Wednesday, August 20, 2008

LITA ROSA

My mother, were she still alive (she would have been 95 next month), would remember her. Lita Rosa, has died this week at age 82. She sang with the renowned Ted Heath Band
and with her smouldering looks, immaculate gowns and trademark stiletto heels, she became something of a pin-up. She signed with Decca Records and had hits with Allentown Jail and Blacksmith Bessie, both regarded as classics, but ironically her biggest success was How Much is that Doggie in the Window?, a song she hated. “I went into the studio and only sung it once and I’ve never sung it again,” she recalled. “It was rubbish.”


She was the singing voice of her native Liverpool before the Fab Four knew what a guitar was. I still have the LP album Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea my mother bought back in 1959.

"In the 50s we were called pop stars, and then we became middle-of-the-road, and now it's the end of the road." - Ms. Rosa, in a very cool 2005 BBC Radio Liverpool interview.

2 comments:

  1. I was so sorry to hear Lita Rosa had died.
    My friend and I used to Follow Ted Heath all over the U.K. We Loved Dickie Valentine, Dennis Lotis and Lita Rosa. Tower Ballroom Blackpool, was a big favorite of ours in the old days.
    The last time we saw Lita and Dennis was in Birmingham. A group of us waited outside the theatre. Dennis came out and was his usual charming, friendly self. Lita came out and a lady in the crowd mentioned she was disappointed because Lita did not sing Allen Town Girl, so there and then in the rain with a lady holding an umberella over her, Lita sang Allen Town Girls for us, it was magical from a magical lady. The amazing Don Lusher fronted Ted's band.
    That was probably 18 or 19 years ago.
    I am now in the U.S but have very happy memories of Lita and all the band.
    Valerie McDonnell

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  2. I thought she was fantastic. I just decided to see what happened to her. was shocked to hear she has died.

    ReplyDelete

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