Artist Watch:Alvin Stardust

ALVIN DIED OF CANCER AGED 72 IN OCTOBER 2014


Born in 1942 in London as Bernard William Jewrey and in the 1960s had a stage name of Shane Fenton, as the lead singer of the group called Shane Fenton died just before a BBC pop programme. So Alvin ,who was also a group member took on the name to keep the TV show going ahead.
It was in the 70s music that Alvin Stardust became a glam rock star, but although his first hit "My Coo Ca  Choo".

The record was a hit in the charts and Alvin had to go on Top of the Pops to sing the song, but he was aware he did not really have an image. The night before recoding he needed to dye his hair, but over did it so much, that his hair was so black, that the dye kept running  down his face. So he put on side burns to hide the mess. The next problem was that his hands were so black from the dye and would not wash off in time.




So on the way to the studio he purchased a pair of ladies fashion gloves, and appeared on Top of the Pops and by error a new image was made. And Alvin Stardust had created a slightly scary image, but great glam songs. He had created a new niche.

Alvin had a big hit with this in December 1973

Lyrics to "My CooCa Choo"

Even in his out of pop life , he married in the spotlight. He was married to a friend of George Harrison and Paul McCartney called Iris Caldwell, and later to the Skippy TV star Liza Goddard.

Kids from the 1970s will also remember Alvin as the star of government information films on road saftey, The Green Cross Code Man.

The next big hit in March 1974 was his only number one, and kept the format totally with "Jealous Mind" written by Peter Shelly, who would later have a hit of his own with "Love Me Love My Dog"

Lyrics to "Jealous Mind".

More hits came in the 1970s, but none got the as high as "Jealous Mind", but nevertheless they were great 70s music pop hits that should be played more on old radio.

Here is "Red Dress" also from 1974.

This was followed by "You you you" and "Tell Me Why" both in 1974. His 1975 hit "Good Love Can Never Die" was his last Top Twenty hit of the 1970s, although he came back again in the early 1980s.

The Alvin Stardust Story - Alvin Stardust - Interview by Matt Bristow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUrN5UaKiY8