Adam Faith

Infobox musical artist
Name = Adam Faith

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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Terence (Terry) Nelhams-Wright
Alias = Terry Nelhams
Born = 23 June 1940
Died = 8 March 2003 (aged 62)
Origin = London, England
Instrument = vocals
Genre = Rock and roll
Pop
Occupation = musician
actor
journalist
Years_active =
Label = Parlophone
Top Rank International
HMV
Warner
Associated_acts = The Worried Men (1957), The Roulettes, Bobby Vee, Cliff Richard, Billy Fury, Lonnie Donegan, Buddy Holly
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments = vocals

Terence (Terry) Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith (23 June 1940, East Acton, London — 8 March 2003, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) was an English singer, actor and financial journalist.

Early life and education

Terence (Terry) Nelhams-Wright was born at 4 Churchfield Road, Acton, West London. He was unaware his surname was Nelhams-Wright until he applied for a passport and obtained his birth certificate. He was known as Terry Nelhams. The third in a family of five children, Nelhams grew up in a council house in a working class area of London, where he attended John Perryn secondary modern school. He started work at 12, delivering and selling newspapers while still at school. His first full-time job was odd-job boy for a silk screen printer.

Music career

Adam Faith became one of Britain's significant early pop stars. At the time, he was distinctive for his hiccupping glottal stops and exaggerated pronunciation. He did not write his own material, and much of his early success was through partnership with John Barry and songwriter Les Vandyke, whose arrangements were inspired by Don Costa's pizzicato arrangements for Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore".

Faith began his musical career in 1957, while working as a film cutter in London in the hope of becoming an actor, singing with and managing a skiffle group, The Worried Men. The group played in Soho coffee bars after work, and became the resident band at The 2i's Coffee Bar, where they appeared on the BBC Television live music programme "Six-Five Special". The producer, Jack Good, was impressed by the singer and arranged a solo recording contract with HMV under the name Adam Faith.

His debut record "(Got a) Heartsick Feeling" and "Brother Heartache and Sister Tears" in January 1958, failed to make the charts. Good gave him a part in the stage show of Six-Five Special, along with The John Barry Seven but the show folded after four performances. His second release later that year was a cover of Jerry Lee Lewis' "High School Confidential", backed with the Burt Bacharach and Hal David penned "Country Music Holiday", but this also failed.

Faith returned to work as a film cutter at National Studios at Elstree until March 1959, when Barry invited him to audition for a BBC TV rock and roll show, "Drumbeat". The producer, Stewart Morris, gave him a contract for three shows, extended to the full 22-week run. His contract with HMV had ended, and he sang one track, "I Vibrate", on a six-track EP released by the Fontana record label. Barry's manager, Eve Taylor, got him a contract with Top Rank, but his only record their, "Ah, Poor Little Baby" / "Runk Bunk" produced by Tony Hatch failed to chart due to a lack of publicity caused by a national printing strike.

Despite the failure, Faith was becoming popular through television appearances. He became an actor by taking drama and elocution lessons, and appeared as a pop singer in the film, "Beat Girl". The script called for Faith to sing a songs, and as Barry was arranging Faith's recordings and live "Drumbeat" material, the film company asked him to write the score. This was the beginning of Barry's career in film music.

Faith's success on "Drumbeat" enabled another recording contract with Parlophone. His next record in 1959, "What Do You Want?", written by Les Vandyke and produced by Barry and John Burgess, received good reviews in The New Musical Express and other papers, as well as being voted a hit on "Juke Box Jury". This became his first number one hit in the UK Singles Chart,cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 193
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5] and his pronunciation of the word 'baby' as 'bay-beh' became a catch phrase.cite book
first= Jo
last= Rice
year= 1982
title= The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits
edition= 1st
publisher= Guinness Superlatives Ltd
location= Enfield, Middlesex
pages= p. 46
id= ISBN 0-85112-250-7]

"What Do You Want?" was the first number one hit for Parlophone, Faith the only pop act on the label.cite book
first= Jo
last= Rice
year= 1982
title= The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits
edition= 1st
publisher= Guinness Superlatives Ltd
location= Enfield, Middlesex
pages= p. 46
id= ISBN 0-85112-250-7]

With songs like "Poor Me" (another chart topper),"Someone Else's Baby" (a UK #2) and "Don't That Beat All", he established himself as a rival to Cliff Richard in British popular music. A UK variety tour was followed by a 12-week season at Blackpool Hippodrome and an appearance on the "Royal Variety Show".

His next release was a double A-side single, "Made You" / "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", Both made the Top Ten, despite a BBC ban for "Made You" for 'a lewd and salacious lyric'. His 1960 novelty record "Lonely Pup (In a Christmas Shop"), to coincide with his Christmas pantomime, gained a silver disc.

His debut album "Adam" was on 4 November 1960 to critical acclaim for the inventiveness of Barry's arrangements and Faith's own performances. The material ranged from standards such as "Summertime", "Hit The Road To Dreamland" and "Singin' In The Rain" to more contemporary songs, such as Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman's "I'm A Man", Johnny Worth's "Fare Thee Well My Pretty Maid", and Howard Guyton's "Wonderful Time".

Still 20 and living with his parents, he bought a house in Hampton Court for £6000, where he moved with his family from their house in Acton. In December 1960 he became the first pop artist on the TV interview series "Face to Face" with John Freeman.

Faith made six further albums and 35 singles, with a total of 24 chart entries. In the early 1960s, Faith's backing group was The Roulettes. In 1976 Faith turned his talents to punk rock with a new backing band, The Bricks. Faith opened the 100 Club Punk Festival of 1976.

Film and television career

Faith's twee pop became less popular in the mid-1960s in competition from The Beatles. After a final single in 1968 he parted company with EMI and concentrated on acting. While a musician he had appeared in films such as "Beat Girl" (1961), "Never Let Go", and television dramas such as Rediffusion's, "No Hiding Place", but now he concentrated on repertory theatre. After a number of small parts, he was given a more substantial role in "Night Must Fall", playing opposite Dame Sybil Thorndike. In autumn 1969 he took the lead in a touring production of "Billy Liar".

In the 1970s, he went into music management, managing Leo Sayer among others.

He starred as the eponymous hero in the 1970s television series "Budgie", about an ex-convict, but his career declined after a car accident in which he almost lost a leg. He restarted with a role as the manipulative manager of rock star David Essex, in ""Stardust"". He was nominated for a BAFTA award. In 1980 he starred with Roger Daltrey in "McVicar" and appeared with Jodie Foster in "Foxes".

From 1992-1994, Faith appeared in another TV series, "Love Hurts" starring with Zoe Wanamaker, and in 2002 he appeared in the BBC series, "The House That Jack Built".

Later years

He married Jackie Irving, in 1967 and they had one daughter Katya Faith who became a television producer.In 1986, he was hired as a financial journalist, by the "Daily Mail" and its sister paper "The Mail on Sunday".

He had had heart problems since 1986 when he had open heart surgery.

In the 1980s, Faith became a financial investments advisor. He had a financial involvement with television's 'Money Channel'. But the channel proved unsuccessful and closed in 2001. Faith was declared bankrupt owing a reported £32 million.

He became ill after his stage performance in the touring production of "Love And Marriage" at Stoke-on-Trent on the Friday evening, and died at North Staffordshire Hospital of a heart attack early on Saturday 8 March 2003.

British tabloid newspapers reported his last words as "Channel Five is all shit, isn't it? Christ, the crap they put on there. It's a waste of space". Although it is not certain these were his words, it has become a popular myth. ["The Guardian" [http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,954581,00.html Famous last words: Adam Faith joins those who did it in style] 13 May 2003]

Discography

ingles

* "(Got A) Heartsick Feeling" / "Brother Heartache and Sister Tears" - 17 January 1958
* "Country Music Holiday" / "High School Confidential" - November 1958
* "Ah, Poor Little Baby!" / "Runk Bunk" - 6 June 1959
* "What Do You Want?" / "From Now Until Forever" - 24 October 1959
* "Poor Me" / "The Reason" - 15 January 1960
* "Someone Else's Baby" / "Big Time" - 8 April 1960
* "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" / "Made You" - 17 June 1960
* "How About That!" / "With Open Arms" - 9 September 1960
* "Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop)" / "Greenfinger" - 30 October 1960
* "Who Am I?" / "This Is It" - 3 February 1961
* "Easy Going Me" / "Wonderin'" - April 1961
* "Don't You Know It?" / "My Last Wish" - 14 July 1961
* "The Time Has Come" / "A Help-Each-Other Romance" - October 1961
* "Lonesome" / "Watch Your Step" - 12 January 1962
* "As You Like It" / "Face to Face" - 27 April 1962
* "Don't That Beat All" / "Mix Me a Person" - 30 August 1962
* "Baby Take A Bow" / "I'm Knocking on Wood" - 13 December 1962
* "What Now" / "What Have I Got" - 31 January 1963
* "Walkin' Tall" / "Just Mention My Name" - 11 July 1963
* "The First Time" / "So Long Baby" - 19 September 1963
* "We Are In Love" / "Made For Me" - 12 December 1963
* "If He Tells You" / "Talk To Me" - 6 March 1964
* "I Love Being in Love With You" / "It's Alright" - 28 May 1964
* "Only One Such As You" / "I Just Don't Know" - 11 September 1964
* "Message to Martha (Kentucky Bluebird)" / "It Sounds Good to Me" - 26 November 1964
* "Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself" / "I've Gotta See My Baby" - 11 February 1965
* "Hand Me Down Things" / "Talk About Love" - April 1965
* "Someone's Taken Maria Away" / "I Can't Think of Anyone Else" - 11 June 1965
* "I Don't Need that Kind Of Lovin'" / "I'm Used to Losing You" - September 1965
* "Idle Gossip" / "If Ever You Need Me" - 14 January 1966
* "To Make a Big Man Cry" / "Here's Another Day" - March 1966
* "Cheryl's Goin' Home" / "Funny Kind of Love" - 20 October 1966
* "What More Can Anyone Do" / "You've Got a Way with Me" - February 1967
* "Cowman Milk Your Cow" / "Daddy What'll Happen to Me" - September 1967
* "To Hell With Love" / "Close the Door" - November 1967
* "You Make My Life Worth While / "Hey Little Lovin' Girl" - March 1968
* "I Survive" / "In Your Life" - 1974
* "Maybe" / "Star Song" - 1974
* "I Believe In Love" / "xx" - 1974
* "Strung Out Again" / "Steppin' Stone" - 11 July 1976
* "Vindictive Attack" / "New Academy" - 26 September 1976
* "Rest Up" / "Love" - 15 May 1977
* "What Do You Want?" / "Poor Me" (Re-release) - 1978
* "What Do You Want?" / "How About That" (Re-release) - 1983
* "Stuck in the Middle" / "Not Without You" / "The Promise" - 1993

Albums

*"Beat Girl" (soundtrack)
*"Adam"
*"Adam Faith"
*"From Adam with Love"
*"For You - Love Adam"
*"On the Move"
*"Faith Alive!"
*"I Survived"
*"Midnight Postcards"

Compilations

*"The Best Of Adam Faith" (Starline) - 1966
*"The Best Of Adam Faith" (MFP) - 1971
*"24 Golden Greats" (Warwick) - 1981
*"Not Just A Memory" (Amy Records) - 1983
*"The Best Of Adam Faith" (re-issue) (MFP) - 1985
*"The Best Of Adam Faith" (2nd re-issue) (MFP) - 1989
*"The Singles Collection" (Greatest Hits) - 1990
*"The Best Of EMI Years" - 1994
*"The Very Best Of Adam Faith" (MFP/EMI) - 1997
*"Greatest Hits" (EMI Gold) - 1998
*"The Very Best Of Adam Faith" (EMI) - 2005

References

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Biif8zfhheh5k~C All Music Guide entry]
* [http://www.adamfaith.org.uk/home.php Adam Faith site]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0265693/ Adam Faith, entry in IMDB]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,910830,00.html Obituary, The Guardian, March 10, 2003]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/09/nfaith09.xml Obituary, The Telegraph, March 9,2003]
* [http://www.adamfaith.org.uk/discog.php Comprehensive Discography]