Adam Faith came to fame in 1957 with
Skiffle group the Worried Men, who played London's famous 2 i's coffee bar and appeared on 6-5 Special. After his first two solo singles on
HMV failed, Faith briefly united with Freddy Lloyd as Terry And Freddy, before joining BBC TV's Drumbeat. Once '
Ah! Poor Little Baby' (1959) on Top Rank narrowly missed the hit parade, he signed with Parlophone for the Buddy Holly-influenced 'What Do You Want' (1959) and started his unprecedeted run of seven successive Top 5 singles. Similar to many of the other diminutive star's hits, it was penned by
Johnny Worth and arranged by John Barry- two other Drumbeat regulars.
By the early 60s, Faith had starred in a handful of movies and scored 14 consecutive Top 20 entries with original songs (a rarity at the time). His hits included 'Poor Me' (1960)- the title of his first autobiography- 'Someone Else's Baby' (1960) and 'Made You'. His distinctive voice and striking loks made him one of the most popular British teen idols in the pre-Beatles era.
He stayed active in show business: managing Leo Sayer, appearing in more movies and top-rated British series like Budgie and Love Hurts, as well as making a name for himself as an astute financial advisor.
He died on
Saturday 8th of March from a heart attack, aged 62. He was staying at a hotel in
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, where he was starring in the Regent Theatre's Love and Marriage.
Source: Acts Of Faith