Georgie Fame

Georgie Fame's infectious blend of jazz and American R&B gave him a unique position in British pop music in the sixties and secured him a string of hits for much of the decade.

Fame was born Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire (near Manchester). He began playing piano at a young age, and performed with several groups around Manchester as a teenager. In 1959, his family moved to London, where the 16 year old was discovered by songwriter Lionel Bart. Bart took Powell to talent manager Larry Parnes, who promoted British rockers like Billy Fury and Marty Wilde. Parnes renamed him Georgie Fame and he soon joined Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames, in the summer of 1961. When Fury let the band go at the end of the year, Fame became their lead singer, and they hit the London club circuit playing a distinctive blend of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and ska. Their budding reputation landed them a residency at the West End jazz club the Flamingo, and thanks to the American servicemen who frequented the club and lent Fame their records, he discovered the Hammond B-3 organ, becoming one of the very few British musicians to adopt the instrument in late 1962. From there, the Blue Flames became one of the most popular live bands in London. In 1963, they signed with EMI Columbia, and in early 1964 released their acclaimed debut LP, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo.

It wasn’t until early 1965, that Fame hit the top of the charts with "Yeh Yeh. His 1965 LP Fame at Last reached the British Top 20, and after several more minor hits, he had another British number one with "Getaway" in 1966. After one more LP with the original Blue Flames, 1966's Sweet Thing, Fame broke up the band and recorded solo.

Several hit singles followed over the next few years, including "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," which became his third British chart-topper in late 1967 and, the following year, his only Top Ten hit in America. But by 1969, his success was beginning to tail off; hoping to make inroads into the more adult-oriented cabaret circuit, Fame was moving more and more into straight-up pop and away from his roots. In 1971, he teamed up with onetime Animals organist Alan Price and recorded an album of critically reviled MOR pop, Fame & Price; the partnership produced a near-Top Ten hit in "Rosetta," but ended in 1973. He spent much of the '70s and '80s making ends meet by performing on TV and the cabaret circuit, as well as writing advertising jingles; he also continued to make records, to little fanfare.

In 1989, Fame played organ on Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album, which grew into a fruitful collaboration over the course of the '90s; Fame played on all of Morrison's albums through 1997's The Healing Game, received co-billing on Morrison's 1996 jazz album How Long Has This Been Going On, and even served a stint as Morrison's musical director. In 1998, Fame split with Morrison to record and tour with former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's new group the Rhythm Kings, contributing organ and vocals to several albums.

See Georgie Fame sing Yeah! Yeah!

For more information on what Georgie Fame is doing these days see his website at http://georgiefame.absoluteelsewhere.net/