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| Ricky Valance: First Welshman to have solo UK Number One dies | 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 diagnosed with dementia and had been in hospital since before the start of lockdown. | |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 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. | 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 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. | In 2017, he released a final single, called Welcome Home, to raise money for the Royal Air Force Museum and RAF Association. |
| Valance and his wife Evelyn were living in Skegness, Lincolnshire, at the time of his death. |