{{Short description|English singer-songwriter (1945–1977)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Needs more sources|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist| | Image = | Image_caption = | image = Lally Stott circa 1962.jpg | caption = Stott {{circa|1972}} | birth_name = Harold Stott Jr. | alias = Lally Stott | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1945|1|16}} | birth_place = Prescot, Lancashire, England, UK | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1977|6|6|1945|1|16}} | occupation = Singer-songwriter | instrument = Vocals, guitar | years_active = 1960s–1970s }} '''Harold''' "'''Lally'''" '''Stott Jr.''' (16 January 1945 – 6 June 1977)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1096785-i33973-k8747008-Lally_Stott_sites_in_Prescot-Prescot_Knowsley_Merseyside_England.html|title=Lally Stott sites in Prescot? - Prescot Forum - Tripadvisor|website=Tripadvisor.com|accessdate=13 July 2020}}</ref> was an English singer-songwriter and musician who wrote the song "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" which became a UK number one hit for the Scottish band Middle of the Road in 1971,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 363}}</ref> and charting at number 20 in the U.S., and number 41 in the UK the same year for Mac and Katie Kissoon.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mac & Katie Kissoon - Awards |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mac-katie-kissoon-mn0000811578/awards |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=22 October 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123160024/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mac-katie-kissoon-mn0000811578/awards |archivedate=23 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Early life == Harold Stott Jr. was born in Prescot, Lancashire, in 1945. He was named after his father. His father was Harold Stott Sr., and his mother was Lily Stott. Harold died on 8 April 1996, aged 86. His mother died five months later, on 28 September 1996.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Dean |date=2015-03-12 |title=Lally Stott - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep |url=https://www.deangoodman.com/lally-stott/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Dean Goodman |language=en-US}}</ref> The name "Lally" was a nickname he was given as a child that stuck with him into adulthood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lally Stott - Biography |url=http://lallystott.com/Biography.html |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=lallystott.com}}</ref>
==Career==
=== 1960s === He was a member of many Merseybeat groups during the early sixties including The Vaqueros, Denny Seyton & The Sabres and Four Just Men who released two singles for Parlophone during 1964-65. This band would evolve into Wimple Winch, although Stott had quit the group by that time.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Gough |first=Peter |date=2013-05-24 |title=Bite It Deep: Lally Stott |url=https://biteitdeep.blogspot.com/2013/05/lally-stott.html |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Bite It Deep}}</ref>
He spent several years in Italy, as vocalist and front-man of the 1960s Liverpool beat band The Motowns (originally called Lally Scott & The Black Jacks).<ref name=":1" /> Stott and the Motowns members appeared in the 1967 Italian film "Soldati e capelloni".<ref name=":1" /> Stott left the Motowns in 1969.
=== 1970s === He wrote the song "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" and released his version in September 1970 on the Philips label. Scottish pop band Middle of the Road later released their version which went on to top the UK Singles Chart in 1971 for five weeks, also reaching number one in the Netherlands. Stott's own version of the song was a hit in Italy, France and the Netherlands, went to number one in Australia for one week<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcharts.co.uk/chartfeatures/aus/aus70.htm |title=Australian Number One Hits 1970s - World Charts |accessdate=2016-06-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424142031/http://www.worldcharts.co.uk/chartfeatures/aus/aus70.htm |archivedate=2014-04-24 }}</ref> and charted at number 92 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1971-04-17/hot-100 Billboard Hot 100]. Billboard.com. Accessed 6 April 2008.{{dead link|date=October 2012}}</ref> The song has been covered in many languages, including Vietnamese, Korean, Estonian, Swedish, French, Finnish, Spanish, Dutch and German.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}
Stott released other minor hits, "Jakaranda" and "Love Is Free, Love Is Blind, Love Is Good". He also wrote "My Summer Song" which was recorded by Engelbert Humperdinck, Jerry Reed, and Jigsaw.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}} Stott co-wrote "Bottoms Up", "Samson and Delilah", "Sacramento", "Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum" and other songs for Middle of the Road, all reaching the top 10 in several European countries between 1971 and 1973.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}
Under his own name Stott released, with moderate success, "Good Wishes, Good Kisses" (the theme song of the Italian TV miniseries "Tenente Sheridan - La donna di picche") and "Sweet Meeny".{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}
== Death == Stott was killed aged 32 in a traffic accident on 3 June 1977 while riding a small commuter bike close to his hometown of Prescot. His motorbike had just been stolen, and Stott had retrieved the vehicle from the police just a few days before his death. On Lally's next bike trip after getting his stolen motorbike back, a car pulled out in front of him, and he hit a telegraph pole.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/100063975401570/posts/540973402623643/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=www.facebook.com}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> He suffered head and leg injuries and died three days later.<ref name=":0" /> He is buried in St. Ann's Churchyard, Rainhill.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.deangoodman.com/lally-stott/|title=Lally Stott - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep |website=Deangoodman.com|date=12 March 2015 |accessdate=13 July 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stott, Lally}} Category:1945 births Category:1977 deaths Category:Road incident deaths in England Category:English male singer-songwriters Category:Beat musicians Category:People from Prescot Category:20th-century English musicians Category:20th-century English male writers Category:20th-century English male singers