Tommy Steele OBE is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. Dubbed Britain’s answer to Elvis Presley, he reached No.1 with Singing the Blues in 1957, and The Tommy Steele Story was the first album by a UK group to reach No.1. S...
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package, Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Performances, NME Award for British Vocal Personality
Albums
The Very Best of Tommy Steele
Nominations
Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Golden Globe Award for Best New Star of the Year – Actor, NME Award for British Male Singer
Movies
Half a Sixpence, Finian's Rainbow, The Happiest Millionaire, Tommy the Toreador, The Tommy Steele Story, The Duke Wore Jeans, Quincy's Quest, Where's Jack?, It's All Happening, Kill Me Tomorrow, Light Up the Sky!, Twelfth Night
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Fact
1
Sculptured a statue of his hero Charlie Chaplin, which he kept in his garden in Richmond London until he moved home.
2
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1979 Queen's New Year Honours List for his services to drama and entertainment.
3
Alex Harvey of the "Sensational Alex Harvey Band" won a Tommy Steele impersonator competition in Scotland. Part of the prize was meeting Tommy Steele.
4
Often used the pseudonym "Jimmy Bennett" for his song writing partnership with Lionel Bart and Mike Pratt.
5
Has made more appearances than any other artist at The London Palladium.
6
His one-man show, "An Evening with Tommy Steele," ran for fourteen months at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1979/80 and is in the Guinness Book of Theatre Facts and Feats as "the longest running one-man show in West End history."
7
In 1974 he composed and recorded an autobiographical cycle of twelve songs under the title of "My Life, My Song". Another of his talents was shown in the album sleeve for this recording which was illustrated with twelve of his own paintings and these together with other works were shown in a one-man exhibition at the Christopher Wade Gallery. He has also developed a talent as a sculptor and two of his major works are on public display; "Bermondsey Boy" at the Rotherhithe Civic Centre and "Eleanor Rigby" which he gave to the City of Liverpool as a tribute to the Beatles.
8
His first song "Rock With the Caveman" was a 1957 hit and, as a result, his sudden stardom was compressed quickly into a film as well ("The Tommy Steele Story") even before there was a story to tell.
9
The son of a tailor, he was discovered by Larry Parnes, who renamed him 'Tommy Steele,' and manufactured him into Britain's first pop star.
10
Has one daughter, Emma.
11
His second single "Singin' the Blues" reached No. 1 in 1956.
12
Evacuated from London during the WWII Blitz.
13
Was nominated for Broadway's 1965 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for "Half a Sixpence" in the role of Arthur Kipps - which he later recreated for the film version of the same name, Half a Sixpence (1967). One of his co-stars was John Cleese.
14
Owned and drove an American Excalibur from mid 60s.
15
Television commercial, 1974, for his stage portrayal as Hans Christian Andersen.
16
Tommy Steele played in a televised celebrity squash match, beaten by Leonard Rossiter, not very long before the latter's death. Ironically, Tommy conceded that Leonard was much fitter than he at the time.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Who's Doing the Dishes?
2016
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story
2009
Documentary performer: "Fortuosity"
The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics
2008
TV Movie documentary performer: "I'll Always Be Irish" - uncredited
The Flintstones
1994
writer: "ROCK WITH THE CAVEMAN"
Blakes 7
1978
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Finian's Rainbow
1968
performer: "Something Sort of Grandish" 1946, "When I'm Not Near The Girl I Love" 1946, "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" 1946 - uncredited
Half a Sixpence
1967
performer: "All in the Cause of Economy", "Half a Sixpence", "Money to Burn", "The Race", "She's Too Far Above Me", "Flash, Bang, Wallop", "If the Rain's Got to Fall", "I'm Not Talking to You", "This Is My World"
The Happiest Millionaire
1967
performer: "Fortuosity", "I'll Always Be Irish", "Let's Have a Drink On It", "Finale: Let's Have a Drink on It" - uncredited
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
TV Series performer - 1 episode, 1966 writer - 1 episode, 1966
Skywatch
1960
performer: "Strike A Light"
Tommy the Toreador
1959
performer: "The Little White Bull", "Tommy the Toreador", "Take A Ride", "Singing Time", "Amanda", "Where's the Birdie" / writer: "The Little White Bull", "Tommy the Toreador", "Take A Ride", "Singing Time", "Amanda", "Where's the Birdie" - as Jimmy Bennett
The Duke Wore Jeans
1958
performer: "It's All Happening", "What Do You Do", "Princess", "Family Tree", "Happy Guitar", "Hair Down", "Photograph My Baby", "Thanks a Lot"
The Shiralee
1957
performer: "The Shiralee", "Grandad's Rock" - uncredited / writer: "The Shiralee", "Grandad's Rock" - uncredited
Rock Around the World
1957
performer: "Singin' the Blues", "A Handful of Songs", "Butterfingers", "Take Me Back Baby" uncredited, "I Like" uncredited, "Water Water" uncredited, "You Gotta Go" uncredited, "Cannibal Pot" uncredited, "Two Eyes" uncredited, "Build Up" uncredited, "Doomsday Rock" uncredited, "Time to Kill" uncredited, "Elevator Rock" uncredited / writer: "Butterfingers", "Take Me Back Baby" uncredited, "I Like" uncredited, "Water Water" uncredited, "You Gotta Go" uncredited, "Cannibal Pot" uncredited, "Will It
Kill Me Tomorrow
1957
performer: "Rock With The Caveman", "Rebel Rock" / writer: "Rock With The Caveman", "Rebel Rock"
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Quincy's Quest
1979
Quincy
The Yeomen of the Guard
1978
TV Movie
Jack Point
Once Upon a Time
1973
TV Series
Buttons
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1970
TV Series
Feste
Where's Jack?
1969
Jack Sheppard
Gentle Ben
1969
TV Series
Scott
Finian's Rainbow
1968
Og
Half a Sixpence
1967
Arthur Kipps
The Happiest Millionaire
1967
John Lawless
Richard Whittington Esquire
1964
TV Movie
Richard Whittington
The Dream Maker
1963
Billy Bowles
The Tommy Steele Show: Quincy's Quest
1962
TV Movie
Quincy
Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium
1962
TV Series
Skywatch
1960
Eric McGaffey
Tommy the Toreador
1959
Tommy Tomkins
The Duke Wore Jeans
1958
Tony Whitecliffe / Tommy Hudson
Rock Around the World
1957
Tommy Steele
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Quincy's Quest
1979
screenplay / story
A Special Tommy Steele
1973
TV Movie deviser / screenplay
Tommy Steele in Search of Charlie Chaplin
1971
TV Movie
Richard Whittington Esquire
1964
TV Movie outline
The Tommy Steele Show: Quincy's Quest
1962
TV Movie story
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Quincy's Quest
1979
incidental theme music - as Jimmy Bennett
The Shiralee
1957
the voice of
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Richard Whittington Esquire
1964
TV Movie music composed by
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Quincy's Quest
1979
stager
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Hippodromes, Empires and Palaces: Tales from the Golden Age of Variety
2015
Video documentary short
Himself - Theatrical Legend (as Tommy Steele OBE)
The Royal History of Pop
2012
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Story of Musicals
2012
TV Series documentary
Himself
Bee Gees: In Our Own Time
2010
TV Movie
Himself
The One Show
2009-2010
TV Series
Himself
This Morning
2007
TV Series
Himself
Children in Need
2005
TV Series
Himself - Performer
The Royal Variety Performance 2004
2004
TV Special
Performer
BingoLotto
2000
TV Series
Himself - Musical Guest
Aspel & Company
1992
TV Series
Himself
This Is Your Life
1991
TV Series documentary
Himself
Test of Faith
1987
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Omnibus
1969-1983
TV Series documentary
Himself
Tommy Steele: A Handful of Songs
1981
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Parkinson
1979
TV Series
Himself
A Special Tommy Steele
1973
TV Movie
Himself
Tommy Steele in Search of Charlie Chaplin
1971
TV Movie
Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1971
TV Series
Himself
The David Frost Show
1969-1970
TV Series
Himself
The Joey Bishop Show
1968
TV Series
Himself
The World Premiere of 'Finian's Rainbow'
1968
Short
Himself
Cinema
1967
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Heart of Show Business
1967
TV Movie
Himself - Performer
Come and Get your Money
1967
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
1966
TV Series
Himself
Gene Kelly in New York, New York
1966
TV Movie
Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show
1965
TV Series
Singer
The Royal Variety Performance 1963
1963
TV Movie
Himself
Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium
1957-1963
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Top Of The Bill
Talking Sport
1963
TV Series
Himself
Farewell to the Vic
1963
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Thank Your Lucky Stars
1962
TV Series
Himself
Spectacular
1959
TV Series
Himself
The 1959 Show
1959
TV Movie
Himself
Oh Boy!
1958
TV Series
Himself
This Is Your Life
1958
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Saturday Show
1957
TV Series
Himself
Cool for Cats
1957
TV Series
Himself
Kill Me Tomorrow
1957
Himself
Six-Five Special
1957
TV Series
Himself - and His Steelmen / Himself - and His Steelemen
Show Band Parade
1957
TV Series
Himself
Off the Record
1956
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Heroes of Comedy
2002
TV Series documentary
The Very Best of Sid James
1996
Video documentary
Alma Cogan: The Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice
1991
TV Short documentary
Himself
Benny Hill: The World's Favorite Clown
1991
TV Movie documentary
Eric McGaffey (uncredited)
The Walt Disney Comedy and Magic Revue
1985
Video short
John Lawless
The Rock 'n' Roll Years
1985
TV Series
Himself
Years of Lightning
1981
TV Series documentary
Himself
Blue Suede Shoes
1980
Documentary
Himself
All You Need Is Love
1977
TV Series documentary
Himself
Highlight: The Singing Cinema
1964
Words and Music
1959
TV Series
Himself
Six-Five Special
1957-1958
TV Series
Excerpt from The Tommy Steele Story / Excerpt from Kill Me Tomorrow
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1968
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Most Promising Newcomer - Male
The Happiest Millionaire (1967)
1968
Golden Laurel
Laurel Awards
Male New Face
9th place.
Known for movies
Tommy Steele in Search of Charlie Chaplin (1971) as Writer
$10 Million
