Michael Cox

Born as Michael James Cox in Liverpool, England, the singer reached the screen after his sisters contacted producer Jack Good to secure an audition, an opportunity that quickly elevated him to television prominence. Pop vocalist Marty Wilde supplied a demonstration recording of John D. Loudermilk’s “Angela Jones,” which delivered Cox a UK Top 10 hit in 1960. His next release, “Along Came Caroline,” registered only modest returns, yet he achieved stronger recognition in Scandinavia by touring with the Outlaws, whose lineup featured Ritchie Blackmore. Further engagements across the continent sustained regular bookings through the mid-1960s and into later years. An unsettling session with a ouija board led him to relinquish his surname, performing thereafter simply as Michael James. He remains active on the cabaret circuit and has appeared in several minor film productions.