Shirley Matthews facts for kids

Shirley Matthews (1942 – January 2013) was a talented Canadian pop singer. She was best known for her hit song "Big Town Boy" in the 1960s. Shirley had a powerful voice and became a big star in Canada.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Shirley Matthews was born in 1942 in Harrow, Ontario, Canada. From a young age, she loved to sing. She sang in her church choir, which is a group of people who sing together in a church. She also performed at high school dances. These early experiences helped her prepare for a career in music.

Before becoming a full-time singer, Shirley worked at a Bell Telephone office. Even while working there, she spent her evenings singing. She performed at a place called the Club Bluenote in Toronto. This showed how dedicated she was to her music.

Rise to Stardom

Shirley Matthews's big break came in 1964. Her very first song, called "Big Town Boy", became a huge hit in Canada. It was so popular that it sold over a million copies! Selling a million copies of a song is a very big achievement for any artist.

Because of her success, Shirley won an important award. In 1964, she received the RPM Gold Leaf Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. This award recognized her as the best female singer in Canada that year.

Interestingly, "Big Town Boy" first played on a Toronto radio station called 1050 CHUM on December 2, 1963. On the very same day, another famous song, "She Loves You" by the Beatles, also debuted. This shows how popular Shirley's song was at a time when the Beatles were becoming huge around the world.

Life After Music

After the success of "Big Town Boy", Shirley released more songs. However, none of them became as popular as her first big hit.

In 1967, Shirley Matthews got married. She took her husband's last name and became Shirley Vedder. After getting married, she decided to leave the music industry.

Shirley then started a new career path. She became the CEO of a group of racquetball and sports fitness clubs. A CEO is the highest-ranking person in a company, responsible for making big decisions. This was a very different role from singing, but it showed her leadership skills.

Later Years

Shirley Matthews passed away on January 8, 2013, in Toronto, Ontario. She is remembered as a talented Canadian singer who made a big impact with her hit song "Big Town Boy".