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Michele Monro
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Thirdage

Post by Michele Monro » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:07 am

Portrait of 'The Singer's Singer' - posted on 26 January 2010

It is 25 years since we lost the man of whom it was once said, “His pitch was right on the nose; his word enunciations letter perfect; his understanding of a song thorough.”
The words of Frank Sinatra when he spoke about the irreplaceable Matt Monro, the man who rose from being bus driver Terry Parsons to being a singing legend in his own short lifetime.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Matt’s death his daughter Michele has written a definitive biography, “The Singers’ Singer, The Life and Music of Matt Monro” to be released by Titan Publishing on January 29th.
Speaking exclusively to Third Age, Michele said, “It has been a great labour of love with many tears along the way, but I wanted to mark his special anniversary with something equally special.”
Matt Monro will be forever remembered for the silky smooth quality of his voice and warm delivery of some of the finest ballads. He conquered not only the British market but became a firm favourite in America, appearing on the Ed Sullivan show an amazing four times.
But it wasn’t an easy start for the man born Terence Parsons. Before Matt Monro was given his name by Decca Records he had performed as Terry Fitzgerald, Al Jordan and, would you believe, Fred Flange!
He was born in 1930, the youngest of a family of five, in Shoreditch, London. Leaving school at 14 he became an offal boy with the Imperial Tobacco Company before volunteering for the army for 12 years. He was posted to Hong Kong.
He entered a series of talent shows and won seven times. Eventually he was given his own programme “Terry Parsons Sings” on Rediffusion, Hong Kong’s commercial radio station.
Returning to Britain in 1953 he became a bus driver to make ends meet. He became friendly with a couple of musicians and persuaded them to take him into the recording studio where he made his first recording, “Polka Dots and Moonbeams”.
He came to the attention of the legendary pianist Winifred Atwell who introduced him to Decca Records who took the unprecedented step of launching his career with an LP called “Blue and Sentimental” and a recording contract. He also became Matt Monro.
It was when Matt was asked to record a cover version of a Sinatra song for a Peter Sellers LP that things really happened. Record producer George Martin produced him under the name of Fred Flange and people took notice of the voice.
Martin became his recording manager with Parlophone and the rest became history. His second recording was “Portrait of My Love” which shot to number three in the charts and stayed there for months.
Next came “My Kind of Girl” and an LP, “Love is the Same Anywhere”. A TV series, “Gonna Build a Mountain”, “Softly as I Leave You” and the remarkable “Born Free” all followed. He also recorded the title song for the second James Bond film, “From Russia With Love” and was feted on both sides of the Atlantic. Competing in the industry alongside The Beatles he held his own and in fact covered “Yesterday” taking it to number eight in the Hit Parade.
His last recording was made in 1973 but he never left the limelight. One of his last performances was at The Barbican, London, where he was overcome with emotion as he received a seven-minute plus standing ovation.
He became ill in 1984 and died shortly afterwards at just 54.
He will never be matched as the singers’ singer and Michele’s tribute book will surely raise many memories for everyone. As she said quietly, “It’s for my Daddy. I miss him still and I thank his many fans for their support.”
I’m sure Michele will have painted a special portrait of her love for an amazing father.

For more of Matt’s story, or to buy the book, go to http://www.mattmonro.com.


http://www.thirdage.co.uk/?s=Matt+Monro&x=46&y=7

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ROBERT M.
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Re: Thirdage

Post by ROBERT M. » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:06 pm

The 7 minute plus standing ovation pulls at my heart strings.............can anyone image how wonderful it must have been to be there and witness such a beautiful occasion :D
"My Tears Will Fall Now That You're Gone,
I Can't Help But Cry, But I Must Go On" :(

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