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Marty Wilde | |
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| Birth name | Reginald Leonard Smith |
| Born | (1939-04-15)15 April 1939 (age 85) Blackheath,South London, England |
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| Years active | 1957–present |
| Labels | Philips (UK),Epic (US) |
| Website | martywilde |
| Children |
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Marty Wilde,MBE (bornReginald Leonard Smith; 15 April 1939)[1] is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate Americanrock and roll, scoring several 1950s and 1960s hit singles including "Endless Sleep", "Sea of Love" and "Bad Boy". During the late 1960s to early 1980s, Wilde continued to record and, withRonnie Scott, co-wrote hit singles for others includingthe Casuals' "Jesamine" andStatus Quo's "Ice in the Sun". He is the father of pop singerKim Wilde and co-wrote many of her hit singles including "Kids in America" with his sonRicky. He continues to perform and record.
Wilde was born inBlackheath, London. He was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in 1957, when he was spotted byimpresarioLarry Parnes.[2]
Parnes gave his protégés stage names such asBilly Fury,Duffy Power andDickie Pride, hence the change to Wilde.[2]
From mid-1958 to the end of 1959 Wilde was one of the leading British rock-and-roll singers, along withTommy Steele andCliff Richard.[2] Wilde's backing group was called the Wildcats.[2] At various times they featuredBig Jim Sullivan on lead guitar, Tony Belcher on rhythm guitar,Bobby Graham orBobbie Clarke on drums, plusBrian Locking on bass guitar andBrian Bennett on drums, both of whom later joinedthe Shadows.[2]
He appeared regularly on theBBC Television show6.5 Special and was the main regular artiste on the SaturdayITVpopular music showsOh Boy! andBoy Meets Girls.[2] There he met Joyce Baker, one ofthe Vernons Girls who were also show regulars. Their courtship was made public but after their marriage Wilde's popularity as ateen idol declined.[citation needed]
He moved partly into all-round entertainment, appearing in musicals such as Conrad Birdie in the originalWest End production ofBye Bye Birdie[2] and several films. He enjoyed success as a songwriter in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In collaboration with the songwriterRonnie Scott, he co-wrote theone-hit wondersthe Casuals' "Jesamine" under the pseudonyms of Frere Manston and Jack Gellar. The pair also wroteLulu's "I'm a Tiger" and the earlyStatus Quo hit, "Ice in the Sun".[2]
He also tried to tap into the growingglam rock boom, releasing the single "Rock'n'Roll Crazy" / "Right On!" billed as Zappo, and recording as The Dazzling All Night Rock Show ("20 Fantastic Bands"), and Ruby Pearl and The Dreamboats ("The Shang-A-Lang Song"). None of the releases were a commercial success, and Wilde ditched the glam rock genre,[3] going on to work with his son,Ricky Wilde.[4]
Like many of his contemporaries, Wilde continued to perform in nostalgia tours in the UK and beyond. In 2007, he celebrated 50 years in thebusiness with another UK tour which featured his youngest daughter Roxanne Wilde, and the issue of acompilation album,Born To Rock And Roll – The Greatest Hits. It included aduet with Kim Wilde ofElton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", which was released as a promotional only single.
In 2017, Wilde went on a UK tour with The Solid Gold Rock'n'Roll Show, which also featuredEden Kane,Mark Wynter andMike Berry.[5]
In 2019, he toured the UK again with American artistCharlie Gracie andMike Berry. A projected 2020 tour was rescheduled to 2021 because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[6]
On 9 October 2020, Wilde entered theUK Albums Chart at number 75 withRunning Together. It was released on his own Pushka label, and featured his daughters Kim and Roxanne Wilde, with input from son Ricky.[7] Wilde thus has the distinction of UK chart success, as either a singer or songwriter, across eight consecutive decades.[8]
He and his wife, Joyce, have four children,Kim (born 1960),Ricky (born 1961), Roxanne (born 1979) and the youngest, Marty Jr (born 1981), who was a contestant onthe Golf Channel'sThe Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe in 2005. Kim, Ricky and Roxanne have worked in themusic industry, like their parents.[9]
Wilde wrote and co-wrote the following notable songs:[10]
Marty Wilde has appeared in the following films:-
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