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Is there anything nicer than lying in a comfy bed, reading a great book and listening to the radio? My radio station of choice, Boom Radio, is one of the fastest-growing stations in the UK, and I love never knowing what is going to be playing next. There’s that wonderful thrill of remembering all the words, coupled with the horrible recognition of how old you must be to remember them!
Lying in bed the other night, I heard the opening bars of ‘Tower of Strength’, and was instantly transported to my childhood, where Frankie Vaughan was simply another member of the Woodside Park Synagogue – despite being an international singing star.
Frankie Vaughan is known as the darling of Jewish society for his swoony looks, well-built physique and being the ultimate mensch. This is a Yiddish word for a person of integrity, honour and good character – and one of the finest accolades Jewish society can bestow upon a good man.
Upbringing and early career
The would-be superstar was born as Frankie Abelson in 1928 in Liverpool. My mum, born just four years earlier in the same city, told me that Frankie’s grandmother lived just streets away from her family in a rather rough area of Liverpool. Mum always followed his career – partly because he was a fellow Liverpudlian, but also because she herself had sung with a dance band during World War II.
Growing up, Frankie was a member of the Lancaster Lads’ Club, with the aspirations of becoming a boxer. However, after winning a scholarship to Leeds College of Art, he joined their dance band as a vocalist. The budding star then served in the Royal Medical Army Corps, where he spent most of his time as a boxer rather than a medic, before returning to Leeds College of Art. In 1949, Frankie featured in the students’ rag revue It’s Rag Time, as their main vocalist, still under the name Frank Abelson.
He arrived in London, having won a design contest and placed second in a radio talent competition. Soon after, he was booked for a week at the Kingston Empire in May 1950, performing alongside Jimmy Wheeler. This marked the moment when Frank Abelson became Vaughan – a name derived from his grandmother, who affectionately called him her “number one grandson”. Her accent, however, made one sound like Vaughan, and the stage name was born.
As he secured more variety bookings, one memorable fellow performer was Hetty King, who toured as a male impersonator, in a tuxedo and top hat. Frankie was clearly inspired by this theatrical approach, and under the King’s guidance, he developed his signature style as a “natty dresser” – complete with a beautifully cut tuxedo, a top hat and tails, and that legendary cane.
Frankie Vaughan in the spotlight
Frankie Vaughan’s first records were released in 1950 for His Master’s Voice music label. But after their wavering success, he pivoted and joined Nat Temple’s dance band. However, it wasn’t long before Frankie was encouraged back to the variety stage, and after switching to the Phillips label in 1955, he recorded his trademark song ‘Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl’.
Whenever Frankie sang, he was invariably interrupted by star-struck women shouting, “I’m here!”. This is when Frankie developed his trademark chuckle as he sang those famous lines.
He recorded many covers of US hit songs, including ‘Kisses Sweeter than Wine’ and ‘The Green Door’, which reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1956. That same year, he was voted Showbusiness Personality of the Year, and then in 1957, he gathered even more steam, recording ‘The Garden of Eden’, which soared to No. 1.
Although he travelled to Hollywood in 1960 to film‘Let’s Make Love’ with Marilyn Monroe, Frankie developed a strong distaste for Hollywood and declined to extend his stay. A year later, Frankie performed at the Royal Variety Performance, and that December, ‘Tower of Strength’ sent him back to the top of the charts.
However, music was evolving, and it would be many years before his next major success. In 1967, ‘There Must Be a Way’ returned him to the Top 10 for the final time.
Life off-stage
In 1951, Frankie married Leeds-born Stella Shock. They had three children over the years: David in 1961, Susan in 1963, and Andrew in 1968.
In fact, during 1966, the Rabbi from our local synagogue, Woodside Park in North London, asked my dad if he would move the date he’d booked for my brother Paul’s Bar Mitzvah, a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. The reason for this was that Frankie Vaughan had requested that date for his own son’s Bar Mitzvah. And even though my Mum begged him to change the date, and an invitation to the affair was proffered, Dad was quite adamant that he “booked it first”.
Moving on to 1985, he starred in a stage version of 42nd Street opposite his old friend Shani Wallis. This is one of my favourite shows, and oh how I wish I’d seen it. I’ve had to content myself with watching a one-minute clip on YouTube. Unfortunately, after a year, he nearly died of peritonitis after delaying medical treatment because he wanted to continue in the show. This meant he had to leave the cast prematurely.
Sadly, Frankie suffered from ill health towards the end of his career, and it was in 1999, following six heart operations, that he collapsed and died in his home. All his fans grieved along with his wife, Stella. Both Frankie and Stella are buried at Bushey Jewish Cemetery.
Are you a fan of Frankie Vaughan or any of his many achievements during his career? Or, are there any facts you have about the star that weren’t included here? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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