Russ Conway

Russ Conway, born Trevor Herbert Stanford on September 2, 1925, in Bristol, England, was a British pianist, composer, and singer. He showed early musical talent, inheriting his skills from his mother, who was an accomplished pianist. Conway's initial foray into music began when he replaced a bar pianist in London, leading to collaborations with notable figures like Norman Newell of EMI. His breakthrough came with the release of "Party Pops", a medley of sing-along songs, which became a hit during Christmas 1957. Conway's career peaked from 1957 to 1962, with two Number 1 singles in the UK: "Side Saddle" and "Roulette". "Roulette" was also the first single in Britain to receive a Silver Disc for selling 250,000 copies. Throughout his career, Conway released over 40 singles, approximately 20 EPs, and around a dozen albums, including Pack Up Your Troubles (1958),  Happy Days (1961) Pop-a-Conway (1966) and A Long Time Ago (1986). He was one of the most successful artists in Britain before The Beatles, selling an estimated 30 million records. Conway's career as a single hitmaker declined with the rise of Beatlemania, but he continued to perform and record until his death on November 16, 2000, in Eastbourne, England.