Alvin Stardust
b. Bernard William Jewry, 27 September 1942, London, England. Jewry first enjoyed pop fame during the early '60s under the name Shane Fenton. When the arrival of the Beatles and the subsequent Mersey beat explosion occurred, Fenton effectively retired from singing. In one of the more unlikely comebacks in British pop history, he re-emerged in 1973 as hit singer Alvin Stardust. Bedecked in menacingly black leather, with an image that fused Gene Vincent with Dave Berry, Stardust returned to the charts with the UK number 2 hit My Coo-Ca-Choo. It was followed by the chart-topping Jealous Mind which, like its predecessor, was composed by songwriter Peter Shelley. Two further UK Top 10 hits followed, with Red Dress and You You You before his chart career petered out with Tell Me Why and Good Love Can Never Die. The indomitable Stardust revitalized his career once more during the early '80s with the Top 10 successes Pretend and the commemorative ballad ‘I Feel Like Buddy Holly’, which also mentioned Paul McCartney. Stardust ended 1984 with two further hits I Won't Run Away and So Near Christmas before once again falling from chart favour. He remains a popular star on the British showbusiness scene and in recent years, as a born-again Christian, presented and performed with on BBC television with Christian pop and rock acts.