Clinton Ford (singer)
| Clinton Ford | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ian George Stopford Harrison |
| Born |
4 November 1931 Salford, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 21 October 2009 (aged 77) Isle of Man |
| Genres | Skiffle, trad jazz, country and western, traditional pop music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | Late 1950s-early 2000s |
| Labels |
Oriole Piccadilly |
Clinton Ford (4 November 1931 – 21 October 2009) was an English popular singer of the 1950s and 1960s.
He was born Ian George Stopford Harrison, in Salford, Lancashire.
Initially, he worked as a laboratory assistant, but in 1957 became a Butlins Redcoat in Pwllheli, and worked there for three summer seasons. During the winter season he sang with the Jazz Band called 'Merseysippi' at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, recording several songs with them including "Get Out and Get Under".
He began his recording career as Clinton Ford with the Oriole record label, changing his name because his own did not fit some of his American songs. He performed skiffle in the Backwoods Skiffle Group and recorded some unsuccessful singles with the Hallelujah Skiffle Group. He appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, and with Ken Dodd on Dodd's television shows. He also appeared in Stars and Garters, The Billy Cotton Band Show, and The Good Old Days.
Ford had his first success with a cover of the Red Foley song "Old Shep", which appeared on the chart in 1959. Ford donated all his royalties from this recording to the Guide Dogs for the Blind. It was the only version of the song ever to chart in the UK. His next singles were "Too Many Beautiful Girls" followed by "Fanlight Fanny" which was his most successful single, reaching 22 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1962. His album Fanlight Fanny (1962) reached number 16 in the UK Albums Chart. He toured with Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen and played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool around the time that the Beatles were starting to become popular.
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