Cuddly Dudley

Dudley Bernal Bancroft Heslop (22 May 1924 – 15 July 2011) was a Jamaican-born British rock & roll singer who rose to fame on the Oh Boy! TV series, and is noted for being "Britain's first black rock & roller".

Early career Born in Kingston, Jamaica, on 22 May 1924 (although Dudley later pretended to be younger, claiming to be 29 in early 1959, while Allmusic said he was born in the 1930s) he started performing when very young with a "native song and dance act" for tourists. In 1947, he went to Britain where he spent a year in the play Sauce Tartare at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End, before singing in clubs for six months. He then played in Folies Bergeres at the Hippodrome, London and toured Australia in Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate, before joining Sid Milward's Comedy orchestra, The Nit Wits, supporting Max Bygraves. and he adopted a big grin, flashy suits and snazzy ties. He was also a co-founder of The Dominoes, with pianist Iggy Quail and vocalist Boysie Grant.

Although he was little known outside Afro-Caribbean circles, within this community he was as popular as any other rock and roll performer, which led to his manager persuading Jack Good to give him a residency on Good's new TV series Oh Boy!. He was usually backed by the house band, Lord Rockingham's XI, and appeared in a total of 21 episodes; this was the most appearances by any artist (one more than Cliff Richard, whilst The Drifters, who became The Shadows, and Marty Wilde, appeared on 17 shows each). Farley, Patto and Spence left to become The Pirates, backing Johnny Kidd (who had the same manager as Dudley), when the original Pirates left. Green, The Redcaps other guitarist, joined the Pirates later, when Patto left.

By 1963-64, Dudley had rejoined pianist Iggy Quail and recorded some of the first bluebeat and ska tracks outside Jamaica. Dudley and Quail formed a trio with Clyde Davies (bass), who accompanied comedians such as Tommy Trinder and Bob Monkhouse and had a residency at the Kingfisher Club.

Discography Singles "Later" / "Lots More Love" – (1959) – His Master's Voice (POP 586) "Too Pooped to Pop" / "Miss In-Between" – (1960) – His Master's Voice (POP 725) "Sitting in a Train" / "The One That I Like" – (1961) – Ember (S136) "Monkey Party" / "The Ferryboat Ride" - Piccadilly 7N.35090 (1962) "Blarney Blues" / "Peace on Earth" – 1964 – Oriole (ICB9) "Way of Life" / "When Will You Say You'll Be Mine" – 1964 – Oriole (ICB10) Compilations Oh Boy! (1958) Parlophone – 2 tracks:- "Hey Hey Hey Hey" and "Lets Rock While the Rocking's Good" CD (2009) Highnote (GVC1008) That British Sound Vol 10 – CD (2010) No Hit Records BLC 89 – 2 tracks: "Sitting in a Train" and "Later" From Calypso to Disco: The Roots of Black Britain – one track: "The Ferryboat Ride" The Piccadilly Story – (1994) & (2006) – Castle (72386) – one track: "The Ferryboat Ride" British Rock'n'Roll 1955~1960 CD (1986) See For Miles (SEE38) "Later" and "Lots More Love"