Ronnie Hilton

Ronnie Hilton (born Adrian Hill; 26 January 1926 – 21 February 2001)

Biography Born Adrian Hill in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Hilton left school at 14 and worked in an aircraft factory at the beginning of the Second World War, then was part of the Highland Light Infantry. Later in 1954, Hilton left his safe job as a fitter in a Leeds-based engineering factory

He came to fame by supplying smoothly delivered cover versions of popular American songs during the 1950s. The song's composers were granted an Ivor Novello Award in 1966 for the Year's Outstanding Novelty Composition.

Despite the prominence of rock and roll in his recording career, he amassed a formidable array of best-sellers in the UK Singles Chart, albeit mainly with cover versions of US hit records. This was common practice at the time, and many British recording artists followed this trend. His chart single recording career alone spanned from 1954 to 1965, which flew in the face of the rapidly changing trends of pop music.

From a comparatively unknown Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Me and Juliet written in 1953, Ronnie Hilton took the hit tune "No Other Love", and scored his one and only UK Number One hit in 1956. In securing the Number One, Hilton fought off competition from the UK-based Canadian Edmund Hockridge, and from the Johnston Brothers. Oddly, no American versions of "No Other Love" reached the UK Singles Chart at the time. Perry Como had been successful with the song in America, but his version was released much earlier in 1953, when Me and Juliet first opened on Broadway. He was then the top of the bill for episode 26 (series 4) on 2 August 1975 of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club.

Hilton suffered a stroke in 1976, which hindered his progress for a time. He also encountered financial problems.

Discography "I Still Believe" (1954) – UK Chart – no. 3 "Veni Vidi Vici" (cover of the Gaylords) (1954) – no. 12 "A Blossom Fell" (cover of Nat King Cole) (1955) – no. 10 "Stars Shine in Your Eyes" (1955) – no. 13 "The Yellow Rose of Texas" (cover of Mitch Miller/Johnny Desmond) (1955) – no. 15 "Bella Notte" (1955) "Young and Foolish" (1956) – no. 17 "No Other Love" (cover of Perry Como) (1956) – no. 1 "Who Are We" (cover of Gogi Grant) (1956) – no. 6 "A Woman in Love" (cover of the Four Aces) (1956) – no. 30 "Two Different Worlds" (cover of Jane Morgan) (1956) – no. 13 "Around the World" (cover of Bing Crosby) (1957) – no. 4 "Wonderful! Wonderful!" (cover of Johnny Mathis) (1957) – no. 27 "Magic Moments" (cover of Perry Como) (1958) – no. 22 "I May Never Pass This Way Again" (cover of Perry Como) (1958) – no. 27 (with the Michael Sammes Singers) "The World Outside" (based on the Warsaw Concerto) (1959) – no. 18 (with the Michael Sammes Singers) "The Wonder of You" (cover of Ray Peterson) (1959) – no. 22 "Don't Let the Rain Come Down" (cover of The Serendipity Singers) (1964) – no. 21 "A Windmill in Old Amsterdam" / "Dear Heart" (1965) – no. 23 (with the Michael Sammes Singers) "The Ballad of Billy Bremner" / "The Lads of Leeds" / "The Tale of Johnny Giles" (1971)