Robert Earl

b. 17 November 1926, England. This popular ballad singer enjoyed several UK hits in the late 50s. After becoming a semi-professional with the dance bands of Sydney Lipton and Nat Temple, he turned full-time professional in 1950, and appeared frequently on radio and television programmes such as the Jack Jackson Show andOff The Record. In 1958, he narrowly beat Perry Como to the UK chart with his version of ‘I May Never Pass This Way Again’. Later that year, however, his ‘More Than Ever (Come Prima)’ was kept out of the Top 10 by Malcolm Vaughan. Earl’s last hit was ‘Wonderful Secret Of Love’ in 1959. During the 60s, he retained a small but faithful audience. Subsequently, Earl’s occasional releases, such as Robert Earl Showcase and Shalom, often featured Jewish favourites, including ‘Yaas’, ‘My Son, My Son’ and ‘Mom-e-le’. Favourably reviewed in a London cabaret appearance in 1991, the ‘veteran song stylist’ maintained the Hebrew connection by including ‘If I Was A Rich Man’ from Fiddler On The Roof, among a selection of other nostalgic items. Earl’s son, also named Robert, is listed among the UK’s Top 100 richest people. He heads the Hard Rock Café chain, and co-owns Planet Hollywood, ‘New York’s newest eating experience’, and its London subsidiary, along with Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.