Russ Sainty (born Alfred Charles Sainty; April 1936 –28 November 2021) was an English rock and roll and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

singer.

Life and career

Sainty was born in Leyton, Essex. He first performed as a singer with the Buddy Monroe Five, before becoming a regular at the

2i's Coffee Bar The 2i's Coffee Bar was a coffeehouse at 59 Old Compton Street in Soho, London, that was open from 1956 to 1970. It played a formative role in the emergence of Britain's skiffle and rock and roll music culture in the late 1950s, and several maj ...

in Soho. He was a contemporary of Cliff Richard and the Shadows, and was often backed by Tony Sheridan's band. He then joined a band, the Nu-Notes, who became known around London for performing versions of current American hit records. Around this time, he adopted the professional name of Russ Sainty. In late 1958 he turned down the chance to record Lionel Bart's song " Living Doll", which became a hit for Cliff Richard.Tim Ewbank, ''Cliff: An Intimate Portrait of a Living Legend'', 2010, p.149
/ref> In 1959, Sainty passed an audition for the BBC, which led to him making regular appearances on radio programmes including '' Saturday Club''. He was the opening act at the Butlin's holiday camp in Bognor Regis, and in 1960 at the

California Ballroom The California Ballroom, nicknamed "Cali" and "Soul City", was a 2000-capacity music venue, being one of the United Kingdom's best-known soul music venues outside London. Located in Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, the venue was open from ...

in Dunstable, where he became a regular performer.Steve Deeks, "Tributes paid after death of Hayling Island rock 'n' roll legend Russ Sainty who performed with The Rolling Stones and Cliff Richard", ''The News, Portsmouth'', 29 November 2021
Retrieved 22 February 2022"Dunstable California Ballroom favourite dies aged 85", ''Luton News Herald & Post'', 30 November 2021
Retrieved 22 February 2022
Retrieved 22 February 2022 Sainty released several singles on various record labels, including Decca, Top Rank, and HMV in the early 1960s. None became chart hits, but he is best remembered for his version of " Send Me the Pillow You Dream On", a hit at the time for Johnny Tillotson. In 1963, he performed at the top of a bill with support from The Rolling Stones. He continued performing regularly at the California Ballroom until 1965, making a total of 338 appearances there. He married and opened a restaurant, and continued to perform in clubs in Britain and South Africa, as well as on cruise ships. In 1982, he became entertainments manager for Warners at Hayling Island. He later performed as a member of The Dallas Boys, as well as making occasional solo appearances. In 2008 he published an autobiography, ''King of the 'Cali. He died in 2021, aged 85.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sainty, Russ 1936 births 2021 deaths English pop singers People from Leyton British rock and roll musicians