Matt Monro

Britain’s answer to Frank Sinatra.  Okay, Matt was no Ol’ Blue Eyes but he carved out a successful career as a romantic ballad singer both in Britain and America in an age dominated by raucous pop singers.  His rise to fame against the Elvis Presley tide was a singular achievement for a small man with… Continue reading Matt Monro

Ronnie Laine

Ronnie Laine, bassist and founder member of The Small Faces, was born in Plaistow, East London, on April 1, 1946, son of a lorry driver.  At 16 he left school and began working as a plumber’s mate then, aged 17, he bought his first guitar and began playing in a band called The Outcasts with… Continue reading Ronnie Laine

Russ Conway

He was the pianist who brought joy with his tinkling fingers and his twinkling smile.  This attractive combination brought Russ Conway huge success in live concert and on record, and made him one of Britain’s biggest-selling artists of the 1950s and 1960s.  From his first chart success in 1957 with a medley of other artists’… Continue reading Russ Conway

Joe Cocker

One of rock and roll’s enduring performers, Cocker has survived the sixties, a low period in the seventies, made a comeback in the eighties, and continues to be a solid and consistent performer in the nineties and on into the 21st century.  Known for his gutsy, gravelly, vocal style, Joe started out in Sheffield in… Continue reading Joe Cocker

Ozzie Osbourne

Born in 1948 in Aston, Birmingham as John Michael Osbourne, the fourth of six children.  The Osbourne family lived in poverty and a crowded house. Ozzy was beaten regularly by his father, mainly for behavior such as trying to kill his siblings.  Constant fighting and arguing between Ozzy’s parents about their financial situation finally prompted… Continue reading Ozzie Osbourne