19 Facts About Dickie Pride

Dickie Pride was one of Larry Parnes' stable of pop music stars, who didn't achieve the same successful career as some of his contemporaries.

Dickie Pride attended John Newnham Secondary School in Addington before visiting the Royal School of Church Music in Croydon, where a career as an opera singer was suggested.

Later on, Dickie Pride was a member of a skiffle group, the Semi-Tones.

Dickie Pride took on several menial jobs to help support the family, including working in a stonemason's yard that specialised in making gravestones.

Dickie Pride was the man who taught me to sing harmony, when I'd never even heard of it.

Dickie Pride was tremendously talented and his death was a tragedy.

However, the commercial performance of most of Dickie Pride's recordings was far below expectations.

Television producer Jack Good had seen Dickie Pride sing in Southend.

Dickie Pride was very successful during live performances, but had difficulty transferring this success to his recordings.

Dickie Pride always had an interest in jazz and traditional pop, so he was keen to finally do an album of his own.

Dickie Pride remained close friends with Billy Fury and Duffy Power.

In 1959, Dickie Pride's misbehaviour got him in trouble with the law for stealing a car, for which he was put on probation.

Dickie Pride then remarried and emigrated to the United States.

Dickie Pride moved back home to live with his mother and sister, Anne.

On 26 March 1969, Dickie Pride's sister found him dead in his bed.

Dickie Pride died at the age of 27, from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills.

Dickie Pride became part of the 27 Club, among many notable people who died at the same age.

Fellow Parnes artists such as Billy Fury, Joe Brown and Georgie Fame stated that Dickie Pride had been the most talented singer on Parnes' roster.

Dickie Pride was portrayed by Andy Serkis in a 1994 BBC Radio 4 play about Billy Fury titled, The Sound of Fury, written by Mike Walker.