A NEW BILLY FURY FAN 'DOWN UNDER'
I RECIEVED THIS E'MAIL FROM A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, CHRIS DRUMMOND, IN AUSTRALIA. WE MEET UP EVERY YEAR IN MEMPHIS AND LIKE ME HE IS A BIG ELVIS FAN. THIS PAST AUGUST I BOUGHT HIM THE BILLY DVD AND ASKED DID HE KNOW ABOUT BILLY AND HIS MUSIC? TO MY SUPRISE HE KNEW VERY LITTLE BUT HAD HEARD OF HIM. I TOLD HIM TO WATCH THE DVD AND LET ME KNOW WHAT HE THOUGHT. I TOLD HIM IF YOU LIKE ELVIS YOU WILL LOVE BILLY. HERE IS HIS REPLY [ A NEW FAN DONT YOU THINK?].
Colin Paul who many of you will know from Blackpool weekends wants to share this with us, he writes........................
"I THOUGHT I'D SIT DOWN AND WRITE YOU THIS ONE AS I DON'T THINK WORDS ON THE TELEPHONE CAN REALLY EXPLAIN WHAT I FELT AFTER HAVING WATCHED THE DVD YOU GAVE US WHILE WE WERE IN MEMPHIS . 'BILLY FURY : HIS WONDROUS STORY'. AND MAN ....WHAT A STORY !!!
I WAS TOTALLY MESMERISED AND BLOWN AWAY BY THE PERSONALITY OF A MAN WHOM I HAVE NEVER REALLY GOTTEN TO KNOW UP UNTIL NOW. THE MAGIC OF HIS LOOKS AND TALENT HAVE CERTAINLY LEFT A PERMANENT IMPRESSION IN MY MIND. WHAT AN INCREDIBLY UNIQUE AND CAPTIVATING VOCAL EXPRESSION HE HAD. I'VE PLAYED IT OVER AND OVER NUMEROUS TIMES AS IT'S JUST CAUGHT ME RIGHT OFF GUARD. AND TO THINK HE ACTUALLY MET UP WITH ELVIS HIMSELF TOO. NO WONDER YOU HAVE SUCH A PASSION FOR THIS MAN !!!
I HAVE BEEN NON STOP SEARCHING THE NET THROUGHOUT AND FINDING OUT LOTS MORE ABOUT HIM AND THE INCREDIBLE LIFE HE LIVED. AMONGST THE TRAGEDY AND BRILLIANCE, IS A BEAUTIFUL MAN WHOSE VOICE SHOULD BE RECOGNISED MORE THAN WHAT IT IS AROUND THE WORLD. PERSONALLY I BELIEVE (AND I THINK YOU ALSO) FIND THAT BILLY FURY LEAVES CERTAIN AMOUNTS OF RECOGNISED STARS OF DAYS GONE BY, IN THE DUST. WHAT A SHAME HE DIDN'T GET THE WORLDWIDE STARDOM HE SO RIGHTLY DESERVED. BUT, COLIN .... WE KNOW THAT HISTORY DID NOT ALLOW FOR THAT.
THANKYOU FOR INTRODUCING ME INTO THE WORLD OF 'BILLY FURY'. I AM TOTALLY HOOKED NOW.
THIS BRINGS ME TO THE POINT WHERE I'VE LEARNED 'HALFWAY TO PARADISE' AND ADDED TO MY REPERTOIRE. THIS SONG IS AWESOME !!! I CRIED THE FIRST TIME I HEARD IT...AND MADE STELLA CRY THE FIRST TIME SHE HEARD ME PERFORM IT. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SONG TO SING. AND I CAN'T THANKYOU ENOUGH FOR THE BACKING TRACKS. I'M NOW ON A MISSION TO ACCOMPLISH A WHOLE BRACKET OF HIS MATERIAL AND INTRODUCE HIM TO MY AUSTRALIAN AUDIENCES (WHICH CONSIST OF A LOT OF BRITISH EXPATRIATES.) SHOULD BE FUN.SO...IN MY SPARE TIME...I'VE SAT DOWN AND DESIGNED THIS PAINTING TO COMMEMORATE BILLY FURY'S LIFE. I DO HOPE YOU LIKE IT.
IF YOU GET THE CHANCE, I WOULD BE HONOURED IF YOU COULD SHOW THIS DESIGN TO BILLY'S BROTHER 'ALBIE' AND/OR HIS MUM AT ONE OF YOUR TRIBUTE SHOWS IF HE'S WORKING WITH YOU, I WOULD LOVE TO GET THEIR PERMISSION TO GO AHEAD AND PAINT IT FOR THEM."
CHRIS HAS SINCE SENT THE PAINTING TO COLIN PAUL WHO PRESENTED IT TO JEAN AND ALBIE AT THE 25TH ANNIVERSAY TRIBUTE WEEKEND IN BLACKPOOL IN FEBRUARY ( SEE PHOTO BELOW). THEY SPOKE TO THANK CHRIS ON THE TELEPHONE JUST AFTERWARDS AND HE WAS THRILLED TO BE SPEAKING TO BILLY'S MOTHER AND BROTHER.
