Ronald Wycherley (17 April 1940 – 28 January 1983), better known as Billy Fury, was an English singer, musician, songwriter, and actor. An early star of
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
, he equalled
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
' record of 24 hits in the 1960s and spent 332 weeks on the UK chart.
His hit singles include "
Wondrous Place
"Wondrous Place" is a song written by Jeff Lewis and Bill Giant and first released by American singer Jimmy Jones (singer), Jimmy Jones on his debut album Good Timin' in May 1960. English singer Billy Fury released a version as a single in Septem ...
", "
Halfway to Paradise
"Halfway to Paradise" is a popular song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. In the United States, the song was originally recorded in 1961 by Tony Orlando where it peaked at No. 39 on the Hot 100. In Canada, the song reached No. 3 in the ...
" and "
Jealousy
Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety.
Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...
". Fury also maintained a film career, notably playing rock performers in ''
Play It Cool'' in 1962 and ''
That'll Be the Day
"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, the Crickets. The 1957 recording achieved widespr ...
'' in 1973.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
journalist Bruce Eder stated that Fury's "mix of rough-hewn good looks and unassuming masculinity, coupled with an underlying vulnerability, all presented with a good voice and some serious musical talent, helped turn
iminto a major rock and roll star in short order".
Others have suggested that his rapid rise to prominence was due to his "
Elvis
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
-influenced hip swivelling and, at times, highly suggestive stage act".
Early years
Fury was born Ronald Wycherley at Smithdown Hospital (later Sefton General Hospital and now demolished) on
Smithdown Road in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
on 17 April 1940. He commenced music lessons on the piano before he was a teenager, and was bought his first guitar by the age of 14. Wycherley fronted his own group in 1955, but simultaneously worked full-time on a
tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...
and later as a
docker. He entered and won a talent competition, and by 1958 had started composing his own songs.
Career
Early career
Wycherley went to meet pop manager and impresario
Larry Parnes
Laurence Maurice Parnes (3 September 1929 – 4 August 1989) was a British pop manager and impresario. He was the first major British rock manager, and his stable of singers included many of the most successful British rock and roll singers of ...
at the Essoldo Theatre in
Birkenhead
Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
, hoping to interest one of Parnes' protégés, singer
Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde, (born Reginald Leonard Smith; 15 April 1939) is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, scoring several 1950s hit singles including " Endless Sl ...
, in some of the songs he had written. Instead, in an episode that has since become pop music legend, Parnes pushed young Wycherley up on stage right away.
He was such an immediate success that Parnes signed him, added him to his tour, and renamed him "Billy Fury".
However, his early sexual and provocative stage performances received censure, and he was forced to tone them down.
In October 1959, the UK music magazine, ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', commented that Fury's stage antics had been drawing much press criticism.
He released his first
hit single for
Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
, "
Maybe Tomorrow", in 1959.
He also appeared in a televised play ''Strictly for Sparrows'', and subsequently on ''
Oh Boy!''
In March 1960, he reached No. 9 in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
with his own composition "
Colette
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...
",
followed by "
That's Love" and his first album ''
The Sound of Fury'' (1960),
which featured a young
Joe Brown on lead guitar,
with
backup vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...
by the
Four Jays. After securing more hits and splitting from his band
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were a British rhythm and blues group during the 1960s whose repertoire spanned jazz, soul music, soul, ska, and calypso music, calypso.
They were originally the backing band for rock and roll singer Billy Fury. ...
,
Parnes held auditions in Liverpool for a new group. Among those who auditioned were the Beatles,
who at this time were still calling themselves the Silver Beetles. They were offered the job for £20 a week on condition that they sacked their bassist
Stuart Sutcliffe
Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe (23 June 1940 – 10 April 1962) was a Scottish painter and musician best known as the original bass guitarist of the English rock band the Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue his career as a paint ...
.
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
refused and the band left after Lennon had secured Fury's
autograph
An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
.
The Tornados
The Tornados (The Tornadoes in North America) were an English instrumental rock group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hi ...
were recruited as Fury's backing band and toured and recorded with him from January 1962 to August 1963.
The Puppets were another band that backed Fury at a couple of gigs for 12 months.
UK chart and film success
Fury concentrated less on rock and roll and more on mainstream
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s, such as "
Halfway to Paradise
"Halfway to Paradise" is a popular song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. In the United States, the song was originally recorded in 1961 by Tony Orlando where it peaked at No. 39 on the Hot 100. In Canada, the song reached No. 3 in the ...
" and "
Jealousy
Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety.
Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...
"
(which reached No. 3 and No. 2 respectively in the UK Singles Chart in 1961). Fury confessed to the ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' that "I wanted people to think of me simply as a singer – and not, more specifically, as a rock singer. I'm growing up, and I want to broaden my scope. I shall continue to sing rock songs, but at the same time my stage act is not going to be as wild in the future".
It was Decca's decision to mould Fury into a
teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups.
By region Asia
East Asia possess ...
after his last self-penned song, "My Christmas Prayer", had failed to chart. The years 1961 through 1963 were Fury's best years chartwise. In 1962, he appeared in his first film, ''
Play It Cool'', modelled on the
Elvis
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
films.
It featured
Helen Shapiro,
Danny Williams,
Shane Fenton and
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to ''Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty-ei ...
, who appeared with
the Vernons Girls
The Vernons Girls were an English musical ensemble of female vocalists. They were formed at the Vernons football pools companyLarkin C., ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), , p. 461 in the 1950s in Liverpool, settlin ...
. The hit single from the film was "
Once Upon a Dream". There were other notable performances by several British actors and performers such as
Richard Wattis
Richard Wattis (25 February 1912 – 1 February 1975) was an English actor, co-starring in many popular British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s.
Early life
Richard Cameron Wattis was born on 25 February 1912 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, the ...
,
Lionel Blair
Lionel Blair (born Henry Lionel Ogus; 12 December 1928 – 4 November 2021) was a Canadian-born British actor, choreographer, tap dancer, and television presenter. From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, he made regular appearances as a danc ...
and
Dennis Price
Dennistoun Franklyn John Rose Price (23 June 1915 – 6 October 1973) was an English actor, best remembered for his role as Louis Mazzini in the film '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1949) and for his portrayal of the omnicompetent valet Jeeve ...
.
Fury's ''
We Want Billy!
''We Want Billy!'' is a live album by Billy Fury, sound recording and reproduction, recorded in 1963, and backed by The Tornados. It was recorded in Decca Records, Decca's Studio No. 3.
Track listing
Side 1
#"Sweet Little Sixteen"
#"Baby Come ...
'' (1963) was one of the first live albums in UK rock history, and featured renditions of his hits and
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of several
R&B songs such as "
Unchain My Heart".
In 1965 he appeared in the film ''
I've Gotta Horse
''I've Gotta Horse'' is Billy Fury's second hit feature film, a semi-autobiographical musical comedy that also features Amanda Barrie, Michael Medwin and Jon Pertwee and pop bands The Gamblers and The Bachelors. It also features Fury's own ra ...
'',
which also featured his backing group the Gamblers,
the Bachelors
The Bachelors were a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland, but primarily based in the United Kingdom. They had several international hits during the 1960s, including eight top-ten singles in the UK between 1963 and 1966.
Car ...
,
Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie (born Shirley Anne Broadbent; 14 September 1935) is an English actress. She appeared in two of the '' Carry On'' films before being cast as Alma Halliwell in ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', which she played on and off for ...
,
Michael Medwin
Michael Hugh Medwin, OBE (18 July 1923 – 26 February 2020) was an English actor and film producer.
Life and career
Medwin was born in London. He was educated at Canford School, Dorset, and the Institute Fischer, Montreux, Switzerland. He ...
and
Jon Pertwee. The album from the film was made available in stereo. Fury left
Decca Records in 1966, after signing to a five-year
recording contract with
Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
.
Having had more UK hits, such as "
It's Only Make Believe
"It's Only Make Believe" is a song written by drummer Jack Nance and Mississippi-born singer Conway Twitty, while both were touring across Ontario, Canada in 1958. The song was recorded on May 7 for MGM Records; produced by Jim Vienneau, it fe ...
" and "
I Will
"I Will" is a song by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles, from their 1968 double album ''The Beatles (album), The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and featur ...
" (written by
Dick Glasser, not to be confused with the
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
song), both in 1964, and "
In Thoughts of You" (1965), Fury began a lengthy absence from the charts in 1967, and underwent surgery for heart problems in 1972 and 1976 which led to his abandoning touring.
Despite spending many weeks in the charts, Fury never achieved a number one single, but he remained popular even after his hits stopped. "I Will" became a US hit for
Dean Martin (1965) and for
Ruby Winters
Ruby Winters (born Ruby Forehand; January 18, 1942 – August 7, 2016) was an American soul singer: primarily recording in Nashville, Winters had several R&B hits from 1967 to 1974 but is best known for her 1977 UK Top Ten hit "I Will".
Early ...
(1977).
Later years
In 1973, Fury emerged from a period of semi-retirement to star as 'Stormy Tempest' in the film ''
That'll Be the Day
"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, the Crickets. The 1957 recording achieved widespr ...
''.
Also starring
David Essex
David Essex (born David Albert Cook; 23 July 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. Since the 1970s, he has attained 19 Top 40 singles in the UK (including two number ones) and 16 Top 40 albums. Internationally, Essex had the most ...
and
Ringo Starr, it was roughly based on the early days of
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
. Starr was from the
Dingle
Dingle ( Irish: ''An Daingean'' or ''Daingean Uí Chúis'', meaning "fort of Ó Cúis") is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about southwest of Tralee and northwest of Kill ...
area of Liverpool, as was Fury, and had originally played drums for
Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, whom the Stormy Tempest group were said to be modelled on.
In the mid-1970s, Fury went out on the road with Marty Wilde. Away from the spotlight, he focused on wildlife preservation.
Fury's health deteriorated and he underwent two open heart surgeries - the first was in 1972, and the second in 1976.
In 1978, Fury was declared bankrupt for unpaid taxes to the
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation t ...
. The taxes dated back to 1962, and amounted to £16,780. Fury was also forced to sign over his royalties and publishing income. A new release, "Be Mine Tonight" (1981), failed to make an appearance in the UK Singles Chart. Worse was to follow in March 1981 when Fury, working on his own farm, collapsed and almost died. He returned to touring later that year, and his next two singles, "Love or Money" and "Devil or Angel", just dented the UK chart.
In 1981 and 1982, Fury was signed to
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
by
A&R man Frank Neilson, and recorded a comeback album, ''The One and Only'' (released posthumously) with
Shakin' Stevens
Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s.
His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...
' producer
Stuart Colman. Owing to his health, Fury did little touring to promote the new album. His last public appearance was at the Sunnyside pub,
Northampton, on 4 December 1982. A few days before he died, Fury recorded a live performance for the
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
television show, ''Unforgettable'', featuring six of his old hits, although, at the request of his mother, only four of them were broadcast.
Personal life
Fury was a keen
birdwatcher
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
.
He lived with businesswoman Lee Everett Alkin, better known as
"Lady Lee" Middleton, from 1959 to 1967. During this time, he had a short relationship with actress
Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie (born Shirley Anne Broadbent; 14 September 1935) is an English actress. She appeared in two of the '' Carry On'' films before being cast as Alma Halliwell in ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', which she played on and off for ...
, his co-star in ''
I've Gotta Horse
''I've Gotta Horse'' is Billy Fury's second hit feature film, a semi-autobiographical musical comedy that also features Amanda Barrie, Michael Medwin and Jon Pertwee and pop bands The Gamblers and The Bachelors. It also features Fury's own ra ...
''. Fury went from Liverpool to London (like the Beatles) and he lived in Number 1
Cavendish Avenue
Cavendish Avenue is a street in St John's Wood, London, England.
Cavendish Avenue runs north to south from Circus Road to Wellington Place, and is parallel to Wellington Road to the west. At its southern end lie the grounds of Lord's Cricket G ...
, the same street as Paul McCartney. He is remembered and honoured with a
Blue Plaque there.
Fury married Judith Hall in May 1969, but later left her for
heiress Lisa Voice. They lived together in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, and sometimes on Fury's farm in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, from 1971 until his death, although they were leading separate lives for the last two years.
Death
![Mill Hill Cemetery —Billy Fury's grave 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Mill_Hill_Cemetery_%E2%80%94Billy_Fury%27s_grave_2.jpeg/1200px-Mill_Hill_Cemetery_%E2%80%94Billy_Fury%27s_grave_2.jpeg)
After returning from a recording session in the early hours of 28 January 1983, Fury collapsed from a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
at his home in London. His manager Tony Read found him unconscious the next morning. He was taken to
St Mary's Hospital in
Paddington
Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...
, but died later in the afternoon, aged 42.
Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death.
A week after his death, a funeral service was held at the
St John's Wood
St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...
church in London, for which his body was embalmed by
Desmond Henley
Desmond Charles Henley, OBE (1927, Marylebone, London – 11 November 2005, Portsmouth) was an English embalmer.
Career
After leaving school, Henley joined the London company of funeral directors James H. Kenyon Ltd in 1941. Established in 188 ...
.
Among the mourners were Larry Parnes,
Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde, (born Reginald Leonard Smith; 15 April 1939) is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, scoring several 1950s hit singles including " Endless Sl ...
,
Jess Conrad,
Eden Kane
Richard Graham Sarstedt (born 29 March 1940Some sources, including his own website, give 1942 as his birth year; but official sources give 1940.), known by the stage name Eden Kane, is an English pop/ rock singer, musician, record producer and ...
, Tony Read, Hal Carter and
Mick Green
Michael Robert Green (22 February 1944 – 11 January 2010) was an English rock and roll guitarist who played with The Pirates (with and without Johnny Kidd), Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers.
Biogra ...
, in addition to family members, friends and fans. The choir sang a special version of Billy's Decca hit "
I'm Lost Without You". After the service Fury's body was buried at
Mill Hill cemetery
Mill may refer to:
Science and technology
*
* Mill (grinding)
* Milling (machining)
* Millwork
* Textile mill
* Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel
* List of types of mill
* Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...
, in North London. A song issued posthumously entitled "Forget Him" became his final chart hit.
Legacy
![Billy Fury statue Albert Dock Liverpool](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Billy_Fury_statue_Albert_Dock_Liverpool.jpg)
On 10 April 1983, a tribute concert for Fury was held at the
Beck Theatre in
Hayes. All the artists performed for free and the money raised was donated to the Billy Fury memorial fund for research into heart disease. On the bill were names including Marty Wilde with his daughter Kim Wilde, Joe Brown, Alvin Stardust, Dave Berry, Helen Shapiro and John Miles.
In 1999 a TV documentary about Fury called ''Halfway to Paradise'' was broadcast on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. Between 1999 and 2000, the song "
", a favourite of Fury's (he re-recorded it at least three times during his career), later received wide airplay on British television when it was used as the theme for a
car advertisement. In 2005,
published a biography book about Fury called ''Wondrous Face – The Billy Fury Story''. In 2008, a biographical documentary film ''Billy Fury: His Wondrous Story'' was released on DVD.
.
The sculpture, by Tom Murphy, a Liverpool sculptor, was donated by 'The Sound of Fury' fan club after the money was raised by fans.
In 2010, Camden Council named a previously unnamed alleyway "Billy Fury Way" in his honour. It starts just off Finchley Road near Finchley Road & Frognal station and runs to West Hampstead Station. He had recorded at the nearby Decca Studios. The alleyway was decorated with a large mural of his face (at the West Hampstead end), which was unveiled and blessed on Friday 29 July 2011.
Eight of Fury's EMI recordings remained unreleased on mainstream CD until June 2010, when they appeared on a 29-track issue, ''The Complete Parlophone Singles'', released by Peaksoft (PEA009). The singer's estate licensed the tracks to benefit his memorial fund, which finances equipment purchases for hospital heart units. In November 2011, further co-operation between the estate and Peaksoft resulted in the issuing of a second CD, ''The Lost Album'' (PEA014), which attempted to construct the format of an album recorded by Fury in 1967–71, but which was never released.
Fury's backing band from 1970 until 1976, when he stopped touring due to ill health, were Fury's Tornados, named by Fury and his then manager Hal Carter. They continue to tour in the theatre show ''Halfway to Paradise: The Billy Fury Story''. Fury is also remembered in the work of tribute bands such as another theatre show called ''The Billy Fury Years''. The film ''
'' was first released on DVD on 10 February 2014.
recorded a song "Billy Fury is Dead" on their 2008 album ''Flesh Ride''. They were interviewed about it in the "Tributes" section of the official Fury website.
'', released in 1986. Sound effects at the beginning of the song gave the impression that it is being played on a
, and the "imaginary" vocalist sang about his desire to "be like Billy Fury" and have the trappings of a rock singer. Long-time Taupin collaborator
appeared towards the end of the song, contributing some backing vocals.
*In 1987, Fury was featured on the cover of
.
'' (1960)
*''Billy Fury'' (1960)
*''Halfway to Paradise'' (1961)
*''Billy'' (1963)
*''The Golden Years'' (1979), re-released in 1983 as ''Memories''
*''The One and Only'' (1983)