Who is Tommy Steele? Find Net Worth, Quote, Awards, Fact, Wiki

Tommy Steele Wiki Biography

Tommy Steele OBE is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain’s first teen idol and rock and roll star. Dubbed Britain’s answer to Elvis Presley, he reached No.1 with Singing the Blues in 1957, and The Tommy Steele Story was the first album by a UK group to reach No.1. S… 

Full Name Tommy Steele
Net Worth $10 Million
Date Of Birth December 17, 1936
Place Of Birth Bermondsey, London, United Kingdom
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m)
Profession Singer, Actor, Screenwriter, Writer, Sculptor, Songwriter, Author
Nationality England
Spouse Ann Donoghue (m. 1960)
Children Emma Steele
Siblings Betty Hicks, Ron Hicks, Colin Hicks, Sandra Hicks, Rodney Hicks
Nicknames Thomas Hicks , Jimmy Bennett , Thomas William Hicks , Tommy Steele OBE
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0824687
Awards Grammy Award for Best Recording Package, Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Performances, NME Award for British Vocal Personality
Albums The Very Best of Tommy Steele
Nominations Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Golden Globe Award for Best New Star of the Year – Actor, NME Award for British Male Singer
Movies Half a Sixpence, Finian’s Rainbow, The Happiest Millionaire, Tommy the Toreador, The Tommy Steele Story, The Duke Wore Jeans, Quincy’s Quest, Where’s Jack?, It’s All Happening, Kill Me Tomorrow, Light Up the Sky!, Twelfth Night
Fact
1 Sculptured a statue of his hero Charlie Chaplin, which he kept in his garden in Richmond London until he moved home.
2 He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1979 Queen’s New Year Honours List for his services to drama and entertainment.
3 Alex Harvey of the “Sensational Alex Harvey Band” won a Tommy Steele impersonator competition in Scotland. Part of the prize was meeting Tommy Steele.
4 Often used the pseudonym “Jimmy Bennett” for his song writing partnership with Lionel Bart and Mike Pratt.
5 Has made more appearances than any other artist at The London Palladium.
6 His one-man show, “An Evening with Tommy Steele,” ran for fourteen months at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1979/80 and is in the Guinness Book of Theatre Facts and Feats as “the longest running one-man show in West End history.”
7 In 1974 he composed and recorded an autobiographical cycle of twelve songs under the title of “My Life, My Song”. Another of his talents was shown in the album sleeve for this recording which was illustrated with twelve of his own paintings and these together with other works were shown in a one-man exhibition at the Christopher Wade Gallery. He has also developed a talent as a sculptor and two of his major works are on public display; “Bermondsey Boy” at the Rotherhithe Civic Centre and “Eleanor Rigby” which he gave to the City of Liverpool as a tribute to the Beatles.
8 His first song “Rock With the Caveman” was a 1957 hit and, as a result, his sudden stardom was compressed quickly into a film as well (“The Tommy Steele Story”) even before there was a story to tell.
9 The son of a tailor, he was discovered by Larry Parnes, who renamed him ‘Tommy Steele,’ and manufactured him into Britain’s first pop star.
10 Has one daughter, Emma.
11 His second single “Singin’ the Blues” reached No. 1 in 1956.
12 Evacuated from London during the WWII Blitz.
13 Was nominated for Broadway’s 1965 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for “Half a Sixpence” in the role of Arthur Kipps – which he later recreated for the film version of the same name, Half a Sixpence (1967). One of his co-stars was John Cleese.
14 Owned and drove an American Excalibur from mid 60s.
15 Television commercial, 1974, for his stage portrayal as Hans Christian Andersen.
16 Tommy Steele played in a televised celebrity squash match, beaten by Leonard Rossiter, not very long before the latter’s death. Ironically, Tommy conceded that Leonard was much fitter than he at the time.

Soundtrack

Title Year Status Character
Who’s Doing the Dishes? 2016 TV Series performer – 1 episode
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story 2009 Documentary performer: “Fortuosity”
The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics 2008 TV Movie documentary performer: “I’ll Always Be Irish” – uncredited
The Flintstones 1994 writer: “ROCK WITH THE CAVEMAN”
Blakes 7 1978 TV Series performer – 1 episode
Finian’s Rainbow 1968 performer: “Something Sort of Grandish” 1946, “When I’m Not Near The Girl I Love” 1946, “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” 1946 – uncredited
Half a Sixpence 1967 performer: “All in the Cause of Economy”, “Half a Sixpence”, “Money to Burn”, “The Race”, “She’s Too Far Above Me”, “Flash, Bang, Wallop”, “If the Rain’s Got to Fall”, “I’m Not Talking to You”, “This Is My World”
The Happiest Millionaire 1967 performer: “Fortuosity”, “I’ll Always Be Irish”, “Let’s Have a Drink On It”, “Finale: Let’s Have a Drink on It” – uncredited
Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall TV Series performer – 1 episode, 1966 writer – 1 episode, 1966
Skywatch 1960 performer: “Strike A Light”
Tommy the Toreador 1959 performer: “The Little White Bull”, “Tommy the Toreador”, “Take A Ride”, “Singing Time”, “Amanda”, “Where’s the Birdie” / writer: “The Little White Bull”, “Tommy the Toreador”, “Take A Ride”, “Singing Time”, “Amanda”, “Where’s the Birdie” – as Jimmy Bennett
The Duke Wore Jeans 1958 performer: “It’s All Happening”, “What Do You Do”, “Princess”, “Family Tree”, “Happy Guitar”, “Hair Down”, “Photograph My Baby”, “Thanks a Lot”
The Shiralee 1957 performer: “The Shiralee”, “Grandad’s Rock” – uncredited / writer: “The Shiralee”, “Grandad’s Rock” – uncredited
Rock Around the World 1957 performer: “Singin’ the Blues”, “A Handful of Songs”, “Butterfingers”, “Take Me Back Baby” uncredited, “I Like” uncredited, “Water Water” uncredited, “You Gotta Go” uncredited, “Cannibal Pot” uncredited, “Two Eyes” uncredited, “Build Up” uncredited, “Doomsday Rock” uncredited, “Time to Kill” uncredited, “Elevator Rock” uncredited / writer: “Butterfingers”, “Take Me Back Baby” uncredited, “I Like” uncredited, “Water Water” uncredited, “You Gotta Go” uncredited, “Cannibal Pot” uncredited, “Will It
Kill Me Tomorrow 1957 performer: “Rock With The Caveman”, “Rebel Rock” / writer: “Rock With The Caveman”, “Rebel Rock”

Actor

Title Year Status Character
Quincy’s Quest 1979 Quincy
The Yeomen of the Guard 1978 TV Movie Jack Point
Once Upon a Time 1973 TV Series Buttons
ITV Saturday Night Theatre 1970 TV Series Feste
Where’s Jack? 1969 Jack Sheppard
Gentle Ben 1969 TV Series Scott
Finian’s Rainbow 1968 Og
Half a Sixpence 1967 Arthur Kipps
The Happiest Millionaire 1967 John Lawless
Richard Whittington Esquire 1964 TV Movie Richard Whittington
The Dream Maker 1963 Billy Bowles
The Tommy Steele Show: Quincy’s Quest 1962 TV Movie Quincy
Val Parnell’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium 1962 TV Series
Skywatch 1960 Eric McGaffey
Tommy the Toreador 1959 Tommy Tomkins
The Duke Wore Jeans 1958 Tony Whitecliffe / Tommy Hudson
Rock Around the World 1957 Tommy Steele

Writer

Title Year Status Character
Quincy’s Quest 1979 screenplay / story
A Special Tommy Steele 1973 TV Movie deviser / screenplay
Tommy Steele in Search of Charlie Chaplin 1971 TV Movie
Richard Whittington Esquire 1964 TV Movie outline
The Tommy Steele Show: Quincy’s Quest 1962 TV Movie story

Music Department

Title Year Status Character
Quincy’s Quest 1979 incidental theme music – as Jimmy Bennett
The Shiralee 1957 the voice of

Composer

Title Year Status Character
Richard Whittington Esquire 1964 TV Movie music composed by

Miscellaneous

Title Year Status Character
Quincy’s Quest 1979 stager

Self

Title Year Status Character
Hippodromes, Empires and Palaces: Tales from the Golden Age of Variety 2015 Video documentary short Himself – Theatrical Legend (as Tommy Steele OBE)
The Royal History of Pop 2012 TV Movie documentary Himself
The Story of Musicals 2012 TV Series documentary Himself
Bee Gees: In Our Own Time 2010 TV Movie Himself
The One Show 2009-2010 TV Series Himself
This Morning 2007 TV Series Himself
Children in Need 2005 TV Series Himself – Performer
The Royal Variety Performance 2004 2004 TV Special Performer
BingoLotto 2000 TV Series Himself – Musical Guest
Aspel & Company 1992 TV Series Himself
This Is Your Life 1991 TV Series documentary Himself
Test of Faith 1987 TV Movie documentary Himself
Omnibus 1969-1983 TV Series documentary Himself
Tommy Steele: A Handful of Songs 1981 TV Movie documentary Himself
Parkinson 1979 TV Series Himself
A Special Tommy Steele 1973 TV Movie Himself
Tommy Steele in Search of Charlie Chaplin 1971 TV Movie Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 1971 TV Series Himself
The David Frost Show 1969-1970 TV Series Himself
The Joey Bishop Show 1968 TV Series Himself
The World Premiere of ‘Finian’s Rainbow’ 1968 Short Himself
Cinema 1967 TV Series documentary Himself
The Heart of Show Business 1967 TV Movie Himself – Performer
Come and Get your Money 1967 TV Movie documentary Himself
Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall 1966 TV Series Himself
Gene Kelly in New York, New York 1966 TV Movie Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show 1965 TV Series Singer
The Royal Variety Performance 1963 1963 TV Movie Himself
Val Parnell’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium 1957-1963 TV Series Himself / Himself – Top Of The Bill
Talking Sport 1963 TV Series Himself
Farewell to the Vic 1963 TV Movie documentary Himself
Thank Your Lucky Stars 1962 TV Series Himself
Spectacular 1959 TV Series Himself
The 1959 Show 1959 TV Movie Himself
Oh Boy! 1958 TV Series Himself
This Is Your Life 1958 TV Series documentary Himself
The Saturday Show 1957 TV Series Himself
Cool for Cats 1957 TV Series Himself
Kill Me Tomorrow 1957 Himself
Six-Five Special 1957 TV Series Himself – and His Steelmen / Himself – and His Steelemen
Show Band Parade 1957 TV Series Himself
Off the Record 1956 TV Series Himself

Archive Footage

Title Year Status Character
Heroes of Comedy 2002 TV Series documentary
The Very Best of Sid James 1996 Video documentary
Alma Cogan: The Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice 1991 TV Short documentary Himself
Benny Hill: The World’s Favorite Clown 1991 TV Movie documentary Eric McGaffey (uncredited)
The Walt Disney Comedy and Magic Revue 1985 Video short John Lawless
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Years 1985 TV Series Himself
Years of Lightning 1981 TV Series documentary Himself
Blue Suede Shoes 1980 Documentary Himself
All You Need Is Love 1977 TV Series documentary Himself
Highlight: The Singing Cinema 1964
Words and Music 1959 TV Series Himself
Six-Five Special 1957-1958 TV Series Excerpt from The Tommy Steele Story / Excerpt from Kill Me Tomorrow

Nominated Awards

Year Award Ceremony Nomination Movie
1968 Golden Globe Golden Globes, USA Most Promising Newcomer – Male The Happiest Millionaire (1967)
1968 Golden Laurel Laurel Awards Male New Face 9th place.

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