Johnny Worth/Les Vandyke

Les Vandyke/Johnny Worth was born Yani Panakos Paraskeva Skoradalides, on 21 June 1931, in Battersea, South London. In his youth he was usually known as John Skoradalides. After schooling, he began work as a draughtsman prior to his compulsory two years national service^. Returning to civilian life, he determined to become a singer, changing his name for the purpose to Johnny Worth.

Worth had aspirations to be a songwriter, and though initial attempts had failed, he asked painist Les Reed to arrange a demo of his song "What Do You Want?". Faith and Barry liked it, and with Barry's arrangements, Faith took the song to number one in the UK Singles chart in November 1959, within which it remained for nineteen weeks. Worth's concern was that as he was still signed to Oriole, he should adopt a pseudonym, and combined Reed's first name with his own telephone exchange, to become Les Vandyke

He provided Faith with his follow-up number one "Poor Me", in January 1960, and for the next two years penned a further six Top Ten British chart hits for Faith: "Someone Else's Baby"; "How About That"; "Who Am I"; "The Time Has Come"; "As You Like It" and "Don't That Beat All". Worth also wrote another chart-topper "Well I Ask You" for Eden Kane, as well as Kane's two follow up hits, "Get Lost" (reached No. 10 Sept. 1961) and "Forget Me Not" (No. 3 Jan. 1962).

By 1965 Vandyke was working in Australia, writing songs such as "Doin' The Mod" for The Flies, and "Dance Puppet Dance" for Little Pattie. He also wrote music and songs for a number of low-budget movies during the sixties and seventies, including What a Whopper (1961 as Johnny Worth); The Kitchen (1961); Mix Me a Person (1962, as Johnny Worth); Some People; Johnny Cool (1963 as Les Vandyke); Psychomania (1971) and The Playbirds (1978).

Over the years Vandyke has penned songs that were recorded by various aritists, including Petula Clark, Anthony Newley, Bobbey Vee, Herman's Hermits and Shirley Bassey. 

Vandyke penned more big hit records in the early 1970s. These included co-writing (as John Worsley) the 1971 UK Eurovision Song Contest entry for singer Clodagh Rodgers. That song "Jack in the Box", reached number 4 in the UK chart in March of that year.