Valerie Masters | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1940-04-24)24 April 1940 (age 85) Stepney Green,London, England |
Valerie Masters (born 24 April 1940)[1] is a British former singer, television and radio presenter and actress, who recorded and performed in the late 1950s and 1960s.
She was born inStepney Green,East London, the daughter of Jacob Muster and Sarah "Sally" Sassienie.[2] She started work as a typist and personal secretary for themayor ofStepney before, at the age of 17, being introduced toRay Ellington and shortly afterwards joining his band as featured vocalist, to replaceMarion Ryan.[3] She remained with Ellington's band until 1959, and also recorded as a solo singer.[1] Her first record, "The Secret of Happiness", was released on theFontana label in April 1958. She continued to record a series of singles for Fontana through to 1961; none made the officialUK Singles Chart although her 1960 single "Banjo Boy" made the lower reaches of theNew Musical Express's own chart.[1] Between 1959 and 1961 she had her own show onRadio Luxembourg,Valerie and her Boyfriends, and in 1960 she representedBritain in the European Song Contest (unrelated to theEurovision Song Contest), following which she became popular inScandinavia,Germany and theNetherlands.[3] In 1961, she failed in her attempt to represent the UK at Eurovision, finishing seventh in theA Song for Europe competition with the song "Too Late For Tears". Masters also appeared frequently onBBC radio and on television, as well as performing live in cabaret and clubs, often with Ellington's former pianist Dick Katz (1916-1981); they married in 1961.[4]
In May 1960, she co-hosted, withJimmy Savile, a short series of teen-oriented programmes,Young at Heart, forTyne Tees Television; these were Savile's first television appearances.[4][5] She also worked forBorder Television. She sang the theme song for the 1961 filmThe Hellions, and also recordedcommercials and worked as abacking singer. In 1963, she recorded for theHis Master's Voice label,[1] and in 1964 issued the single "Christmas Calling", produced byJoe Meek and featuringsession guitaristRitchie Blackmore. She later recorded forPolydor andColumbia,[1] her last record being released in 1969.[3] She appeared, acting the role of a singer, in the 1979 television drama seriesSecret Army, and in the early 1980s made appearances inRuss Abbot's Saturday Madhouse.[6]
She later ran her ownbridal wear business with her daughter, inGuildford,Surrey.[4]
