David Hughes

Born on 11 October 1929 in Birmingham, England, and passing away on 19 October 1972, David Hughes possessed a distinctive tenor that brought him prominence as a ballad singer throughout the British popular-music scene of the 1950s and early 1960s before he established himself as an operatic performer. After completing his training at the Royal Academy, he first stepped onto the West End stage in the romantic musical Belinda Fair in 1949. Throughout the following decade he became a familiar presence on both radio and television, appearing regularly in such programmes as The Passing Show, Come To Charlie, Henry Hall’s Guest Night, Presenting David Hughes, TV Starlight, Sunday Night At The London Palladium, Spring Song, the Paris-originated Boy Meets Girls, and his own series Make Mine Music. He also featured alongside Ginger Rogers, Lizbeth Webb and Brian Reece in a televised production of the 1948 West End musical Carissima and returned to the London stage in 1956 for Summer Song. Equally at home on the variety circuit, Hughes enjoyed several hit recordings, among them the 1956 release “By The Fountains Of Rome,” whose creators Matyas Seiber and Norman Newell received an Ivor Novello Award for The Most Outstanding Song Of The Year; his striking appearance and ardent style earned him the affectionate nickname “Mr. Hearthrob.” In 1962 he took part in Scapa, the musical adaptation of the 1950 comedy success Seagulls Over Sorrento, yet soon resolved to abandon pop in favour of light music and opera. A 1964 album devoted to sixteenth-century songs opened the way to engagements at Glyndebourne the next year and, subsequently, with the Sadler’s Wells Company. Under the guidance of the celebrated Sir John Barbarolli he undertook numerous principal roles, among them Lieutenant Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, both at home and overseas.