Trivia

Devoted to his wife and children, he decided not to pursue a Hollywood career after his experiences on Let's Make Love (1960). He said he never regretted that decision. Son Andrew Ableson is an actor and son David was a record promoter.

He was the son of a Russian-Jewish upholsterer who lived in a poor area of Liverpool.

The story goes that his change of name from Frank Abelson to Frankie Vaughan came about when he announced to his Russian grandmother that he intended to be a singer, and she told him, "Vell," she said, "then you vill be the best von there ever vas."

He was closely associated with the song "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl," an old song which he discovered in a Glasgow music shop in 1954. He first sang it on stage wearing a top hat hired from an undertaker, and it became his signature tune.

Was a singer and dancer who performed in cabarets and legitimate theater.

Initially trained for a career in commercial art, he won a scholarship to the Lancaster College of Art, then studied at Leeds College of Art where he gained his Art Teacher's Diploma in 1950.

He was appointed Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire in 1993.

He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to the welfare of youth and the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1997 Queen's New Year Honours List for his services to the NABC Clubs for Young People.

Played football for Wingate F.C.

Vaughan auditioned for the agent Billy Marsh who booked him in for a week at the Kingston Empire in May 1950 with Jimmy Wheeler. His debut went well with press comment stating "Frankie Vaughan gives a promising performance when singing some new and old songs in a crooning style. He receives a warm reception." This led to further bookings on the variety circuit and he appeared with the veteran male impersonator Hetty King on several occasions. Her guidance helped change Vaughan's style for the rest of his career. He became known as a fancy dresser, wearing top hat, bow tie, tails, and cane.

He was an evacuee during World War II.

After a stint in the Royal Army Medical Corps (where he spent most of his time boxing) he returned to art school, this time at the Leeds College of Art.

He was an English singer and actor who recorded more than 80 easy listening and traditional pop singles in his lifetime.

When he won a prize in a design contest, he left for London, where he won second prize on a radio talent show.

Vaughan made his first television appearance on 13 October 1951 in a variety show from the Theatre Royal, Leeds starring Gracie Fields. He was introduced by Donald Peers and sang "Lucky Me".

An early appearance was in the Leeds students rag revue "It's Rag Time" which opened on 20 June 1949 at the Empire Theatre in Leeds when he was described as the show's main vocalist.

In 1957 he was voted the eighth most popular star at the British box office.

He made his first records in 1950 for His Master's Voice but they were not popular. In August 1952 he joined the dance band of Nat Temple for a year or so, but the popularity of further recordings he made in 1953 encouraged him to return to the variety stage. He switched to the Philips label and in 1955, he recorded what was to become his trademark song, "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl".

In 1985, Vaughan starred in a stage version of 42nd Street at Drury Lane in London, opposite his old friend Shani Wallis who appeared in their first film together, Ramsbottom Rides Again. After a year, he nearly died of peritonitis and had to leave the cast.

He also received the Variety Club of Great Britain Award for "Showbusiness Personality of the Year" in 1957.

In 1994, he was one of a few to be honoured by a second appearance on This Is Your Life, when he was surprised by Michael Aspel. Vaughan had been a subject of the show previously in April 1970 when Eamonn Andrews surprised him at the Caesar's Palace nightclub in Luton.

In 1956, his cover of "The Green Door" reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The same year he was voted 'Showbusiness Personality of the Year'.

Despite frequent bouts of ill-health, Vaughan continued performing until shortly before his death from heart failure in 1999.

In the late 1960s, Vaughan, involved himself with a youth project in Easterhouse, Glasgow. He was appalled by the level of violence amongst young people. Vaughan held meetings with the gang leaders and appealed for them to surrender their weapons.

His wife Stella donated archival materials, including scores and sheet music he had collected throughout his career to Liverpool John Moores University in 2000.

Vaughan was awarded an OBE in 1965, a CBE in 1996.

In his early life, he was a member of the Lancaster Lads' Club, a member group of the National Association of Boys' Clubs; having started out at the club intending to become a boxer, he was a major contributor to them during his career, dedicating his monetary compensation from one song each year to them.

In 1961, Vaughan was on the bill at the Royal Variety Performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Coventry Street, London. That December, Vaughan hit No. 1 in the UK again, with "Tower of Strength", written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard.

As a long-time resident of High Wycombe he had been a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire since 1993.

He was an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University.

Managed at this time by former journalist and theatrical agent Paul Cave, Vaughan stayed in the United States for a time to make a film with Marilyn Monroe, Let's Make Love (1960), and was an actor in several other films, but his recordings were never chart hits in the US, with the exception of "Judy", which reached No.100 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1958.

The rise of beat music eclipsed Vaughan's chart career before he returned to the Top 10 in 1967 with "There Must Be a Way". Chart success eluded him after this although he did have two more Top 40 singles; "Nevertheless" and "So Tired".

At the end of 1986 he almost died of peritonitis - an inflammation of the abdomen - after failing to seek medical help because he wanted to continue working.

When he took over the part of the Broadway producer in 42nd Street, it was his first appearance in musical comedy.

In October 1992 he had emergency surgery for a ruptured artery.

He always maintained his loyalty to Boys Clubs because of the help that he was given while a refugee in Lancaster during World War II. He gave them the royalties from his hit 'Green Door' in 1956.

He had a history of health problems. He came out of hospital about three weeks before his death, after undergoing six operations.

He attended the Lancaster College of Art on a scholarship and was a vocalist in their dance band.