Anthony Newley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthony Newley
Newley in 1967
Born	Anthony Newley (1931-09-24)24 September 1931 Homerton, London, England
Died	14 April 1999(1999-04-14) (aged 67) Jensen Beach, Florida, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Hills Memorial Park and Mausoleum
Alma mater	Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
Occupation	Actor singer songwriter filmmaker
Years active	1947–1999
Spouse(s)	Ann Lynn ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1963)​ Joan Collins ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1970)​ Dareth Rich ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1989)​
Partner(s)	Gina Fratini
Children	5, including Tara and Alexander

Anthony Newley (born September 24, 1931 – died April 14, 1999) was a talented English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. He became very successful in music, on stage, and in movies. From 1959 to 1962, he had many songs in the UK Top 40 charts, including two number one hits.

Newley won a Grammy Award in 1963 for "What Kind of Fool Am I?" which was famously sung by Sammy Davis Jr.. He also wrote "Feeling Good", a well-known song for Nina Simone. Many famous singers like Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, and Michael Bublé have sung his songs.

Working with his songwriting partner Leslie Bricusse, Newley was nominated for an Academy Award for the music in the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). This movie includes the song "Pure Imagination". He also helped write the theme song for the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964), sung by Shirley Bassey. Newley was a big star in the early 1960s. His TV show The Strange World of Gurney Slade is still popular today because of its unusual idea that he was stuck inside a TV show. He was recognized for his creative work and was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989.

Early Life and Beginnings

Anthony Newley was born in Hackney, London, on September 24, 1931. His parents were Frances Grace Newley and George Kirby, but they were not married and separated soon after he was born. He was raised by his aunt and uncle.

During World War II, he was sent to live in the countryside to keep him safe from the bombing attacks on London. For a while, he stayed with George Pescud, a retired performer who inspired him to express himself freely.

Newley went to Clapton Park Lower School. Even though his teachers thought he was very smart, he left school at 14. He started working as an office boy for an advertising company.

He saw an advertisement looking for "Boy Actors Urgently Wanted" and applied to the Italia Conti Stage School. The fees were too high, but after a quick audition, he was offered a job as an office boy. This job also included free lessons at the school. One day, a producer named Geoffrey de Barkus saw him and cast him in a children's film series called Dusty Bates (1947).

Anthony Newley's Career Highlights

Starting Out in Movies

After Dusty Bates, Newley appeared in Vice Versa (1948). One of the stars of that film, Kay Walsh, suggested him to her ex-husband, David Lean. Lean was looking for someone to play the Artful Dodger in his movie Oliver Twist. Newley got the part!

In the 1950s, Newley made 27 movies for J. Arthur Rank. He easily moved from being a child actor to an adult actor. During this time, he also completed his national service (a period of military training). He also appeared in many British radio shows and became more involved with theatre.

Becoming a Star in Music and Film

A big moment for Newley came in 1959 with the musical film Idol on Parade. He played a rock singer who was called up for national service, a bit like Elvis Presley who had recently joined the army. This role made Newley a leading man.

The film also started his pop music career. The song "I've Waited So Long" from the movie reached number 3 in the UK charts. Soon after, he had another hit, "Personality", and then two number one hits in 1960: "Why" and "Do You Mind?" (written by Lionel Bart).

TV Shows and Songwriting Success

In 1960, Newley starred in and created the TV series The Strange World of Gurney Slade. This comedy show was quite unusual for its time. Newley's character escapes from the TV show itself! It was considered very advanced and unique.

His career as a singer and songwriter grew quickly. In 1963, he won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year for writing "What Kind of Fool Am I?" That same year, he released a funny album called Fool Britannia! which made fun of a British political scandal. It reached number 10 in the UK album charts. Newley sang many popular songs like "Gonna Build a Mountain" and "Once in a Lifetime." He also sang funny songs like "That Noise" and his version of "Pop Goes the Weasel". He had a successful version of "Strawberry Fair", sung with his special London accent.

Newley wrote many hit songs for other artists. These include "Goldfinger" for the James Bond film, and "Feeling Good". "Feeling Good" became a hit for Nina Simone and the band Muse, and a signature song for Michael Bublé. His songs have been recorded by many different artists. Many of the ballads he wrote with Leslie Bricusse became famous for singers like Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley Bassey, and Tony Bennett.

On Stage and Screen

Throughout the 1960s, Newley was very successful in London's West End theatre, on Broadway, in Hollywood films, and on TV. He and Bricusse also wrote musicals together.

Their musical Stop the World – I Want to Get Off was a big hit in London and on Broadway. Newley also performed in it and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. It was made into a film in 1966. They also wrote The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd (1965) and the music for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), which was based on Roald Dahl's book.

Newley acted in the original Doctor Dolittle (1967) as Matthew Mugg. He also starred in Sweet November (1968). He directed and co-wrote the film Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969). He also directed the 1971 film Summertree, which starred Michael Douglas.

He played Quilp in Mister Quilp (1975), which was based on Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop. He even wrote some songs for that movie. His last TV role was in the British soap opera EastEnders, but he had to leave after a few months because of his health.

Newley also recorded a version of the "Coventry Carol" for Christmas. He wrote a funny Christmas song called "Santa Claus is Elvis" and an album of spoken poetry.

Later Years

In the early 1970s, Newley moved to Florida. He continued to perform in places like Las Vegas and appeared on game shows and talk shows. He was one of the top cabaret performers in America for some years.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he tried to make a comeback. In 1983, he starred in a musical called Chaplin that he co-wrote. It didn't make it to Broadway.

He appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and had a successful tour of his musical Stop The World – I Want To Get Off in 1986–87. He also played the Mad Hatter in the TV movie Alice in Wonderland (1985). That year, he was diagnosed with cancer and had a kidney removed. He then moved back to England to live with his mother.

After his cancer treatment, he kept working. He appeared in EastEnders and recorded songs from musicals like Fiddler on the Roof and Scrooge. He had his last big stage success starring in Scrooge in the 1990s, which toured British cities. In 1996, he performed in New York. He joked about his life, saying he "went to Vegas for 22 years, married some absolutely charming women and gave them all my money. That's why I'm here."

When he passed away, Newley was working on a musical based on Shakespeare's Richard III. He died at 67. In 1989, he was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his amazing creative work.

Personal Life

Anthony Newley was married three times. His first wife was Ann Lynn (1956–1963). They had a son, Simon, who sadly died as a baby.

After their divorce, he married Joan Collins (1963–1970). They had two children, Tara Newley and Alexander (Sacha) Newley. Tara became a broadcaster in Britain, and Sacha is a portrait artist in New York City.

His third marriage was to Dareth Newly Dunn (1971–1989). They had a daughter, Shelby, and a son, Christopher.

Actress Anneke Wills had a relationship with Anthony Newley when she was 17 and working with him on The Strange World of Gurney Slade.

Newley searched for his birth father, George Kirby, with the help of a detective. His mother then started writing letters to George. Newley flew his father to Los Angeles and bought them a house, where they lived until George passed away.

Death and Legacy

Anthony Newley died on April 14, 1999, in Jensen Beach, Florida. He was 67 years old and passed away from kidney cancer. He had first been diagnosed with cancer in 1985, and it returned in 1997, spreading to his lungs and liver. He was with his partner, designer Gina Fratini, when he died. He was survived by his five children, his mother Grace, and his grandchildren.

Books, Music, and Tributes

A book about Newley's life, called Stop the World, was written by Garth Bardsley in 2003. Another book, Dear Tony, published in 2013, tells the story of his long friendship with a young American woman.

Many collections of his music have been released, like Anthony Newley: The Decca Years and Once in a Lifetime: The Anthony Newley Collection. In 2010, an album of unreleased recordings called Newley Discovered was released. It included early versions of songs for his film musicals.

A show called Pure Imagination: The World of Anthony Newley and Leslie Briccuse opened in California in 2013, celebrating their work.

Influence on David Bowie

Anthony Newley was an early inspiration for the famous rock musician David Bowie. Bowie was a big fan of Newley. The producer of Bowie's first album even said that Bowie's singing sounded like "a young Anthony Newley." Rolling Stone magazine also noted that Bowie's singing style on that album was very much influenced by Anthony Newley.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

• 1955 Cranks (Original London Cast)
• 1960 Love Is a Now and Then Thing (UK #19)
• 1961 Tony
• 1964 In My Solitude
• 1965 Who Can I Turn To?
• 1966 Newley Delivered
• 1966 Newley Recorded
• 1966 The Genius of Anthony Newley
• 1967 Anthony Newley Sings the Songs from Doctor Dolittle
• 1969 The Romantic World of Anthony Newley
• 1970 For You
• 1971 Pure Imagination
• 1972 Ain't It Funny
• 1977 The Singer and His Songs
• 1985 Mr Personality
• 1992 Too Much Woman
• 2012 The Last Song – The Final Recordings

Compilation albums

• 1962 This Is Tony Newley
• 1963 Peak Performances
• 1969 The Best of Anthony Newley
• 1990 Anthony Newley's Greatest Hits
• 1990 Greatest Hits
• 1995 The Best of Anthony Newley
• 1996 The Very Best of Anthony Newley
• 1997 The Very Best of Anthony Newley
• 1997 Once in a Lifetime: The Collection
• 2000 A Wonderful Day Like Today
• 2000 On a Wonderful Day Like Today: The Anthony Newley Collection
• 2000 Decca Years 1959–1964
• 2001 Best of Anthony Newley
• 2002 What Kind of Fool Am I?
• 2002 Remembering Anthony Newley: The Music, the Life, the Legend
• 2003 Stop the World!
• 2004 Love Is a Now and Then Thing / In My Solitude
• 2004 Pure Imagination / Ain't It Funny
• 2005 The Magic of Anthony Newley
• 2006 Anthology
• 2006 Anthony Newley Collection
• 2006 Newley Delivered
• 2007 Best of Anthony Newley
• 2007 Best of Anthony Newley
• 2010 Newley Discovered

EPs

• 1959 Idle on Parade (UK No. 13)
• 1960 Tony's Hits
• 1960 More Hits from Tony
• 1961 This Time the Dream's on Me

Singles

• 1959 "I've Waited So Long" (UK No. 3)
• 1959 "Idle on Parade"
• 1959 "Personality" (UK No. 6)
• 1959 "Someone to Love"
• 1960 "Why" (UK No. 1)
• 1960 "Do You Mind?" (UK No. 1; US No. 91)
• 1960 "If She Should Come to You" (UK No. 4; US No. 67)
• 1960 "Strawberry Fair" (UK No. 3)
• 1961 "And the Heavens Cried" (UK No. 6)
• 1961 "Pop Goes the Weasel" (UK No. 12; US No. 85)
• 1961 "What Kind of Fool Am I?" (UK No. 36; US No. 85)
• 1962 "D-Darling" (UK No. 25)
• 1962 "That Noise" (UK No. 34)
• 1963 "There's No Such Thing As Love"
• 1963 "The Father of Girls"
• 1964 "Tribute"
• 1964 "Solitude"
• 1966 "Why Can't You Try to Didgeridoo"
• 1966 "Moogies Bloogies" (recorded with Delia Derbyshire) [unreleased demo]
• 1967 "Something in Your Smile"
• 1968 "I'm All I Need"
• 1968 "Sweet November"
• 1976 "Teach the Children" (US Adult Contemporary No. 12)

Recordings of musicals

• 1961 Stop the World I Want to Get Off! Original Broadway Cast Album (writer and performer)
• 1965 The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd Original Broadway Cast Album (writer and performer)
• 1966 Stop the World I Want to Get Off! Film Musical Soundtrack (writer)
• 1967 Doctor Dolittle Original Film Musical Soundtrack (performer)
• 1969 Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness Original Film Musical Soundtrack (writer and performer)
• 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Original Film Musical Soundtrack (writer)
• 1972 The Good Old Bad Old Days Original London Cast Album (writer and performer)
• 1974 Mr. Quilp Original Film Musical Soundtrack (writer and performer)
• 1994 Scrooge Original London Cast Recording (performer)

Theatre Performances

• Cranks (1956) – performer
• Stop the World – I Want to Get Off (1962–1964) – music & lyrics, book, director, performer
• The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd (1965) – music & lyrics, book, director, performer
• Anthony Newley / Henry Mancini (1974) – performer
• Chaplin (1983) – performer
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2017–2018) – music & lyrics songs from the motion picture

Filmography

Awards and Nominations