Kathy Kirby

Kathy Kirby (born Catherine Ethel O'Rourke; 20 October 1938 – 20 May 2011) was an English singer.

She became a professional singer after meeting bandleader Bert Ambrose at the Ilford Palais in 1956.

During the summer of 1957, Kirby performed at the Florida Park Restaurant in Madrid, and after returning to the UK not only performed with Ambrose's orchestra, but also with Nat Allen and his band.

In 1959, Kirby joined vocalists Tony Mansell and Rikki Henderson in the Denny Boyce Band, and appeared regularly at the Lyceum Ballroom in London.

In the summer of 1959, she made her solo cabaret debut at the Astor Club.

Her popularity peaked in the 1960s, when she was one of the best-known and most-recognised personalities in British show business.

Kirby was born in Ilford, Essex, (later part of Greater London), the eldest of three children of Irish parents.

Her mother Eileen brought them up alone after their father left early in their childhood.

Kirby grew up on Tomswood Hill, Barkingside, in Ilford, and attended the Ursuline Convent School where she sang in the choir.

Kirby's vocal talent became apparent early in life, and she took singing lessons with a view to becoming an opera singer.

She subsequently signed to Pye Records in 1960, for which she released two singles, "Love Can Be" and "Now You're Crying".

They sold few copies but helped her get a six-month contract at Mayfair's Blue Angel nightclub.

She adopted a "blonde bombshell" look and was compared to Marilyn Monroe.

Kirby became one of the biggest stars of the early to mid-1960s, appearing in the Royal Command Variety Performance and two television series for BBC TV.

In 1962, she signed a contract with Decca Records, for which her first single was "(He's a) Big Man", released in October 1962.

It sold well over a long period of time, but failed to reach the British charts.

However, it was a hit in Vancouver's CFUN in January 1963.

In the summer of 1963, after becoming a regular on the musical TV program Stars and Garters, she had her first hit, "Dance On!", which peaked at No. 11 in the UK chart and No. 1 in Australia.

Its follow-up was an upbeat reworking of the Doris Day classic "Secret Love", which peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.

In the same year, she won Top British Female Singer in the New Musical Express poll.

Her album 16 Hits From Stars & Garters was released at the end of 1963, and cracked the top 20.

The single "Let Me Go, Lover!", another upbeat reworking, this time of the classic by Joan Weber, reached No. 10 in early 1964.

Kirby disliked the song, stating that: "Honestly, I was really surprised because I never had much hope for this record, and when I recorded it I thought it might never get anywhere at all."

"Let Me Go, Lover!"

was followed by "You're The One", which peaked at No. 17 in May 1964.

That success was followed by a record-breaking summer season show at the ABC Theatre in Blackpool.

She is best known for her cover version of Doris Day's "Secret Love" and for representing the United Kingdom in the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest where she finished in second place.

She represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965 and came second with the song "I Belong" which also became a hit.

Author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor describes Kirby's "I Belong" as being far more representative of current musical tastes than other songs from the contest, but she was beaten by France Gall from France and representing Luxembourg, singing an even more contemporary song written by Serge Gainsbourg.

Bitter at her defeat, she slapped France Gall.

An EP was issued featuring the six songs selected for the Eurovision Contest, featuring a different version of "I Belong", which peaked at No. 10 in 1965.

An Italian version of I Belong was recorded by her under the title Tu Sei Con Me.

She also sang the theme tune of the BBC television series Adam Adamant Lives!.

In September 1965 her single "The Way of Love" charted at No. 88 on the US Billboard Top 100.

The song also charted in some of the regional charts, such as No. 35 in New York, No. 16 in Philadelphia, No. 39 in Detroit, No. 39 in Washington, and No. 38 in Los Angeles.

After the chart success of "I Belong", Kirby recorded more than a dozen singles between 1965 and 1967, but they all failed to chart.

During the 1970s, Kirby's singing career was eclipsed by a turbulent personal life, but she continued to perform live at smaller venues and made occasional television appearances and performed a few live concerts on the "nostalgia circuit".

She remained with Ambrose's band for three years and he remained her manager, mentor and lover until his death on stage in Leeds in 1971.

She continued to make television appearances, and her 1975 appearance on The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club, (where she sang 'You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me'), is now available to watch again on 'YouTube'; (there had been a copyright dispute which removed it from view for some time).

On 31 December 1976, she performed her hit song "Secret Love" on BBC1's A Jubilee of Music, celebrating British pop music for Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee.