Born on 1 July 1942 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne And Wear, England, Susan Maughan established herself as a lively and well-liked vocalist across Britain throughout the 1960s. She launched her professional path in 1958 by joining a respected Midland group directed by Ronnie Hancock. A 1961 demonstration recording from the band drew the notice of Philips Records, and her concurrent stint with the Ray Ellington Quartet coincided with the launch of her solo output, which opened with the aptly timed ‘Mama Do The Twist’. Chart recognition followed when the buoyant ‘Bobby’s Girl’ climbed to the UK Top 3 in 1962, though subsequent singles ‘Hand A Handkerchief To Helen’ and ‘She’s New To You’, both from 1963, registered only limited placements and prevented any return to that level of success. She nevertheless sustained her recording work, revealing her range on the orchestra-backed Swingin’ Susan and the jazz-ensemble set Hey Look Me Over. In 1965 she joined Billy J. Kramer, the Animals, Peter And Gordon, Matt Monro, and Herman’s Hermits in the mock-concert feature Pop Gear, presented by disc jockey Jimmy Savile. Nearly three decades later, in 1992, she shared a UK tour billed as The Golden Sounds Of The Sixties with fellow veteran Jess Conrad.
