Yvonne Page, known professionally as Jill Day (5 December 1930 – 16 November 1990) was an English
pop singer and actress in
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Career
She was born in
Brighton,
Sussex, England, and found fame in film, radio and television.
By 1954, as the former lead singer for
Geraldo's Orchestra, she had topped the bill at the
London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...
, and co-starred in the
West End production of ''The Talk of the Town''.
A Jill Day comic strip drawn by
Denis Gifford
Denis Gifford (26 December 1927 – 18 May 2000)Holland, Steve, Obituaries: Denis Gifford', ''The Guardian'', 26 May 2000. was a British writer, broadcaster, journalist, comic artist and historian of film, comics, television and radio. In h ...
was published in Star Comics (1954), edited by Gifford and
Bob Monkhouse
Robert Alan Monkhouse (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including ''The Golden Shot'', '' Celebrity Squares'', '' Family Fortunes'' and '' ''Wipeout'.
Ear ...
. Day also appeared in the 1955
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
, ''
All for Mary''.
She also sang on the soundtrack of ''
The Good Companions
''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley.
Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It won ...
'' and ''
Doctor at Sea''. In 1957, she competed in the heats of the contest to represent the
United Kingdom in the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest, eventually losing out to
Patricia Bredin
Patricia Bredin (born 14 February 1935) is an English actress and one-time singer, who is best known as the first representative of the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest. She took part in the 1957 contest, held in Frankfurt and fini ...
. Day was known for her long slim dresses with stiff petticoat under the below-the-knee hem which she wore in numerous television appearances.
In the early 1960s, Day had her own
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
sketch show on
BBC Television, ''The Jill Day Show''. She also appeared on ''
Dee Time''.
She faded from public view as public taste for
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...
changed through the late 1950s and 1960s, eventually retiring from show business to reside in London. She later owned racehorses and had a number of business ventures including a theatrical agency and a baby clothes company.
She died from cancer in November 1990 in
Kingston-Upon-Thames
Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as ...
,
Surrey, England, at the age of 59.
Discography
In March 2003, a compilation album of her best-known songs was released, ''The Very Best of Jill Day'':
# "Sincerely"
# "Happiness Street"
# "I'm Old Fashioned"
# "Holiday Affair"
# "Quiet Man"
# "Mangos"
# "Tear Fell"
# "Little Johnny Rainbow"
# "I Dreamed"
# "Cinco Robles"
# "Give Her My Love When You Meet Her"
# "I'll Think About You"
# "I Hear You Knocking"
# "Hold Me In Your Arms"
# "Wherever You May Be"
# "Far Away From Everybody"
# "Snowy Snowy Mountain"
# "Somewhere In The Great Beyond"
# "Oh Daddy Can I Be Your Dolly Forever"
# "
I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
"I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" is a popular song copyrighted in 1937 by its composer, Irving Berlin, and first recorded by (i) Ray Noble (January 5, 1937), Howard Barrie, vocalist, and (ii) Red Norvo (January 8, 1937), Mildred Bailey, vocali ...
"
# "Ding Dong"
# "Lonely Nightingale"
# "Promises"
# "Way Of Love"
# "Chee Chee Oo Chee"
# "Whistlin' Willie"
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Day, Jill
1930 births
1990 deaths
Traditional pop music singers
People from Brighton
20th-century English singers