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Ricky Valance: Welsh singer dies aged 84 Ricky Valance: First Welshman to have solo UK Number One dies
(32 minutes later)
Welsh singer Ricky Valance has died at the age of 84, his agent has confirmed.Welsh singer Ricky Valance has died at the age of 84, his agent has confirmed.
Valance, who was born David Spencer, became the first Welshman to have a solo UK Number One hit with the song Tell Laura I Love Her in 1960.Valance, who was born David Spencer, became the first Welshman to have a solo UK Number One hit with the song Tell Laura I Love Her in 1960.
The singer was born in Ynysddu, now in Caerphilly county, and joined the RAF aged 17 before going into the music business.The singer was born in Ynysddu, now in Caerphilly county, and joined the RAF aged 17 before going into the music business.
His agent said he had been in ill health for several months before his death.His agent said he had been in ill health for several months before his death.
Valance was lead soprano in his local church choir as a child, before joining the air force, where he saw active service in north Africa before returning three years later.
It was then he started performing in clubs in the north of England, before being signed and recording Tell Laura I Love Her.
The song tells the tragic story of a boy called Tommy and his love for a girl called Laura.
It was controversial at the time and reportedly banned from airplay by the BBC, but went on to be a number one single, selling more than a million copies.
It spend 16 weeks in the chart, three of those at number one, but only two future singles reached the UK top 50.
In 2015, he was given an award at a St David's Day concert at the Wales Millennium Centre for being the first Welshman to have a UK Number One hit.
In 2017, he released a final single, called Welcome Home, to raise money for the Royal Air Force Museum and RAF Association.