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1-4 of 4
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Eddie Cochran was born as Ray Edward Cochran on October 3, 1938 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. When Eddie was 14, his parents moved to Bell Gardens, California where he began playing the guitar. In 1954, Eddie joined a local band with songwriter Hank Cochran where Eddie performed as the second vocalist. The group became known as "The Cochran Brothers" even though Eddie and Hank were not related. The Cochran Brothers were, more or less, a country-western act until Elvis Presley began overshadowing their acts in 1955. Shortly thereafter, the duo broke up with Eddie hurtling towards a career in rock and roll and Hank moving to Nashville where he became a successful songwriter. In 1956, Eddie hooked up with Jerry Capehart, an old friend who was also a songwriter. The two landed a recording contract with Crest Records, a small label in Hollywood, California.
Si Warmoker, an executive at Liberty Records, heard Eddie's singing and thought he could make Eddie into Liberty's answer to Elvis. To help launch Eddie's career, Liberty Records arranged for him to have a cameo in the movie The Girl Can't Help It (1956) which starred Jayne Mansfield. Eddie, in his cameo role as himself, sang the song "Twenty Flight Rock". Eddie also appeared as himself in the grade-B movie Untamed Youth (1957). Eddie's first single "Sittin' in the Balconcy" became one of the top 20 on the music charts. It was almost a year later that Eddie had another hit record titled "Summertime Blues" in 1958. "Summertime Blues" scored top with the teenage listeners and Eddie became one of Liberty's biggest successes. With this song, Eddie was established as an important influence on music in the late 1950s.
In 1959, Eddie met songwriter Sharon Sheeley, whom he asked to write a song with him and their collaboration produced the single "Somethin' Else", which Liberty released in September 1959. In early 1960, Eddie toured England for several weeks. Sharon joined Eddie on his tour which concluded with a concert in Bristol. The day after the concert, Eddie, Sharon and singer Gene Vincent were scheduled to return to the United States on an early morning flight. During the ride to Heathrow Airport, the Ford consul taxi they were riding in blew a tire and skidded into a lamp post off the road. Sharon was badly injured, Vincent suffered a broken leg and other broken ribs, while Eddie suffered severe head injuries and died several hours later at a local hospital on the afternoon of April 17, 1960 at age 21.- Actor
- Writer
Conrad Phillips was born on 13th April 1925 and, after serving in the Royal Navy (having forged the birth date on his ration book to make himself appear older and thus eligible to enlist) during the Second World War, turned to acting as a career. He 'trod the boards', appearing in films (TV and cinema) and the stage between 1948 and 1991 when pain in his back, hip and both knee joints (arising as a result of accidents during his acting), brought about a premature end to his acting career. He is best known for his lead role in the long-running TV series, William Tell, which had 39 episodes between 1958 and 1959.
Conrad married his second wife, Jennie, in July 1968 and at the time of his death they were living in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Before that they bought and ran a dilapidated Scottish hill farm called Skeoch. Jennie wrote a book about the time there and this was on sale in both paperback and ebook formats. After Skeoch, they moved to France and spent 20 years restoring an old French barn. Conrad was also an author.
To aid his musings, Conrad loved the occasional whisky or, better still, a cold pint of the local brew, Wadworths 6X.- Producer
- Writer
Jon Penington was born on 30 March 1922 in Wallasey, Cheshire, England, UK. He was a producer and writer, known for At the Stroke of Nine (1957), Faces in the Dark (1960) and The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn (1956). He died on 13 April 1997 in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, UK.- Producer
- Writer
Dilys Breese was born on 2 June 1932 in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. Dilys was a producer and writer, known for Nature (1982), In Deepest Britain (1976) and Miniature Worlds (1987). Dilys was married to Derek Trimby. Dilys died on 22 August 2007 in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, UK.