Ricky Valance

Early life Born as David Spencer in Ynysddu, Monmouthshire, Wales, the eldest of seven children, he sang in his church choir and worked in a coal mine and a factory before joining the RAF at the age of 17.

He claimed he selected the stage name Ricky Valance because he liked the name Ricky, and took the name Valance from that of a trainer at a horse racing meeting; it was not a tribute to Ritchie Valens as sometimes reported.

At his first recording session, Paramor suggested that Valance cover Ray Peterson's American hit, "Tell Laura I Love Her", co-written by Jeff Barry. Peterson's original version of the song had never been released in the United Kingdom, as Decca Records considered a rock song about death and tragedy to be in bad taste. The BBC refused to play teenage tragedy songs like "Tell Laura I Love Her", but, thanks to airplay on Radio Luxembourg, Valance was rewarded with a number 1 hit in September 1960. Valance thus became the first Welsh man to reach the top spot – Shirley Bassey being the first Welsh female with "As I Love You" in February 1959. The record was his only chart hit in the UK.

Further singles included "Movin' Away" and "Jimmy's Girl". More than 100,000 copies were sold of "Jimmy's Girl", and "Movin' Away" made it to number one in Australia and Scandinavia. In later years, he featured in 1960s revival festivals in Britain, and on cruise ships. In 1989, he visited Nashville where he appeared on the show Nashville Now, and he returned there in 2001 to record an album, One of the Best. Later, he continued to perform, when living in Spain, and hosted a local golf-based chat show on television, Play a Round with Ricky.

Personal life and death Valance lived in Cabo Roig on the outskirts of Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca in Spain, where he performed regularly. In 2015 he and his wife moved to Skegness, Lincolnshire.

He died in Skegness on 12 June 2020. He was 84, and had been hospitalised for dementia

UK singles Columbia DB4493 – "Tell Laura I Love Her" / "Once Upon a Time" (1960) DB4543 – "Movin' Away" / "Lipstick on Your Lips" (1960) DB4586 – "Jimmy's Girl" / "Only the Young" (1961) DB4592 – "Why Can't We" / "Fisherboy" (1961) DB4680 – "Bobby" / "I Want to Fall in Love" (1961) DB4725 – "I Never Had a Chance" / "It's Not True" (1961) DB4787 – "Try to Forget Her" / "At Times Like These" (1962) DB4864 – "Don't Play No.9" / "Till the Final Curtain Falls" (1962)

Decca F12129 – "Six Boys" / "A Face in the Crowd" (1965)

Crystal CR7004 – "Abigail" / "My Summer Love" (1969) (as Jason Merryweather)

Tank BSS313 – "Hello Mary Lou" / "Walking in the Sunshine" (1978)

Umbrella UMO111 – "Daddy's Little Girl" / "Ticket to Dream" (1988)

One Media iP "Welcome Home" / "Tell Laura I Love Her" (55th Anniversary Edition) (2016)