Ronnie Hilton

Ronnie Hilton ( born January 26, 1926 in Hull, † February 21, 2001 in Hailsham, East Sussex; actually Adrian Hill ) was an English singer who was known for his romantic pop ballads in the 1950s. From 1954 to 1959 he was able to place 16 hits in the UK charts, including five in the top ten and number one.

Biography

Hilton comes from Yorkshire and, after military service in World War II from 1947 in a sewing machine factory in Leeds. After winning a talent competition in 1951, he joined evening on the way to a club in his hometown. A talent scout from HMV Records discovered him in 1953 thanks to a demo recording. Hilton's first single, " I Wish and Wish" was granted with little success, but in 1954 he was with his first hit "I Still Believe " ( his second 78/min-Veröffentlichung ) across the UK known. The mid-1950s he was with his soft ballads, almost only cover versions of U.S. hits, one of the stars of the British pop scene. With his operetta voice (Hilton was like David Whitfield a real crooner voice of tenor), it was claimed during the heyday of rock ' n ' roll 16 singles in the charts. His only number -one hit in 1956 was the song " No Other Love", which was also a (smaller ) hit for the Johnston Brothers ( No. 22 ) as well as for Edmund Hockridge ( 24th place ). The song came from one of the lesser-known musicals of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, "Me and Juliet ". Perry Como had of " No Other Love " in 1953 had a U.S. number -one hit with his version, for Jo Stafford he was back in 1950 was a U.S. Top Ten hit. Hilton's last hit of the 1950s was a version of "The Wonder of You", the Elvis Presley In 1970 in an exactly similar arrangement at the number -one hit.

Although the heyday of the crooner and balladeer was over, Hilton remained active until the second half of the 1960s on the stage and in the studio; 1964 and 1965 he was again recorded two chart hits, including " A Windmill in Old Amsterdam " - a children's song, that was a long time very popular with British children. Hilton himself did not like this song: "I love my hits like Young and Foolish 'and' No Other Love ', but this I can no longer hear real."

In 1976 he had a stroke; later he became a radio presenter for the BBC and presented the series " Sounds of the Fifties ." In 1989, the British Academy of Composers and Authors song gave him a gold medal for his contributions to popular music.

Ronnie Hilton died after a series of strokes at age 75 in a nursing home in Hailsham.

Trivia

• Ronnie Hilton was all his life an enthusiastic supporter of the English football club Leeds United and the year of the League Cup victory in 1968 released a single titled " Glory, Glory, Leeds United". A year later, the club was English Champion for the first time.
• In his military service as a Corporal of the Gordon Highlanders, he was responsible for the bar in the officers' mess. " That reminds me the fundamentals of martial drinking were taught ," he said in an interview.

Discography

Albums

• 2006: The Very Best of Ronnie Hilton ( compilation )