Evening of Fury set for theatre (From Thurrock Gazette)

Evening of Fury set for theatre

7:00am Friday 22nd March 2013 in News

A TRIBUTE to one of the world’s most beloved entertainers will be coming to Grays.

Thirty years after the death of Billy Fury, a superb show will be held at the Thameside Theatre in Orsett Road.

The Billy Fury Years 30th Anniversary Special is on Saturday, April 6.

During the two-hour show, Michael King and a fantastic collection of musicians take you on a journey through the musical career of Britain’s best loved rock ‘n roll legend.

Billy Fury had more Decca hits than any other recording artist and equalled The Beatles 24 chart hits with 332 weeks in the UK Charts.

Legendary drummer Clem Cattini, 75, who performed on more than 45 number one singles as well as playing with Billy Fury himself, was due to perform on the tour, but had to pull out after hip replacement surgery.

He said: “I worked with Billy at the end of the Fities and the beginning of the Sixties – it was great.

“I enjoyed working with Billy he was a good rocker, the guys used to like him as well as the girls, he was very popular. It was good times.

“The guy that plays Billy is very, good. It’s a good show, it’s a good mixture of what Billy was about.”

Billy Fury was born Ronald William Wycherley in Liverpool on April 17, 1940. He was an internationally successful British pop singer from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s.

Rheumatic fever, which damaged his heart, contributed to his death in 1983.

Such is his popularity that in 2007 a bronze statue of Billy was unveiled at the Liverpool Albert Dock and in 2011, Billy Fury Way was opened in London.