Russ Conway

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Russ Conway
Russ Conway, pictured on the front of his 1959 EP More Party Pops.
Russ Conway, pictured on the front of his 1959 EP More Party Pops.
Background information
Birth name Trevor Herbert Stanford
Born September 2, 1925(1925-09-02)
Died November 16, 2000 (aged 75)
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Piano

Russ Conway (born Trevor Herbert Stanford, September 2, 1925 - November 16, 2000), was a popular music pianist. Conway's piano instrumentals dominated the UK Singles Chart during 1959, including two number one hits.

Contents

[edit] Career

Conway was born in Bristol, England. He had no formal piano training and spent his early adulthood in the Navy. Conway was talent-spotted while playing in a London club, signed to Columbia Records and spent the mid 1950s providing backing for their artists including Gracie Fields and Joan Regan. However, the commercial potential of Conway's unique percussive piano style (which he attributed to a missing fingertip he had severed many years previously with a bread slicer) was too great for him to remain in the background for long. Conway recorded his first solo single in 1957, a novelty instrumental medley of pop standards.

1959 was Conway's annus mirabilis, with 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".

Conway maintained a chart presence in the early 1960s, and was a fixture on light entertainment TV shows and radio for many years afterwards thanks to his instantly recognisable piano style.

He wrote the music for the West End musical "Mr Venus" (with lyrics by Norman Newell), but it was not a success.

His career was blighted by ill-health, and his later life was notable for charity work. He founded in 1990, along with his friend writer and broadcaster Richard Hope-Hawkins, the Russ Conway Cancer Fund and they staged charity gala shows in major theatres that raised thousands of pounds to be donated to numerous cancer charities. Conway, who never married, died on 16 November 2000.[1] Richard Hope-Hawkins gave the main address at Conway's funeral held at the historic St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol. Elton John sent a wreath.

In 2001 Hope-Hawkins devised, staged and directed a tribute to Conway at the Colston Hall, Bristol with an all-star cast. The money raised which was £11,000 was donated to St Peter's Hospice, Bristol.

In April 2006 Hope-Hawkins was diagnosed with prostate cancer which was deemed inoperable. He is now a spokesperson for two prostate cancer charities and supports the Bristol Southmead Hospital Prostate Cancer Appeal and appeared in a video introduced by Carol Vorderman promoting 'Run For The Future'. He is currently writing his autobiography, 'An Interesting Life.. So Far'.

[edit] Discography

[edit] LPs

  • Pack Up Your Troubles (1958)
  • Songs To Sing In Your Bath (1959)
  • Family Favourites (1959)
  • Time To Celebrate (1959)
  • My Concerto For You (1960)
  • Party Time (1960)
  • Russ Conway Presents 24 Piano Greats (1977)

[edit] Singles

UK Singles With Highest Chart Position

  • "Party Pops" (1957) #24
  • "Got a Match" (1958) #30
  • "More Party Pops" (1958) #10
  • "The World Outside" (1959) #24
  • "Side Saddle" (1959) #1
  • "Roulette" (1959) #1
  • "China Tea" (1959) #5
  • "Snow Coach" (1959) #7
  • "More And More Party Pops" (1959) #5
  • "Royal Event" (1960) #15
  • "Fings Ain't Wot They Used To Be" (1960) #47
  • "Lucky Five" (1960) #14
  • "Passing Breeze" (1960) #16
  • "Even More Party Pops" (1960) #27
  • "Pepe" (1961) #19
  • "Pablo" (1961) #45
  • "Say It With Flowers" (1961) #23
  • "Toy Balloons" (1961) #7
  • "Lesson One" (1962) #21
  • "Always You And Me" (1962) #33

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ GRO Register of Deaths NOV 2000 C48E 22 EASTBOURNE. DoB = 02 Sep 1925

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Conway, Russ
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Stanford, Trevor Herbert
SHORT DESCRIPTION Pianist
DATE OF BIRTH 1925-09-02
PLACE OF BIRTH Bristol, England
DATE OF DEATH 2000-11-16
PLACE OF DEATH Eastbourne, Sussex