Wayne Fontana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wayne Fontana
Background information
Birth name	Glyn Geoffrey Ellis
Born	(1945-10-28)28 October 1945 Manchester, England
Died	6 August 2020(2020-08-06) (aged 74) Stockport, England
Genres	Beat, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1962–2020
Labels	Fontana
Associated acts	The Mindbenders

Glyn Geoffrey Ellis (born 28 October 1945 – died 6 August 2020) was an English singer. He was known as Wayne Fontana. He sang rock and pop songs. Wayne Fontana was famous for leading the beat group The Mindbenders.

With The Mindbenders, he had hit songs like "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" in 1964. Another big hit was "The Game of Love" in 1965. After leaving the band, Wayne Fontana also had success as a solo singer. His song "Pamela Pamela" was a hit in 1966. He continued to perform his music from the 1960s until he passed away.

About Wayne Fontana

His Music Journey

Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders in 1965. From left to right: Bob Lang, Ric Rothwell, Eric Stewart and Wayne Fontana.

Wayne Fontana was born in Levenshulme, Manchester, England. He chose his stage name from Elvis Presley's drummer, D. J. Fontana.

In June 1963, he formed his band, The Mindbenders. They signed a record deal with Fontana Records. With the band, Wayne released his most famous song, "The Game of Love". After a few more songs, he left the band in October 1965. He reportedly left during a concert.

Wayne Fontana stayed with Fontana Records as a solo artist. He worked with other musicians called The Opposition. Sometimes his band was called The Mindbenders or the Wayne Fontana Band. He worked hard to have more hit songs.

His biggest solo hit was "Pamela, Pamela". This song was written by Graham Gouldman. It reached number 11 in the UK in early 1967. This was his last song to be a hit in the UK. In 1970, he was one of the first performers at the Glastonbury Festival. After a few years, Wayne Fontana took a break from music.

In 1973, he tried to restart his music career. He recorded another song by Graham Gouldman called "Together". This song did not become a hit. His last song, "The Last Bus Home", came out in 1976. After that, he mostly stopped making music. In the early 1980s, he performed with a band called The Salford Jets. He later joined shows that celebrated music from the 1960s.

Later Years and Legacy

Wayne Fontana continued to perform in shows that celebrated music from the 1960s. These were often called Solid Silver 60s Shows.

Wayne Fontana passed away on 6 August 2020. He was 74 years old. He died from cancer at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport. His family was with him. He had a daughter and two sons.

Discography

Studio albums

Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders

• Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders – December 1964 (UK Fontana TL5230) #18. UK.
• The Game of Love – April 1965 (US Fontana MGF 27542 (Mono)/SRF 67542 (Stereo))
• Eric, Rick, Wayne and Bob – It's Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders – February 1965 (UK Fontana TL5257) label has: Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um – It's Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders) )

Wayne Fontana

• Wayne One – July 1966 (UK Fontana TL5351 (Mono)/STL5351 (Stereo))
• Wayne Fontana – June 1967 (US MGM E 4459 (Mono)/SE 4459 (Stereo))

Compilation albums

• Hit Single Anthology – 1991 (Europe Fontana 848 161-2)
• The Best of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders – 1994 (US Fontana 314 522 666-2)

Singles

Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders

Wayne Fontana (solo)

See also

In Spanish: Wayne Fontana para niños