22 November 1942

Roll out the barrel!

Victor Perkins, aka teenage heart-throb Harry Hurricane, was born on this day in 1942. He became the first home-grown artist to have three consecutive number ones in the British pop charts. (“Lollipop Lover", “Crazy Daisy” and “Seaside Rock”, all 1961.) He was part of the famous stable of stars assembled by entertainment impresario Lesley King – the so-called Kingmaker of Denmark Street – and the article below, published in the Leyton Enquirer in the summer of 1960, shows how King could almost miraculously bestow overnight success on an otherwise ordinary London teenager...

This rare mislabeled copy of “Crazy Daisy” sold for 3,000 guineas

ROLL OUT THE BARREL!

Leyton’s very own Harry Hurricane is all set to become one of the brightest new stars in the show-business firmament.

Impresario Lesley King – who knows a thing or two about grooming youngsters, and bestows fame with a stroke of his “magic wand” – says he has never met a young man who excites him the way Harry does.

One look at his latest protégée in his tightly tailored silver suit and wavy golden hair and you can see why this lad has made a meteoric rise to the top of the “pops”.

Five weeks ago, Harry Hurricane was plain Victor Perkins, a seventeen-year-old apprentice butt-rammer from Leyton.

“I was working at a cooper’s, specialising in butts,” says Harry. “I had to hold my butt steady while the older fellows rammed it. It was OK for a while but it was starting to get a bit dull. When Mr King approached me, I knew he could take me to a completely different world.”

“The lad needed to be stretched,” smiles Leslie, with the friendly twinkle in his eye that shows he is a friend as well as a manager to his roster of youthful talent. “They can be shy, but I know how to handle them and ease their passage.”

The results of Leslie’s expert handling are there for all to hear on Harry’s debut disc, “It’s Getting Harder Every Day”.

Listening to this passionate ballad, you can hear why Harry caught Leslie’s ear as well as his eye. The heart-rending lyrics will appeal to everyone who ever felt the pain that young love can bring.

Make no mistake: this Hurricane will go down a storm!

Picture: Link

2 Responses to “Roll out the barrel!”

  1. Yampster says:
    November 16, 2010 at 12:54 pm

    You had me going for a minute there. I was just going for Google 😉