Marty Wilde facts for kids

Marty Wilde, who was born Reginald Leonard Smith on April 15, 1939, is a famous English singer and songwriter. He was one of the first British pop stars to sing rock and roll music, just like American artists. He had many hit songs in the 1950s and 1960s, including "Endless Sleep" and "Sea of Love."

Marty Wilde also wrote popular songs for other musicians. He co-wrote hits like "Jesamine" for The Casuals and "Ice in the Sun" for Status Quo. He is the father of the well-known pop singer Kim Wilde. He helped write many of her hit songs, such as "Kids in America," with his son Ricky Wilde. Marty Wilde still performs and records music today.

Marty Wilde's Music Journey

Starting His Career

Marty Wilde was born in London. In 1957, he was performing at a club when a talent manager named Larry Parnes discovered him. Larry Parnes was known for giving his new artists cool stage names, like Billy Fury. That's how Reginald Smith became Marty Wilde!

From 1958 to 1959, Marty Wilde was one of the top rock and roll singers in Britain, alongside stars like Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard. His band was called The Wildcats. Many talented musicians played in The Wildcats over the years, including Big Jim Sullivan on guitar and Brian Bennett on drums.

TV Appearances and New Paths

Marty Wilde was a regular on popular TV music shows like 6.5 Special, Oh Boy!, and Boy Meets Girls. On these shows, he met Joyce Baker, who was part of a group called The Vernons Girls. They fell in love and got married. After his marriage, Marty's popularity as a teen idol changed.

He then started exploring other types of entertainment. He acted in musicals, like playing Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie in London's West End. He also appeared in several films.

Success as a Songwriter

Marty Wilde became very successful as a songwriter in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He worked with another songwriter, Ronnie Scott. Together, they wrote "Jesamine" for The Casuals and "I'm a Tiger" for Lulu. They also wrote "Ice in the Sun," an early hit for the band Status Quo.

Marty Wilde also tried out the "glam rock" music style for a short time, releasing songs under different names like Zappo. However, these songs were not big hits. After that, he began working closely with his son, Ricky Wilde.

Later Years and Tours

Like many artists from his time, Marty Wilde continued to perform in special "nostalgia" tours across the UK. In 2007, he celebrated 50 years in the music business with a tour that included his youngest daughter, Roxanne Wilde. He also released a collection of his greatest hits called Born To Rock And Roll. This album included a song he sang with his daughter Kim Wilde, which was a duet of Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word."

In recent years, Marty Wilde has continued to tour. In 2017, he performed with The Solid Gold Rock'n'Roll Show. In 2019, he toured with American artist Charlie Gracie. In 2020, his album Running Together reached number 75 on the UK Albums Chart. This album featured his daughters Kim and Roxanne, and his son Ricky also helped. This means Marty Wilde has had chart success as a singer or songwriter for eight decades in a row!

Marty Wilde's Family

Marty Wilde and his wife, Joyce, have four children:

• Kim Wilde (born 1960)
• Ricky Wilde (born 1961)
• Roxanne (born 1979)
• Marty Jr (born 1981)

Kim, Ricky, and Roxanne have all followed in their parents' footsteps and work in the music industry.

Marty Wilde's Songs

Marty Wilde wrote or co-wrote many popular songs, including:

• "Bad Boy"
• "Cambodia" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Chequered Love" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Child Come Away" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Ego" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Four Letter Word" (for Kim Wilde)
• "House of Salome" (for Kim Wilde)
• "I'm A Tiger" (for Lulu)
• "Ice in the Sun" (for Status Quo)
• "Jesamine" (for The Casuals)
• "It's Here" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Kids in America" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Love Blonde" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Love in the Natural Way" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Never Trust a Stranger" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Rage to Love" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Schoolgirl" (for Kim Wilde)
• "The Second Time" (for Kim Wilde)
• "The Touch" (for Kim Wilde)
• "View from a Bridge" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Water on Glass" (for Kim Wilde)
• "Young Heroes" (for Kim Wilde)

Marty Wilde's Films

Marty Wilde has appeared in these films:

• Jet Storm (1959)
• The Hellions (1961)
• What a Crazy World (1963)
• Stardust (1974)

See also

In Spanish: Marty Wilde para niños