# Michael Holliday > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Holliday > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Holliday.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Holliday > Source revision: 1346992326 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|English singer (1924–1963)}} {{Distinguish|Michael Halliday}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Michael Holliday | image = File:MichaelHolliday.png | caption = | image_size = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Norman Alexander Milne | birth_place = [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool), England | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1924|11|26}} | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1963|10|29|1924|11|26}} | death_place = [Croydon](/source/Croydon), [Surrey](/source/Surrey), England | origin = | instrument = | genre = [Traditional popular music](/source/Traditional_popular_music) | occupation = Singer | years_active = 1951–1963 | label = [Columbia](/source/Columbia_Graphophone_Company) (EMI) }} '''Norman Alexander Milne''' (26 November 1924 – 29 October 1963), known professionally as '''Michael Holliday''', was an English singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.{{cite book|title=[The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[Virgin Books](/source/Virgin_Books)|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|pages=201/2}} He had a number of chart hits in the UK, including two [number one](/source/record_chart) singles, "[The Story of My Life](/source/The_Story_of_My_Life_(Marty_Robbins_song))" and "[Starry Eyed](/source/Starry_Eyed_(Michael_Holliday_song))". ==Early life== Michael Holliday was born in [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool), and brought up in the [Kirkdale](/source/Kirkdale%2C_Liverpool) district of the city. His career in music began after he won an amateur talent contest, 'New Voices of Merseyside', at the Locarno Ballroom, West Derby Road, [Newsham, Liverpool](/source/Newsham_Park). According to [Elvis Costello](/source/Elvis_Costello), while working as a seaman in the [Merchant Navy](/source/British_Merchant_Navy), he used to [smuggle](/source/smuggle) obscure U.S. jazz records into the UK, where Costello's mother, Lilian Ablett, sold them.{{cite book|title = Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink|author = Elvis Costello|publisher = Blue Rider Press|date = 2015|pages = 28–29|isbn = 9780399167256}} Finding himself in the U.S. as a seaman, Holliday was persuaded to enter a talent contest at [Radio City Music Hall](/source/Radio_City_Music_Hall) in New York City, and again he won, inspiring him to seek a career in show business. In 1951, he secured two summer seasons' work as a vocalist with Dick Denny's band at [Butlin's Holiday Camp, Pwllheli](/source/Butlin's_Pwllheli). ==Singing career== In March 1953, he joined the [Eric Winstone](/source/Eric_Winstone) Band, another Butlin's contracted band that toured when the summer season's work was over. They also broadcast occasionally on [BBC Radio](/source/BBC_Radio). In December 1954, Holliday wrote to the BBC requesting a TV audition. His audition came in April 1955 and he made his first TV appearance on ''The Centre Show'' on 22 July 1955. This TV performance was seen by [Norrie Paramor](/source/Norrie_Paramor), then head of [A&R](/source/A%26R) for [EMI](/source/EMI)'s [Columbia](/source/Columbia_Graphophone_Company) [record label](/source/record_label), who signed him as a solo artist.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michael-holliday-mn0000396848/biography|title=Michael Holliday | Biography & History|website=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)|access-date=24 October 2019}} He also sang "[Four Feather Falls](/source/Four_Feather_Falls)", the [theme tune](/source/theme_tune) to the [puppet](/source/puppet)-based television programme of the same name produced by [Gerry Anderson](/source/Gerry_Anderson). Holliday's style of singing was influenced by [Bing Crosby](/source/Bing_Crosby), who was his idol. The style earned him the title of "the British Bing Crosby". A biography entitled ''The Man Who Would Be Bing'', written by Ken Crossland, was published in 2004.{{cite book|title=The Man Who Would Be Bing|author=Ken Crossland|date=2004|publisher=Book Guild Publishing Ltd|isbn=978-1857768411}} ==Illness and death== Holliday had an ongoing problem with [stage fright](/source/stage_fright) and in 1961 he suffered a [mental breakdown](/source/mental_breakdown). He died in October 1963 from a suspected drug overdose,{{cite book |last=Talevski |first=Nick |title=Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&q=Michael+Holliday+drug+overdose&pg=PA275 |access-date=25 December 2012 |year=2010 |publisher=Omnibus Press |page=275|isbn=9780857121172 }} in [Croydon](/source/Croydon), Surrey.{{Cite web|url=http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/dirm/michaelh.htm|title=Michael Holliday|website=45-rpm.org.uk|access-date=24 October 2019}} ==Discography== UK single (release date), highest chart position * "[The Yellow Rose of Texas](/source/The_Yellow_Rose_of_Texas_(song))" / "[Stein Song](/source/The_Maine_Stein_Song)" (September 1955) * "[Sixteen Tons](/source/Sixteen_Tons)" / "The Rose Tattoo" (January 1956) * "Nothin' To Do" / "Perfume, Candy and Flowers" (March 1956), [UK](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) No. 20 * "The Gal with the Yallow Shoes" / "[Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)](/source/Hot_Diggity_(Dog_Ziggity_Boom))" (June 1956), UK No. 13 * "Ten Thousand Miles" / "The Runaway Train" (September 1956), UK No. 24 * "I Saw Esau" / "Yallow Yallow Gold" (January 1957) * "My House Is Your House" / "[Love Is Strange](/source/Love_Is_Strange)" (March 1957) * "[Four Walls](/source/Four_Walls_(Jim_Reeves_song))" / "Wringle Wrangle" (May 1957) * "[All of You](/source/All_of_You_(Cole_Porter_song))" / "It's the Good Things We Remember" (July 1957) * "[Old Cape Cod](/source/Old_Cape_Cod)" / "Love You Darlin'" (September 1957) * "[The Story of My Life](/source/The_Story_of_My_Life_(Marty_Robbins_song))" / "Keep Your Heart" (January 1958), UK No. 1 * "In Love" / "Rooney" (February 1958), UK No. 26 * "[Stairway of Love](/source/Stairway_of_Love)" / "May I?" (May 1958), UK No. 3 * "I'll Always Be in Love with You" / "I'll Be Lovin' You Too" (June 1958), UK No. 27 * "She Was Only Seventeen" / "The Gay Vagabond" (September 1958) * "[My Heart Is an Open Book](/source/My_Heart_Is_an_Open_Book)" / "[Careless Hands](/source/Careless_Hands)" (November 1958) * "Palace of Love" / "The Girls from the County Armagh" (February 1959) * "Moments of Love" / "Dearest" (May 1959) * "Life Is a Circus" / "For You, For You" (August 1959) * "[Starry Eyed](/source/Starry_Eyed_(Michael_Holliday_song))" / "The Steady Game" (November 1959), UK No. 1 * "[Skylark](/source/Skylark_(song))" / "Dream Talk" (March 1960), UK No. 39 * "[Little Boy Lost](/source/Little_Boy_Lost_(song))" / "The One Finger Symphony" (June 1960), UK No. 50 * "Catch Me a Kiss" / "Stay in Love" (November 1960) * "The Miracle of Monday Morning" / "[(Remember Me) I'm the One Who Loves You](/source/(Remember_Me)_I'm_the_One_Who_Loves_You)" (February 1961) * "Dream Boy Dream" / "[I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now](/source/I_Wonder_Who's_Kissing_Her_Now)" (June 1961) * "Wishin' on a Rainbow / "I Don't Want You to See Me Cry" (April 1962) * "[Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?](/source/Have_I_Told_You_Lately_that_I_Love_You%3F_(1945_song))" / "It Only Takes a Minute" (September 1962) * "Laugh and the World Laughs With You" / "Iron Fence" (February 1963) * "Between Hello and Goodbye" / "Just to Be with You Again" (July 1963) * "Drums / "Can I Forget You" (November 1963) * "[Dear Heart](/source/Dear_Heart_(song))" / "My Year of Love" (March 1964) * "[My Last Date (with You)](/source/Last_Date_(song))" / "Always is a Long, Long Time" (June 1964){{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= 254}} ==Albums== * ''Hi!'' ([Columbia](/source/Columbia_Graphophone_Company), 1957) * ''Mike!'' (Columbia, 1959){{cite book|last1=Crossland|first1=Ken|title=The Man Who Would Be Bing|date=2004|publisher=The Book Guild|location=Lewes, East Sussex, UK|isbn=1-85776-841-8|page=259}} * ''Holliday Mixture'' (Columbia, 1960) * ''Happy Holliday'' (Columbia, 1961) * ''To Bing - from Mike'' (Columbia, 1962) ==See also== *[List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart](/source/List_of_artists_who_reached_number_one_on_the_UK_Singles_Chart) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michael-holliday-mn0000396848/biography Michael Holliday at AllMusic] *{{discogs artist|Michael Holliday}} *{{IMDb name|0391068}} *[http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/dirm/michaelh.htm Discography of singles] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Holliday, Michael}} Category:1924 births Category:1963 suicides Category:1963 deaths Category:20th-century English singers Category:20th-century English male singers Category:British Merchant Navy personnel Category:Drug-related suicides in England Category:English crooners Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Musicians from Liverpool Category:Burials at Anfield Cemetery --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michael Holliday](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Holliday) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Holliday?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.