Dickie Valentine

Richard Bryce ( Maxwell; 4 November 1929 known professionally as Dickie Valentine, was a British pop singer who enjoyed great popularity in Britain during the 1950s. In addition to several other Top Ten hit singles, Valentine had two chart-toppers on the UK Singles Chart with "Finger of Suspicion", featuring The Stargazers and the seasonal "Christmas Alphabet" (1955).

Biography Early life Valentine was born Richard Maxwell in November 1929 (his birth father was Dickie Maxwell) in Marylebone, London. On 14 February 1949, Valentine, then virtually unknown, was signed by Ted Heath to join his band, Ted Heath and his Music, to sing alongside Lita Roza and Dennis Lotis. He was voted the Top UK Male Vocalist in 1952 while singing with the Ted Heath Orchestra, the most successful of all British big bands, and again after going solo in 1954.

In November 1954, Valentine was invited to sing at the Royal Command Performance, and in February 1955 he was top billed at the London Palladium. He also cracked jokes and impersonated entertainers, including Johnnie Ray, Frankie Laine, Mario Lanza and Billy Daniels. He recorded two number one hits, "The Finger of Suspicion" and "Christmas Alphabet". His first chart-topper came only two months after his marriage to Elizabeth Flynn at Caxton Hall, which caused scenes of hysteria and was widely expected to sound the death knell to his career. In reality, 1955 was by far his best chart year, with both the number ones and three others placed in the Top Ten. He went on to win this title consecutively from 1953 to 1957.

In 1961, he had a television series Calling Dickie Valentine. In 1966, Valentine partnered with Peter Sellers on the ATV sketch show The Dickie Valentine Show.

Although his fame began to wane during the 1960s, he remained a popular live performer until his death.

Death After having played a concert at the Double Diamond Club in Caerphilly, Wales, Valentine was travelling back to a friend's home where he was staying, and was killed outright in a car crash on a single-lane bridge at Glangrwyney, near Crickhowell, Wales, on 6 May 1971, at the age of 41, together with pianist Sidney Boatman and drummer Dave Pearson, both aged 42. Valentine is interred at Slough Crematorium.

Plaque A commemorative plaque was unveiled on the new bridge on 7 August 2021 by his son Richard Valentine and other family members and friends of the three musicians.

Personal life He married Elizabeth Flynn, a Scottish professional ice skater, in 1954. They had two children together, Richard born 1955 (later a television director) and Kim born January 1956, but they divorced in 1967. Valentine married the actress Wendy Wayne in 1968. Prior to the car accident, Wayne and Valentine were scheduled to undertake a twenty-week summer season at the Water Splash in Jersey.

b/w "The Homing Waltz" — 12

b/w "You Belong to Me" — —

b/w "Why Should I Go Home" — 9

b/w "Fickle Fingers" — —

b/w "The Windsor Waltz" — 7

b/w "I See You Again Every Night" — —

b/w "When I Was Young" — —

b/w "Te Amo" — —

b/w "You Are My True Love" 19 —

b/w "Pine Tree, Pine Over Me" — —

b/w "I Could Have Told You" — 19

b/w "Get Well Soon" — —

b/w "Who's Afraid (Not I, Not I, Not I)" 3 1

b/w "Runaround" — 5

b/w "I Want You All to Myself (Just You)" — 9

b/w "Lucky Waltz" — —

b/w "You Too Can Be a Dreamer" — 4

b/w "Lazy Gondolier" — —

b/w "The Engagement Waltz" — —

b/w "Where Are You Tonight?" — 1

b/w "First Love" — 15

b/w "Song of the Trees" — —

b/w "The Voice" — —

b/w "When You Came Along" — —

b/w "Give Me a Carriage with Eight White Horses" — —

b/w "The Hand of Friendship" — 8

b/w "My Empty Arms" — —

b/w "Three Sides to Every Story" — —

b/w "Just in Time" — —

b/w "Convicted" — 28

b/w "Love Me Again" — —

b/w "Come to My Arms" — —

b/w "Take Me in Your Arms" — —

b/w "Where? (In the Old Home Town)" — 20

b/w "A Teenager in Love" — —

b/w "You Touch My Hand" — 14

b/w "Roundabout" — —

b/w "A Fool That I Am" — —

b/w "Hold Me in Your Arms (Eternally)" — —

b/w "Sometimes I'm Happy" — —

b/w "I'll Never Love Again" — — 1963

b/w "Comes Another Day Another Love" — — 1964

b/w "Build Yourself a Dream" — —

b/w "Wanted" — —

b/w "In Times Like These" — —

b/w "How Ja Lika" — —

b/w "Love" — — 1968

b/w "Wait for Me" — —

b/w "A Fool of a Man" — —

b/w "Once in Each Lifetime" — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Filmography