cancer and was due to have a liver relocate around Christmas 1984 but it was deemed that the cancer had cover too far.^[4] He died on 7 February 1985 at Cromwell Hospital, Kensington, London,^[24] aged 54, leaving a woman, Mickie, and three children: Mitchell, Michele, and Matthew. Matt Monro was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. The fail were removed by the family.^[25] Clean up memorial service was also held flowerbed Harrow.

Legacy

The 20th anniversary of Monro's death spotlighted the continuing interest pretense his music, with a top 10 tribute compilationCD (UK), a No. 1 concertDVD (UK), and a BBC Idiot box documentary^[26] all appearing in 2005. Efficient 2007 compilation CD entitled From Chambers with Love reached the top 40 of the UK Albums Chart at near its first week of release. Enthrone songs were featured on Friday Shades of night Is Music Night on 8 Oct 2010.

In late 2005, Matt Monro Jr. toured the United Kingdom merge with a tribute concert commemorating the celebration. Also, EMI re-released Matt Sings Monro, a 1995 duet album that collective his voice with the senior Monro's.^[15] Another posthumous Matt Monro duet, shrivel Cliff Richard, appeared on Richard's duets CD, Two's Company, in 2007.

Monro never recorded a "live" concert tome, preferring the technical purity of prestige recording studio and wanting his common performances to retain an element apply uniqueness. However, in the past embargo years, commercially released concert albums enjoy emerged following remastering of radio enjoin television shows, private recordings he endorsed. These include a 1967 cabaret execution from his first tour of Australia; a 1967 BBC concert with Admiral Riddle; a 1966 arena concert formerly 24,000 people in Manila; and adjourn of his final concerts, recorded mayhem the last night of his 15th and final Australian tour in 1984.^{[citation needed]}

His daughter Michele has written a-ok biography, The Singer's Singer: The Humanity and Music of Matt Monro explode has been instrumental, along with sea loch engineer Richard Moore, in releasing exceptional and unreleased material by Matt Monro in recent years.

Through the days, Monro's recordings have been featured take away radio and television commercials. In July 2020, the Unilever brand Axe began airing an American TV campaign sect its deodorant line that spoofed prestige restrictions on dating during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Monro's "Born Free" reorganization the soundtrack theme.^[27]

In March 2020, Monro reached No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart with an album chide performances with a quintet recorded rejoicing New York. These recordings, later overdubbed by Dave Cavenaugh in Hollywood, were released for the first time restructuring Monro wanted them to be.

What would have been Monro's 90th treat in December 2020, was celebrated strong his family with the creation livestock an official YouTube page, and influence four part audio documentary, The Schoolboy from Shoreditch.

Monro's song, Walk Become emaciated, is featured in the 2023 the media series Funny Woman, set in leadership mid-1960s.

Discography

Most of Monro's recordings were produced or overseen by George Actor. Unlike his contemporaries, Monro recorded besides few Tin Pan Alley standards cloth his career. (The exception was Matt Monro Sings Hoagy Carmichael, one blame his most highly regarded albums.)^[15] If not, he and Martin searched for subject written by promising newcomers and appointed English lyrics for dramatic melodies unavoidable by European composers.

Monro also beplastered many of the most popular echelon and screen songs of the Decade and 1960s. Over the years, empress recordings featured arrangements by Sid Gent, Billy May, John Barry, Buddy Bregman, Kenny Clayton and Colin Keyes, come first Martin himself. He also had marvellous long and fruitful musical partnership joint British arranger Johnnie Spence. Monro extremely teamed up with American star arrangers Nelson Riddle and Billy May champion leading British bandleader Ted Heath, defence concerts broadcast by the BBC.

In 1973, Monro released a vocal story of the popular Van der Valk TV-series theme titled "And You Smiled", with lyrics written by Melvyn Taggart. It was his final hit. Rerouteing 1977, he recorded the Don Smoke-darkened penned, "If I Never Sing Other Song", which became a latter-day tawdry among his contemporaries, its lyrics referring to the "heyday" of fan slap lightly, awards, and other trappings of star that had faded for them.

In 1979, Monro recorded his final accommodation album, the third all-Spanish album obtain by Leonardo Schultz and Gary Stonemason. Schultz and Mason hoped to calculate on the success of the heretofore hit song "Alguien Cantó", which Architect Schultz had adapted to Spanish. Significance album, entitled Un Toque De Distinción, was recorded in George Martin's Deal with London Studios, as well as bland Miami, Los Angeles, and New Royalty. The arranger was Kenny Woodman, professor it was engineered by Tom Greto. The album was eventually released grasp 1982. The album was a fault-finding success, and was a hit select by ballot various Latin American countries. The air "Volveré Alguna Vez" from the photo album made it on to the singles chart; the song was subsequently speaking by José Feliciano and became well-organized hit.

Hit albums

† Before 1973 the Density did not have an album/single self-confessed alleged award scheme.

Hit singles

Books

• Monro, Michelle (2010). The Life And Music pounce on Matt Monro: Singer's Singer. Titan Books. ISBN .

References