Frank Ifield

On Monday I was at work having an break looking at my phone when I saw the news about the passing of Australian singer Frank Ifield which I was shocked to hear that. Frank was born on November 30th 1937 in Coundon Conventry England to Australian parents one of 7 sons and emigrated to Australia with his family in 1948 which they lived in Dural NSW . He got an guitar in 1949 and taught himself to yodel. Performed on the radio in the early 50's doing Bonnington's Bunkhouse, Ted Quigg Show, Youth Parade on Brisbane radio station 4BK and Amateur Hour on 2GB and began recording for EMI in 1953. He hosted an show on Channel 9 called Campfire Favourites as well as doing Bandstand hosted by Brian Henderson and other TV shows and was the support act for Dodie Stevens and the Champs on the 1959 Australian tour as well as having hits in Australia including True going to number 26 and Teenage Baby going to number 23 and number 4 in Adelaide. In November 1959 Frank went to the UK and in 1960 his first single in the UK was Lucky Devil which went to number 22 in the UK which 6 more singles including Gotta Get A Date (number 49 in the UK) but less successful. Then in 1962 he released I Remember You which was a cover of the Johnny Mercer and Victor Schertzinger composition I Remember You which went to number 1 in the UK and Australia and number 5 in the USA as well as having 2 more UK number 1 hits Lovesick Blues/She Taught Me How To Yodel which also went to number 2 in Australia and number 44 in the USA and the Wayward Wind which also went to number 13 in Australia and number 104 in the USA and would continue to achieve more UK top 40 hits up to 1966 including Confessin, Nobody's Darlin, Don't Blame Me, Summer Is Over and Paradise as well as performing at the Royal Variety Performance and on the Ed Sullivan show as well as the movie Up Jumped A Swagman in 1965 with Annette Andre and Suzy Kendall and also performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee. Frank continue to perform throughout the 70's and 80's and then in 1986 while he was in Sydney his lungs collasped which led to have one of the lungs removed and his vocal chords were damaged which meant he couldn't sing so he did hosting an country music program on 2KY as well as organising and promoting country music festivals. In 2007 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame by Bandstand host Brian Henderson and in 2009 got an the Order of Australia medal for his services to the arts as an entertainer. He did shows with Keith Potger from the Seekers in the 2010's as well as Nikki Gillis. I got to see Frank Ifield live only one time was at Seagulls Tweed Heads on Friday June 6th 2008 during the Wintersun Festival as he compered the Legends of Bandstand show which was an tribute to the iconic music show Bandstand and the performers on the bill were Bev Harrell, Ian Turpie, Warren Williams, Little Pattie and Lucky Starr which at the end of the show the performers sing I Remember You as well as coming out to sign after the show which I got the autographs as well as photos including with Frank which It was an honour and an thrill as I will treasure the memory of it. Vale Frank Ifield and thank you for the great music which will live on forever and also yes I along with everyone else who know you will Remember You.