By admin 
Introduction
The Life & Death of Billy Fury: Britain’s Rock and Roll Legend
Today, we pay tribute to Billy Fury, one of the UK’s most beloved rock and roll icons who rose to fame in the 1960s. Born Ronald Wycherley on April 17, 1940, in Liverpool, England, Fury entered the world at 8:45 a.m. in Smithdown General Hospital. Originally, his parents, Albert—a wartime soldier turned shoemaker—and Sarah Jane, had intended to name him Kenneth.
From a young age, Billy faced health challenges. In 1946, he suffered his first bout of rheumatic fever, which weakened his heart valves and caused ongoing issues. He had multiple hospital stays, including one at age 12 after a relapse. During one visit, he overheard a doctor tell his mother he might not live past 30, a prophecy that stayed with him throughout his life.
Billy’s passion for music began early. At age 11, he started piano lessons, and at 14, his parents gifted him his first guitar. Though he admitted knowing only three chords at first, he quickly immersed himself in songwriting. By age 15, he left Wellington Road Secondary Modern School, which he described as the unhappiest time of his life, and began working in various jobs, including at Ellison’s engineering and as a deckhand on tugboats. Inspired by sailors’ country and western records, he formed the Forbe Sniffle Group, performing in local cafés.
In May 1958, Billy recorded six tracks at Percy F. Phillips Studio in Liverpool and sent a demo tape to impresario Larry Parnes. Although initially ignored, his mother’s persistence led to an invitation to perform at Parnes’ Extravaganza tour in Birkenhead. At just 18, an anxious Billy took the stage, performing “Margo Don’t Go” and “Maybe Tomorrow.” Parnes decided “Ronald Wycherley” didn’t suit a rock star and rebranded him as Billy Fury. His first single, Maybe Tomorrow, reached the UK Top 20, and within seven months, he signed a seven-year contract with Decca Records.
Fury’s debut album, The Sound of Fury, became a fan favorite, recorded over two intensive three-hour sessions. He enlisted top musicians, including Joe Brown and Andy White, and even flew in backing vocalists at his own expense. Interestingly, the original Silver Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Stu Sutcliffe—auditioned to back him but declined.
Billy’s career soared in the 1960s. Hits like Halfway to Paradise, Jealousy, and When Will You Say I Love You cemented his popularity. Despite his success, he never achieved a UK number-one single, though he placed more Top 20 hits than all but the Beatles, Cliff Richard, and Elvis Presley. His health, however, frequently disrupted his career, with heart problems forcing him to cancel performances and rest between shows.
Fury also became a television and film favorite, appearing on shows such as OB Boy and Boy Meets Girls and films like Play It Cool and I’ve Got a Horse. In 1962, he even met Elvis Presley in Los Angeles while presenting gold and silver discs for Girls! Girls! Girls!
As the Beatles’ sound reshaped the music scene, Fury struggled to maintain chart dominance. By 1967, after signing with Parlophone, his releases were sporadic, and he began focusing on his love of wildlife at his countryside home in Oley Sur, a mock Tudor mansion with ten acres. Health issues continued to plague him, requiring open-heart surgery in 1971 and a second heart operation in 1978.
Despite setbacks, Billy continued performing and recording. He re-recorded his hits to settle bankruptcy and enjoyed a brief resurgence in the early 1980s with the posthumously released The One and Only Billy Fury. On January 28, 1983, Billy Fury was found unconscious in his London flat and pronounced dead at St. Mary’s Hospital. His lifelong heart problems had finally claimed him at the age of 42.
Billy Fury was laid to rest at Mill Hill Cemetery in North London. His posthumous single, Forget Him, became his final chart hit, ensuring his legacy lived on. Known for his charismatic stage presence, timeless music, and gentle off-stage nature, Billy Fury remains one of Britain’s most iconic rock and roll stars.