Vince Hill
Vince Hill | |
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Website | vincehill |
Vincent Hill (16 April 1934 – 22 July 2023) was an English
Early life
Vincent Hill was born in
His first lucky break as a singer came when he read an advert in
By late 1961, Hill left The Raindrops for a fledgling solo career.
Solo career
In January 1965, Hill was offered an international recording contract with the
His most successful hit was his cover recording of the
Although known mainly for his voice, Hill was also a songwriter and composed many songs with his
Hill's long-term recording contract with EMI Columbia came to an end in 1974, by which time he had released 14 studio albums and countless singles.[3] In the following year he signed to a new recording deal with CBS Records, for whom he released a further three studio albums of contemporary song material.[6] Hill also continued to perform regularly in clubs, cabaret and various stage productions.
In 1976, Hill's life and career were celebrated when he was made the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life (presented by Eamonn Andrews). During the 1970s, Hill also made his début as a television host; his first series was for BBC television, They Sold A Million (1973). Next was the successful The Musical Time Machine, which began in 1975. Both series co-starred the Young Generation. Hill also hosted his own prime-time television show in Canada called Vince Hill At The Club, which also aired in the US.[3]
1980s and 1990s
From the 1980s onwards, Hill concentrated mainly on his live performances and continued to play all the top venues around the world, including the London Palladium, Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House and Talk of the Town, as well as appearing on
In 1982, Hill added acting to his CV, in the BBC radio drama, Tolpuddle (which he also wrote).[3] In 1983, he wrote and performed the song, "It's Maggie for Me", as part of the 1983 general election campaign, in support of the Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who was re-elected.[12] In 1988, ITV gave Hill his own midday entertainment show, Gas Street, in which he made his début as a TV presenter and interviewer; the show also co-starred Suzi Quatro.[3]
In 1990, Hill took to the stage to play Ivor Novello in the stage play My Dearest Ivor.[7] Hill also wrote the stage musical, Zodiac.[7] His stage acting continued, including a starring role as The Cowardly Lion in an adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of The Wizard Of Oz.[3]
Later years
In 2004, Hill was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent successful keyhole surgery. A year later, following a routine blood test, it was discovered he also had chronic myeloid leukaemia. Following extensive treatment, the illness was brought under control.[13] His autobiography, Another Hill to Climb (Bank House Books), written in collaboration with Nick Charles, was released in 2010.
Hill came out of semi-retirement in April 2012 to make a successful return to the stage for one night only in which he performed in a big band night at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. Hill said, "It was an absolute success — we sold out and I got a standing ovation. At that point, I just thought, "I've finished, that'll do me."[14]
Athol, Hill's only son, was found dead, aged 42, in January 2014.[15] Hill and his wife Annie, who died in September 2016,[16] lived at their Oxfordshire home, close to the River Thames.[3]
Hill came out of retirement again in March 2018, when he returned to the stage in The Good Old Days of Variety at the Cast in Doncaster.
In December 2019, it was reported that Hill was to play Baron Hard-Up in Cinderella 2 – The Mrs Charming Years at the
Hill died at home in Henley-on-Thames on 22 July 2023, at the age of 89.[2][25]
Discography
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2023) |
Original albums
at EMI Columbia
- Have You Met Vince Hill (1966)
- Heartaches (1966)
- Edelweiss UK Albums Chart No. 23[8]
- Always You and Me (1967)
- The Sweetest Sounds of Rodgers & Hammerstein (1968)
- You Forgot to Remember (1968)
- The Singer and the Songs (1971)
- Look Around (1971)
- In My Thoughts of You (1972)
- And I Love You So (1972)
at EMI
- They Sold a Million (1973)
- The Other Side of Me (1973)
- Thanks a Million (1974)
- Sing a Song of Sedaka (1974)
at CBS
- Mandy (1975)
- Wish You Were Here (1975)
- Midnight Blue (1976)
at K-tel
- That Loving Feeling (1978)
at Celebrity Records
- While The Feeling's Good (1980)
- Evergreen (1982)
at Grasmere Records
- I Will Always Love You (1983)
- Sings The Ivor Novello Songbook (1988)
at T.N.T.
- Forbidden Pleasures (1992)
- Real Songs (Vince Hill Sings Diane Warren) (2003)
Live albums
- At The Club [Live Album] (1966)
Film soundtracks
- Vinyl LP, United Artists)
- Vinyl LP, ATCO)
- Some May Live (1967, Although Hill recorded the title theme no Film Soundtrack was released)
- Vinyl LP, EMI)
- Under the Doctor (1976, Although Hill recorded the title theme no Film Soundtrack was released)
Compilation albums
- Vince Hill: Collection of Hill's early solo recordings with Vinyl LP, Marble Arch Records)
- Little Bluebird: featuring several new songs (1970 Vinyl LP EMI Regal)
- The Very Best of Vince Hill (1974 Vinyl LP, EMI)
- Vince Hill - His Greatest Hits (1988 Cassette & CD, EMI)
- The Very Best of Vince Hill (1988 Cassette & CD, EMI)
- The Best of The EMI Years (1992 CD, EMI)
- Laurie Johnson's London Big Band - Volume Two: Two songs featuring Vince Hill as a guest vocalist feature on this compilation (1996 CD, Horatio Nelson Records)
- Back 2 Back Hits - Vince Hill & Des O'Connor (1998 CD, EMI)
- Evergreen - Timeless Classics featuring re-recordings of hit singles (2004 2CD, President Records)
- Vince Hill - The Ultimate Collection (2006 CD, EMI)
- Edelweiss - The Very Best Of Vince Hill: A career-spanning boxset of original hit singles and other highlights (2006 3CD, Reader's Digest)
- Vince Hill - Edelweiss/Look Around (And You'll Find Me There): First of a CD series of original studio album re-issues (2017 CD, Cherry Red Records)[26]
- Edelweiss: Songs from the Musicals (The 1990s Sessions) (2017 Download, Demon Music Group)[27]
- Vince Hill - His Greatest Love Songs (The CBS Years): A romantic collection of Hill's CBS recordings made between 1975 and 1977 (2017 CD & Download, Sony Music)[28]
- Legacy: My Hits & Rarities (1965-1974): A 55th anniversary collection featuring Hill's eleven top 50 UK singles of the time (2017 CD)[29]
- The Lost Sessions: 1969-1991[30]
Singles
Year | Title (Songwriters) |
UK Singles Chart[8]
|
---|---|---|
1962 | "The River's Run Dry" (Les Vandyke) |
#41
|
1966 | " Louis Guglielmi/Mack David )
|
#13
|
1966 | "Heartaches" (Al Hoffman/John Clenner) |
#28
|
1966 | "Merci Cherie" (Udo Jürgens/Thomas Hörbiger) |
#36
|
1967 | "Edelweiss" (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II) |
#2
|
1967 | " Frederic E. Weatherly/Haydn Wood )
|
#13
|
1967 | "Love Letters in the Sand" (J. Fred Coots/Nick Kenny/Charles Kenny) |
#23
|
1968 | "The Importance of Your Love" (Amade/Gilbert Bécaud/Norman Newell) |
#32
|
1969 | "Doesn't Anybody Know My Name?" (Rod McKuen) |
#50
|
1969 | "Little Blue Bird" (Vince Hill) |
#42
|
1971 | "Look Around (And You'll Find Me There)" (Francis Lai) |
#12
|
Plays
- Tolpuddle [citation needed]
- Zodiac [citation needed]
- My Dearest Ivor [citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ "Full Official UK Chart History for Vince Hill". OfficialCharts.com. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ a b McLaughlin, Charlotte (23 July 2023). "Edelweiss singer Vince Hill dies aged 89". Evening Standard. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "The Official Vince Hill Website Biography". VinceHill.co.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Pop legend Vince Hill becomes Macular Society patron". MacularSociety.org. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ "Official Vince Hill Website Biography". vincehill.co.uk. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Thompson, Dave. "Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Chambers, Pete. "Biography". BBC. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- ^ ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "RPM Play Sheet – March 14, 1966" (PDF).
- ISBN 978-1527202306.
- ^ "Vince Hill". IMDb. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Vince Hill: I sang with Maggie". Henleystandard.co.uk.
- ^ "Henley Standard -VINCE HILL has revealed how a duck helped him with his battle against cancer". HenleyStandard.co.uk. 30 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Vince's voice will live on". Henley Standard. 30 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Henley Standard - VETERAN singer Vince Hill says he has been left 'wrecked' by the death of his son". HenleyStandard.co.uk. 30 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Henley on Thames News | Vince Hill loses wife of 57 years". Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Vince Hill Honoured by Mayor of Henley at his Fond Farewell Show". Henleyherald.com. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Celebrity Cinderella Panto With a Twist in aid of The Chiltern Centre". Henleyherald.com. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Vince Hill: After losing my wife and son, blindness will cost me my career". Daily Express. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ "Official 2021 Vince Hill Charity Calendar". Vincehill.co.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ "Vince Hill Twitter page". Mobile.twitter.com. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ^ "Cheers Vince… here's to you". Vince Hill. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "Vince "Thrilled" about the CD release by Cherry Red Records of two of his classic LPs". VinceHill.co.uk. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- ^ "Edelweiss – Songs From The Musicals (The 1990s Sessions)". VinceHill.co.uk. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "Vince Hill dedicates his new Sony Music CD of '...Love Songs' to his late wife Annie". VinceHill.co.uk. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "New Definitive 'LEGACY' Greatest Hits CD celebrating Vince Hill's 55th Anniversary!". VinceHill.co.uk. 28 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ^ "New Definitive The Lost Sessions: 1969-1991". VinceHill.co.uk. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
External links
- Official Vince Hill website
- BBC Biography
- Biography and discography at 45-rpm.org.uk
- Vince Hill at IMDb
- Vince Hill discography at Discogs