Ray Burns (singer)
Ray Burns | |
|---|---|
| Born | Reuben Klot 1 April 1923 London, England |
| Died | 9 December 2000 (aged 77) |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1940s–1950s |
| Label | Columbia Records |
Reuben Burns (born Reuben Klot; 1 April 1923 – 9 December 2000), known professionally as Ray Burns,[1][2] was a British singer who achieved notability in the 1950s, scoring a top five hit single in 1955.
Early life
Burns was born of Russian ancestry as Reuben Klot in the East End of London, England, in 1923.[3] He was Jewish, and the uncle of the singer Georgia Brown. Prior to the Second World War, he was as a leading member of the Brady Boys Concert Party, Britain's first Jewish boys' club.[4][5] During the Second World War, he served in the Royal Air Force.[3]
Singing career
Burns entered showbusiness when a friend of the comedian Issy Bonn heard him singing in a barber shop;[6] Bonn took Burns on as a dresser, taught him singing techniques, and had him perform a song during his stage shows.[7] Burns' career took a step forward in 1949, when the orchestra leader Ambrose heard him sing at the Blue Lagoon club in London[3] and offered him a job.[8]
Burns was a regular singer with the BBC Show Band, under the leadership of Cyril Stapleton, in the 1950s,[9] and recorded a number of singles for Columbia Records between 1953 and 1958, two of which reached the UK singles chart.[3] The bigger hit, a cover of the David Holt/Bob Wells song "Mobile" (with the Eric Jupp Orchestra), which had been a hit in the United States for Julius La Rosa, reached number 4 in both the New Musical Express and Record Mirror[10] charts in March 1955. The second, "That's How a Love Song Was Born" (with The Coronets), reached number 14 in the NME chart later in the year; at the time Record Mirror only had a top 10 chart, expanding to a top 20 in October 1955, just as the single dropped out of the NME top 20.[11]
Burns' career turned to cabaret and smaller scale performances as the musical scene changed, but he made one final television appearance on Barrymore in the 1990s.[12]
Personal life
Burns married Tilly Gegendorf in Stepney in 1944.[13] They had two children, Larry and Gillian. The latter performed with her father in a double act in the 1970s, and won an episode of New Faces in 1977.[14]
References
- ^ "Ray Burns". Oxford Reference. doi:10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095536888&print. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ General Register Office; United Kingdom
- ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 56. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
- ^ "Ray Burns (photograph)". Jewish Museum London. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "At The Brady Clubs | Spitalfields Life". Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "Ray's bouncing back to the big time". Manchester Evening News. 20 November 1965. p. 3.
- ^ "Midland entertainments". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 17 September 1946. p. 2.
- ^ "Ray Burns". The Stage: 11. 21 December 2000.
- ^ "Festival of dance music". Coatbridge Leader. 29 January 1955. p. 1.
- ^ Jasper, Tony (1976). 20 Years of The British Record Charts 1955-1975. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 5.
- ^ "Ray Burns". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Ray Burns family interview with Michael Barrymore". Retrieved 26 March 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 1c; Page: 249
- ^ "29 Jan 1977 – Series Five (21)". Newfacesatv.info. 30 January 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2024.