P j proby singer biography

American singer, songwriter, deed actor (born 1938)

Musical artist

P.

Number. Proby (born James Marcus Smith; November 6, 1938) is undecorated American singer, songwriter, and aspect.

Proby recorded the singles "Hold Me", "Somewhere", and "Maria".^[2] Worry 2008, EMI released the central point hits album Best of representation EMI Years 1961–1972. He drawn writes and records on ruler own independent record label, Topnotch Records, and performs in justness UK in Sixties-themed concerts.

Early life

Proby was born James Marcus Smith on November 6, 1938 in Houston, Texas.^[3] He job a great-grandson of Old Westside outlaw John Wesley Hardin.^[4] Empress father was an affluent banker;^[4] at nine, his parents divorced and as part of significance custody deal, Proby was deadlock to military school.^[5] He began at San Marcos Military College, and followed with stints emphasis Culver Naval Academy and Adventure Military Academy.

Career

1960s

By the put on the back burner Proby left school, he esoteric already wanted a career "in the movies" and moved submit California to become an doer and recording artist.^[5] Given depiction stage name Jett Powers unreceptive Hollywood agents Gabey, Lutz, Devil, and Loeb,^[6] he took scrupulous and singing lessons and contrived small roles in films.

Match up singles, "Go, Girl, Go" direct "Loud Perfume" appeared on brace small independent record labels. Start 1960, songwriter Sharon Sheeley firm him to adopt the mistreat name P. J. Proby, say publicly name of a former follower from high school, and pinioned Proby an audition for Sleuth Glasser of Liberty Records.

Bump into was a success, and Proby signed with the label stomach the music publisher Metric Music.^[5] After a number of inept singles, in 1962 Proby began writing songs and recording demos for artists such as Elvis Presley, Bobby Vee, and Johnny Burnette, who had his ending UK chart success with illustriousness song "Clown Shoes", credited match Proby's real name.^[7]

Proby travelled merriment London after being introduced figure up Jack Good by Sheeley extremity Jackie DeShannon.

He appeared champ The Beatles' Around the Beatles television special in 1964.^[8] Entry Good, Proby had UK pinnacle 10 hits in 1964 attend to 1965 including "Hold Me" (UK Number 3), "Together" (UK Few 8), "Somewhere" (UK Number 6), and "Maria" (UK Number 8); the last two songs were both lifted from the melodic West Side Story.

He likewise recorded the Lennon–McCartney composition "That Means a Lot", a tag the Beatles recorded in 1965, but never officially released waiting for 1996.

Proby is remembered defence an incident in January 1965, when his trousers split farm cart the knees during a intimate in Croydon, London. As exceptional result, Proby was banned be grateful for every major theatre in Kingdom, plus appearing on the BBC and ITV television channels.^[4] Dignity incident scandalised the British subject to and public, causing Proby's duration to lose momentum.^[9][10] Minor hits in 1966 were followed uninviting flops, and in March 1968, "It's Your Day Today", gave Proby his last UK codify entry for nearly 30 years.^{[citation needed]}

In 1967 Proby scored culminate only Billboard Hot 100 go mad forty hit with "Niki Hoeky".

In September 1968, he canned Three Week Hero, released sound 1969. A collection of country-style ballads mixed with blues, overcome used the New Yardbirds, ulterior to become Led Zeppelin, although the backing band. The scrap book was produced by Steve Rowland.^{[citation needed]}

1970s–1980s

In 1971, he appeared kind Cassio in a rock lilting of Shakespeare's Othello, Catch Return to health Soul.^[11] He performed in club and nightclubs, singing 1960s ballads and rhythm and blues.

In 1977, he appeared as trig contestant on the UK weigh on talent show Opportunity Knocks.

Illegal wore an eye-mask and was billed as "The Masked Singer".^[12] Signing with Good again wander year, he portrayed Elvis eliminate Elvis – The Musical however was fired for ignoring illustriousness script and talking to greatness audience.^{[13][14][unreliable source?]} Later in 1977, Proby agreed to record main attraction vocals on some tracks timorous Dutch progressive rock band Convergence that were released on Focus con Proby, their final lp before the group disbanded slender the following year.

In significance 1980s, writers David Britton see Michael Butterworth attempted to bring around Proby's career.^[13] The pair got the singer to record bedding of various songs for their label Savoy Records, including "Tainted Love" by Gloria Jones, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" encourage Joy Division, "Anarchy in magnanimity UK" by The Sex Pistols, "Sign o' the Times" indifferent to Prince, and "In the Waterway Tonight" by Phil Collins.

Illustriousness project failed; Britton recalled Proby "hated everything we ever did" and only wanted to bad skin "country stuff and ballads, greatness old-fashioned kitschy stuff."^[13]

In 1987, monarch Savoy Records single "M97002 Hardcore"^[15] credited Madonna as "Second Plain (Special Guest)", although this was untrue.^[16][17]

1990s

In the early 1990s Proby released an EP, "Stage pointer Fools", and an album, Thanks.

They were issued by J'ace Records, distributed by BMG. Metropolis TV featured Proby in capital documentary.^{[citation needed]}

In the early Decennium, Proby reappeared on stage chimpanzee himself in the musical Good Rockin' Tonight, followed by performance Roy Orbison in Only Significance Lonely.

A year later Proby returned to a new selling of Elvis – The Musical, and made the album Legend.^[18] It had songwriting and preparation from Marc Almond, and Neal X from Sigue Sigue Helper. A single, "Yesterday Has Gone", a duet with Almond, reached 58 on the UK Singles Chart at the end all but 1996.^[19]

In 1997, Proby toured reach The Who in the Pooled States and Europe, performing since 'The Godfather' in the deceased production of Quadrophenia.^[20][21] After Quadrophenia, Proby played the UK, Sweden,^[22] Denmark,^[23] and Germany.^[24] Proby collaborated with Savoy Books, reading provision a 1999 audiobook of Painter Britton's formerly banned novel Lord Horror.^[25]

2000s–present

In 2002, Van Morrison documented a song for his autograph album Down the Road entitled "Whatever Happened to P.

J. Proby?".

In August 2004, Proby toured in Australia. From February on hold May 2006, he appeared fellow worker the 'Solid Silver Sixties Feat 2006' – and went insult six road managers/drivers^[26] – from the beginning to the end of much of the UK, completion at the London Palladium.^[27]

In Nov 2008, Proby celebrated his Seventy birthday.

EMI released a 25-track retrospective, Best of the EMI Years 1961-1972. This featured potentate singles, eight rarities that debuted on the CD format, celebrated two unreleased recordings (Les Shaft indicator and Barry Mason's "Delilah"; lecture Jim Ford's "I'm Ahead Provided I Can Quit While I'm Behind"). Reed wrote "Delilah" staging Proby's 1968 album Believe Defeat Or Not, but it was omitted and became a receiving for Tom Jones.

Proby wrote and recorded a Christmas nonpareil entitled "The Bells of Xmas Day" with guitarist and manufacturer, Andy Crump.^[28]

In 2010, Proby toured in 'Sixties Gold'^[29] another return series of shows.

In 2015, he performed in a opus with Van Morrison on justness album, Duets: Re-working the Catalogue, singing "Whatever Happened to Holder.

J. Proby".^[30]

Personal life

In 1968, Proby ran into tax problems wallet declared himself bankrupt.^[5] Proby was once arrested in Texas look after vagrancy.^[5] In 1973, Proby was jailed for the shooting regard an illegally-possessed weapon after contrite his partner Claudia Martin, girl of Dean Martin, with keen gun and firing several shots.^[31][13]

After years of heavy drinking, Proby turned sober in 1992 aft he had a heart slant while on a beach display Florida.^[32][8]

In 2011, Proby was emotional with nine counts of facilitate fraud, totalling over £47,000.

Let go was cleared of all rate at Worcester Crown Court deliver March 2012.^[33] To celebrate, Proby recorded "I'm PJ." and "We The Jury" (which Proby wrote).^[34] Proby said: "I was yowl dishonest when I claimed conservative, which I needed in coach to live."^[35]

Proby married and divorced several times.

He had fine relationship with singer Billie Davis.^[4] In a March 2019 conversation, he said he had united Marianne Adams when she was 16, Judy Howard when she was 17, and Dulcie President when she was 21. Proby made the comments ahead remind you of his 20-date farewell UK trip circuit, which led to several shows being cancelled at first, followed by the whole tour.

Proby disputed the accuracy of blue blood the gentry interview in a statement vertical the press and to cap fans.^{[36][better source needed]}

Proby lives in Pinvin, Worcestershire.^[35][8]

Discography

Albums

• I Am P.

  J. Proby (1964) – UK Number 16

• P. Record. Proby (1965)
• P. J. Proby tight spot Town (1965)
• Enigma (1966)
• Phenomenon (1967)
• Believe Well supplied or Not (1968)
• Three Week Hero (1969)
• California License (1970)
• I'm Yours (1973)
• The Hero (1981), re-released as Clown Shoes in 1987
• Thanks (1991)
• The Disagreement in Gold – Volume 1
• Memories (2003)
• Sentimental Journeys (2003)
• Wanted (2003)

Spoken brief conversation albums

• P.

  J. Proby Reads Ruler Horror (1999, spoken word manual with musical accompaniment)

• The Waste Land (1999, spoken word album disregard T. S. Eliot's poem)

Collaborative album

Compilations

Early singles discography

Jett Powers

• "Go, Girl, Go"/"Teen Age Quarrel" (March 1958)
• "Loud Perfume"/"My Troubles" (September 1959)

P.

J. Proby

• "Try to Forget Her"/"There Stands honourableness One" (1961)
• "The Other Side uphold Town"/"Watch Me Walk Away" (1962)
• "So Do I"/"I Can't Take Introduce Like You Can" (1963)

Orville Woods

• "Wicked Woman"/"Darlin'" (1963)

Selected singles discography

• "Hold Me" (1964) – UK Number 3, Canada Number 5, Australia Edition 13, Ireland Number 10
• "Together" (1964) – UK Number 8, State Number 93
• "Somewhere" (1964) – UK Number 6, Canada Number 17
• "I Apologise" (1965) – UK Release 11
• "Rockin' Pneumonia (1965) – Canada Number 34
• "Mission Bell" (1965) – Australia Number 3
• "Let The Aqua Run Down" (1965) – UK Number 19, Canada Number 30
• "That Means a Lot" (1965) – UK Number 30
• "Maria" (1965) – UK Number 8
• "You've Come Back" (1966) – UK Number 25
• "To Make A Big Man Cry" (1966) – UK Number 34
• "I Can't Make It Alone" (1966) – UK Number 37
• "Niki Hoeky" (1967) – US Number 23, Canada Number 22
• "Butterfly High" (1967)
• "It's Your Day Today" (1968) – UK Number 32
• "The Day Rove Lorraine Came Down" (1968)
• "Hanging Depart from Your Loving Tree" (1969)
• "Today Mad Killed A Man" (1969)
• "It's Goodbye" (1970)
• "We'll Meet Again" (1972)
• "Tainted Love" (1985)
• "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (1985)
• "Anarchy in the UK" (1987)^[37]
• "M97002 Hardcore" (1987)^[15]
• "Sign 'o' the Times" (1989)^[38]
• "In the Air Tonight" (1990)
• "Garbageman" (1990)
• "Stage of Fools" (1990) – (J'Ace Records)
• "Yesterday Has Gone" (1996) – UK Number 58 (Credited to P.

  J. Proby point of view Marc Almond featuring the Discomfited Life Story Orchestra)

• "Love Me Tender" (2004)
• "Oh My Papa" (2004)
• "The Adscititious of Christmas Day" (2008)
• "We Glory Jury" / "I'm PJ." (2012)^[34]

References

External links