Alvin Stardust
Bernard William Jewry (27 September 1942 – 23 October 2014), known professionally as Shane Fenton and later as Alvin Stardust, was an English rock singer and stage actor. Performing first as Shane Fenton in the 1960s, Jewry had a moderately successful career in the pre-Beatles era, hitting the UK top 40 with four singles in 1961–62. However, he became better known for singles released in the 1970s and 1980s as Alvin Stardust, a character he began in the glam rock era, with hits including the UK Singles Chart-topper "Jealous Mind", as well as later hits such as "Pretend" and "I Feel Like Buddy Holly".
This article is about the singer. For his self-titled album, see Alvin Stardust (album).
Alvin Stardust
Bernard William Jewry
Shane Fenton
27 September 1942
Muswell Hill, Middlesex, England
23 October 2014 (aged 72)
Ifold, West Sussex, England
- Vocals
- guitar
1960–2014
- Iris Caldwell
Early life and career[edit]
Bernard William Jewry was born 27 September 1942 in Muswell Hill, then in Middlesex (now in the London Borough of Haringey).[1][2] Having moved at a young age to Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, where his mother ran a boarding house frequented by musicians and entertainers appearing locally,[3] Jewry attended the Southwell Minster Collegiate Grammar School (now Southwell Minster School) in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, near Newark-on-Trent, as a boarder. He made his stage debut in pantomime at the age of four.
In the early 1960s, Shane Fenton and the Fentones were an unknown teenage band who recorded a demo tape and mailed it in to a BBC programme with the hope of being picked to appear on television. While awaiting a reply from the BBC, the band's 17-year-old singer Shane Fenton (whose real name was Johnny Theakston)[4] died as a result of the rheumatic fever he had suffered in childhood.
The rest of the band (guitarists Jerry Wilcock and Mick Eyre, bassist Graham George Squires and drummer Tony Hinchcliffe) decided to break up, but then unexpectedly received a letter from the BBC inviting them to come to London to audition in person for the programme. Theakston's mother asked the band to stay together, and to keep its name, in honour of her son's memory. Jewry, who was a roadie with them at the time, was asked to join the band and to use Shane Fenton as a pseudonym.[5] The combo had a few hits in the UK Singles Chart:[6] "I'm A Moody Guy", "Walk Away", "It's All Over Now" and their biggest hit, "Cindy's Birthday". These and their subsequent misses were all on Parlophone Records.
Jewry later also appeared in Billy Fury's movie Play It Cool (1962) and the Tommy Steele film It's All Happening (1963). He was managed by Larry Parnes.[7]
Persona change[edit]
Jewry disappeared from the spotlight for a decade after the break-up of the Fentones, working in music management and performing at small venues with his first wife Iris Caldwell, the sister of Rory Storm. During the early 1970s, however, he acquired a new persona, Alvin Stardust, cashing in on the glam rock bandwagon. Alvin Stardust was clearly a reference to Ziggy Stardust, a David Bowie character based on the rocker Vince Taylor. The Alvin Stardust character looked remarkably like Taylor with sideburns and black leather outfit.[8] His new name was given to him by Peter Shelley, the co-founder (with Michael Levy) of Magnet Records. Shelley originated the persona of Alvin Stardust, writing, recording and singing the first Stardust single, "My Coo Ca Choo", in 1973. Shelley, however, had no interest in performing live or making public appearances, so even as "My Coo Ca Choo" was climbing the charts, he was on the lookout for someone to take over the role of Alvin Stardust. Hal Carter, Jewry's manager, suggested his client as a substitute.[5] Jewry took over as Stardust in time to lip-synch "My Coo Ca Choo" on its first Top of the Pops appearance.
All further Alvin Stardust records were sung by Jewry. Stardust had further chart successes with the hits "Jealous Mind" (UK No. 1),[9] "You, You, You", "Red Dress" and "Good Love Can Never Die". In total, he amassed seven Top Ten entries, in a chart span lasting almost 25 years.[10]
Stardust was part of the Green Cross Code road safety campaign Children's Heroes (1976), which saw him instructing children to look both ways before they crossed the road.[11]
Personal life[edit]
Stardust was married three times. In Liverpool in 1964 as Bernard W. Jewry he married Iris Caldwell,[16] sister of Rory Storm and an ex-girlfriend of both George Harrison and Paul McCartney, having grown up with them in Liverpool.[17] In 1981, Stardust married the actress Liza Goddard,[18] again under the name of Bernard W. Jewry.[19] Their daughter, Sophie Jewry, was critically injured at the age of two months after she fell down a set of stairs and suffered a severe fracture of the skull; she later recovered from her injuries.[18] Stardust was married to the actress and choreographer Julie Paton at the time of his death.[20]
He had two sons and two daughters,[21] the youngest of whom had Cliff Richard as one of her godparents.[22]
His eldest son, Shaun Fenton, was born in 1969.[23] His birth was registered in December 1969 under the name of Fenton.[24] The other son is the drum and bass producer Adam F.
Stardust converted to Christianity in the late 1980s after meeting a group of American Baptist missionaries on a train.[25]
Death[edit]
Stardust died at home after a brief illness; this was confirmed by his manager on 23 October 2014. He was 72 years old.[26] His funeral was held in St Thomas Church, Swansea, where he had married Julie Paton.[27] His death came weeks before he was due to release his first album in 30 years, and six days after what became his last show at the Regal Cinema, Evesham.[27] He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer 18 months earlier, which later metastasised.[11] He was cremated in Morriston Crematorium and his ashes scattered in the grounds.