Don Fardon

Donald Arthur Fardon, born on 19 August 1940 in England, was a pop singer. Before his music career, Fardon worked as a draughtsman for Alfred Herberts Ltd in Coventry and was a member of the band The Sorrows. His breakthrough came with the cover of "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee), originally by John D. Loudermilk, which reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 and number 3 in the UK in 1970, selling over one million copies globally. Fardon's follow-up single "Belfast Boy", composed in honour of footballer George Best, peaked at number 32 in the UK singles chart in March that year. He released several albums including Lament of the Cherokee Indian Reservation (1968) and I've Paid My Dues (1970) which spawned notable tracks including "Follow Your Drum" which reached number 16 on the Australian Singles Chart in May 1972, and "Delta Queen", which charted at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973. Fardon also covered hits like "Lola" by The Kinks and "Running Bear". He continued to release myriad albums including Line Dance Party (1998) and Indian Reservation (1999), returning in 2003 with his cover of "I'm Alive", originally by Tommy James & The Shondells, which reached the Top 20 of the Dutch singles chart in March 2011. In 2006, he re-released "Belfast Boy" as a tribute following George Best's death.