P.J. Proby, born James Marcus Smith (November 6, 1938), is a singer, songwriter, and actor noted for his theatrical portrayals of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison and interpretations of modern standards in the vein of Tom Jones. The name P.J. Proby was suggested to him by a friend named Sharon Sheeley [1] who remembered an old high school boyfriend. November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 55 days remaining. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock n Roll, was an American singer, song producer and actor. ... Roy Orbison at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1987. ... Sir Tom Jones Sir Thomas Jones Woodward, OBE (born 7 June 1940), known as Sir Tom Jones, is a Welsh pop singer. ...

Youth and early career

James Marcus Smith was born in Houston, Texas. He grew up in a military family, where he received an education at a base school. His family moved to Los Angeles, California where he developed an interest in rockabilly music and Elvis Presley. Using the stage name Jett Powers [2], he took acting and singing lessons, and appeared in movies with small roles. Two singles "Go. Girl, Go", and "Loud Perfume", were released on an independent label, but were not noticed. In 1962 he began writing songs and recording demos for atists as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash Proby was spotted by the label Liberty Records. He traveled to London where he mets the songwriter Jackie DeShannon in 1963. She introduced him to television producer Jack Good [3], who saw Proby as a future star. By then dropping Jett Powers in favour of the name P. J. Proby, Good deliberately created an overtly sexual image for Proby. Appearing on The Beatles' television special in 1964, he received great media interest with his tight trousers, frilled shirts, and pony-tailed hairstyle. Under the production of Good, Proby's balladeer style and theatrical presentation scored a string of hits in 1964 with "Hold Me", "Together" (featuring session guitarist Jimmy Page), "Somewhere", "Maria", and "I Apologise". Houston redirects here. ... Official language(s) None. ... Nickname: City of Angels Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... Rockabilly is the earliest form of rock and roll as a distinct style of music. ... Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock n Roll, was an American singer, song producer and actor. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... John R. Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was a vastly influential American country music singer, guitarist and songwriter. ... Liberty Records was a United States based record label. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Jackie DeShannon, real name Sharon Lee Myers, (born August 21, 1944) is an American singer/songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Beatles were a British rock music group from Liverpool, England held in very high regard for both their artistic achievements and their huge commercial success, and have amassed an enormous worldwide fanbase that continues to exist to this day. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Jimmy Page in concert with Led Zeppelin James Patrick Jimmy Page OBE, (born January 9, 1944) is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential guitarists in rock and roll. ...

A royalty dispute with Liberty Records in 1966, broke his run of success on the singles chart. His career was also affected by controversies. Wearing skin tight trousers on stage, they split open during a concert in England. The women in the audience went wild. Somehow, the trousers split again at the next venue. Critics, and the audience, were divided on whether he was using a gimmick to promote his image, or just an eccentric rock star. During a concert with Cilla Black in 1967, he asked to be paid in advance, and was dropped from the rest of her tour by theatre managers. He also challenged Tom Jones to a singing contest but Jones did not respond. Liberty Records was a United States based record label. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK... Cilla Black, in a still from an interview done in 2000. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Back in the USA

In 1967 Proby scored a Top 30 hit "Niki Hoeky" in the United States. He was then cast in the [London? ^{[citation needed]}] production of Finian's Rainbow, but was overshadowed by financial problems. Indeed, poor investment decisions led Proby to briefly declare himself bankrupt. He returned to the United States to rest, and started a horse breeding business. In September, 1968, with the future members of Led Zeppelin, Proby recorded the album Three Week Hero, which was released in 1969. A collection of country-style ballads mixed with blues, the album is notable more for its association with Led Zeppelin than its commercial success. 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Led Zeppelin was a British rock band that became one of the most popular and influential musical ensembles ever. ... Three Week Hero is an album released by rock singer P.J. Proby on April 8, 1969 by Liberty Records. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ...

Success on the London stage

In 1971, he appeared on stage as Iago in a rock musical version of Shakespeare's Othello,called Catch My Soul [4]. The play enjoyed a successful run in London's West End. After Catch My Soul he continued to perform mostly in cabarets and nightclubs, singing 1960s ballads and rhythm 'n' blues material. Signing with Good again in 1977, he portrayed Elvis Presley in a theatrical production of Elvis - The Musical, which received rave reviews, winning a Best Musical of the Year award. In 1978, Proby recorded with the Dutch rock group Focus releasing Focus con Proby. He then returned to singing in clubs, before embarking on a change of direction. 1971 (MCMLXXI) is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock n Roll, was an American singer, song producer and actor. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII in Roman) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Focus was a Dutch progressive rock band of the 1970s. ...

In 1993, Proby appeared in the Jack Good biographical musical "Good Rockin'Tonite" - as himself ! 1995, Proby appeared in the Roy Orbison tribute show "Only the Lonely". 1996, Proby was acting again in "Elvis - The Musical" Roy Orbison at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1987. ...

Eighties nadir

His career followed a similar path trod by Tom Jones in the 1980s, who began to cover cover contemporary songs. Proby began with a version of Joy Division's epic "Love Will Tear Us Apart", followed with Soft Cell's "Tainted Love", and then, less advisedly, The Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the UK". He did enjoy minor success but, unlike Jones, was largely neglected by the media. In 1989, the Southport based author/songwriter Ron Ellis recorded Proby singing one of his compositions, "Hot California Nights", and released the recording as a CD single on Da Doo Ron Ron Records. Unfortunately for Ron, Proby was not fit to promote the release, and it failed to sell. It is now a rare and highly collectable CD, and became another part of the legend that is P.J. Proby. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Joy Division were a rock band formed in 1977 in Manchester. ... Soft Cell were an English synthesizer duo during the early 1980s (currently re-formed). ... The Sex Pistols in 1977. ... Category: Possible copyright violations ...

Rise of the legend

In 1990 P.J. Proby was an alcoholic wreck, living in the back streets of Bolton, Lancashire. He was offered a recording deal with the Preston-based, J'Ace Records, and this led to the release of a single Stage of Fools and an album. The CD album Thanks released on J'Ace Records, was distributed internationally by BMG and it brought P.J. Proby back into the record shops, for the first time since he left Liberty Records almost twenty years before. Granada TV featured Proby with the head of J'Ace Records, John G. Sutton, in a documentary - PJ Probably - and BBC TV featured Proby, and Sutton, on their flagship current affairs programme This Week. Following his return to the public eye, in 1991, Proby suffered a heart attack whilst performing at The Landsdowne Hotel in Blackpool, which curtailed his activities until 1995. Then he reappeared on stage in the biographical musical Roy Orbison, playing the title role. A year later Proby returned to a new production of Elvis, and released the critically acclaimed album Legend [5]. The album featured contributions from Marc Almond, and Neal X from Sigue Sigue Sputnik. The single Yesterday Has Gone, reached Number 58 on the UK chart at the back end of 1996. It was his first appearance in the that list for almost thirty years. Preston is a city and local government district in North West England. ... 1991 (MCMXCI in Roman) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV in Roman) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Marc Almond (born Peter Marc Almond) is a popular singer and recording artist who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/new wave duo Soft Cell. ... Sigue Sigue Sputnik are a British Cyberpunk band who achieved moderate fame in early 1986 with the song Love Missile F1-11, which appeared in the movie Ferris Buellers Day Off. ...

In 1997,P.J.Proby was touring with The Who in America and in Europe, performing as as "The Godfather" [6] in road production of Quadrophenia [7]. After Quadrophenia, Proby continued singing by doing performances in U.K., Sweden [8], Denmark [9] and Germany[10]. For the film based on this album, see Quadrophenia (film) Quadrophenia was a double album released by The Who on October 19, 1973 (see 1973 in music), one of the groups two full-scale rock operas (except in a conventional use of the word opera as Quadrophenia is mostly...

P.J.Proby has been touring in "Sixties Gold" [11] some years. In August 2004 - he toured successfully in Australia [12][13].

From the 26th of February until the 7th of May, 2006.P.J. will be touring with the "Solid Silver Sixties Show 2006" [14]" throughout much of the U.K. As early as the 1960´s, P.J.was called "The Living Legend". That is not an overstatement today 2006. P.J. is admired by the British public [15], and another 'comeback' is not out of the question: "The Living Legend - Still Going Strong". 2006 (MMVI in Roman) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Discography

ALBUMS

• I Am P.J. Proby (1964)
• P.J. Proby (1965)
• P.J. Proby In Town (1965)
• Enigma (1966)
• Phenomenon (1967)
• Believe It or Not (1968)
• Three Week Hero (1969)
• California License (1970)
• I'm Yours (1972)
• The Hero (1981)
• Clown Shoes (1987)
• Thanks (1991)
• The Savoy Sessions (1995) (compilation)
• Legend (1996)
• Memories 2003
• 'Live on stage 20052005

SINGLES Three Week Hero is an album released by rock singer P.J. Proby on April 8, 1969 by Liberty Records. ...

• Hold Me (1964) - Number 3.
• Together (1964) - Number 8.
• Somewhere (1964) - Number 6.
• I Apologise (1965) - Number 11.
• Let The Water Run Down (1965) - Number 19.
• That Means A Lot (1965) - Number 30.
• Maria (1965) - Number 8.
• You've Come Back (1966) - Number 25.
• To Make A Big Man Cry (1966) - Number 34.
• I Can't Make It Alone (1966) - Number 37.
• It's Your Day Today (1968) - Number 32.
• 'Stage Of Fools' 1990 - J'ACE Records
• Yesterday Has Gone (1996) - Number 58. (Credited to PJ Proby and Marc Almond Featuring the My Life Story Orchestra).

Links To P.J.Proby Sites

• The P.J.Proby Official Homepage
• The P.J.Proby Story
• U.P´s P.J.Proby Site
• Bear Grove´s P.J.Proby Pages
• Blue Velvet - The Complete PJP-Discography Site
• Tony Priest´s Australian P.J.Proby Site
• Auke Middel´s P.J.Proby Pages&Scrapbook
• P.J.Proby As Songwriter