On this day (November 4) in 1929, Richard Maxwell was born in Marylebone, London, England. Known professionally as Dickie Valentine, the British pop singer enjoyed a period of chart success in the 1950s, scoring two No. 1 hits in 1954’s “The Finger of Suspicion” featuring the Stargazers and the seasonal hit “Christmas Alphabet” (1955). He received Top Male Vocalist honors in the United Kingdom in 1952.
On May 6, 1971, Dickie Valentine died in a car crash on the way home from a concert in Wales. He was just 41 years old. Today, we’re taking a trip through his life and career in honor of what would have been his 96th birthday.
Dickie Valentine Was a Child Star
At just three years old, Dickie Valentine made his show business debut in the 1932 British comedy film Jack’s the Boy. Continuing to work in entertainment, he developed an act impersonating famous singers of the time.
Valentine’s break came when music publisher Sid Green heard him singing at the Panama Club and told bandleader Ted Heath about the young man’s talent. In February 1949, the iconic singer signed a then-unknown Valentine to the Ted Heath Orchestra, Britain’s most successful big-band act.
He Sang the First-Ever UK Christmas No. 1 Hit
After five years with the band, Dickie Valentine struck out on his own. Winning fans over with his famous wisecracks and impersonations of celebrities including Johnnie Ray, Frankie Laine, Mario Lanza, and Billy Daniels, he eventually signed with Decca Records.
In 1954, Valentine recorded “The Finger of Suspicion (Points at You)”, written by Paul Mann and Al Lewis. His version spent a week at the top of the UK singles chart in 1955. It was briefly dethroned by Rosemary Clooney’s “Mambo Italiano” before returning to No. 1 for another two-week reign.
That same year, he scored three more Top 10 hits with “Mr Sandman”, “A Blossom Fell”, and “I Wonder”. Later, a second chart-topper followed with the sentimental “Christmas Alphabet” — the first Christmas-oriented song to reach No. 1 in the UK.
By the early 1960s, his commercial success had begun to wane due to the arrival of rock and roll on British shores. Still, he hosted his own TV series, Calling Dickie Valentine, before teaming up with Peter Sellers on The Dickie Valentine Show.
He Died in a Car Crash
Dickie Valentine remained a fixture on the club and cabaret circuit throughout the 1960s. However, tragedy struck following a show at the Double Diamond Club in Caerphilly, Wales.
At about 4:20 a.m. on May 6, 1971, Valentine was driving his wife’s Hillman Avenger back to a friend’s house when he lost control of the car while navigating a dangerous bend in the road.
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The vehicle crashed on a single-lane bridge in the village of Glangrwyney, near Crickhowell, killing all three occupants — Valentine, his pianist, Sidney Boatman, and drummer Dave Pearson. The coroner’s inquest revealed that Valentine was driving more than 90 mph at the the time of the collision.
Featured image by WATFORD/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
The post Born 97 Years Ago Today in England, the Singer Who Made Christmas Music History With a First-of-Its-Kind No. 1 Hit appeared first on American Songwriter.