Billy Fury from Liverpool, England began music lessons, on the piano, at age 11. He got his first guitar at age 14. By 1955, the skiffle music boom had begun in England and Fury was leading his own local group, while still working on a tugboat and/or as a stevedore. By 1958, he had won a talent competition and had begun to write his own songs.
In a story which was legend among the British youth of the period, Fury was discovered by impressario Larry Parnes on October 1, 1958. That night, Fury attended a performance of The Larry Parnes Extravaganza, hoping to offer his songs to Marty Wilde, one of the featured performers and a well-known rock-&-roll star because of his appearances on the television series, "Oh Boy!" Fury did get backstage, and was seen by Parnes while performing one of his own songs for Wilde. Parnes booked Fury to appear on the Extravaganze that same night and the rest, as they say, is history - the applause which Fury received earned him a permanent spot on the tour and Parnes as his agent. Parnes' established proceedure was to give his singers stage names representing emotions and attributes: Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, Vince Eager. Thus, Ronald Wycherley became Billy Fury.
By the British standards of the day, Fury's early performances were so suggestive that a curtain was brought down on one of his shows. This forced Fury to restrain himself from his more overtly sexual stage moves. Fury's recording career began in early, 1959, with "Maybe Tomorrow," a song which he had written and which charted soon after its release. Fury's television debut came soon after in "Strictly For Sparrows." After that, Fury became a fixture on musical showcases such as "Oh Boy!"
After a string of hit singles, Fury cut his debut album, "The Sound of Fury," in 1960. Fury's back-up players included Joe Brown, one of England's few serious rockabilly players at that time, and drummer Andy White, who later played on the original release version of The Beatles' debut single "Love Me Do." The album sold well and has been re-released a half-dozen times since, including a CD version in the early 1990s. In an interview during the '70s, Keith Richards declared "The Sound of Fury" one of the greatest rock 'n roll albums of its era.
In 1960, DECCA Records decided to soften Fury's sound, at least on his singles, and Fury's early 60's recordings took on a more sophisticated air. "Talkin' In My Sleep" and "Don't Worry," backed by The Four Kestrels, were two results of this change. "Halfway to Paradise," in 1961, began Fury's brief assault on the top of the charts. The orchestrated "Halfway to Paradise" hit #3. A few months later, "Jealousy" reached #2; "I'd Never Find Another You" reached #5. By 1962, Fury was England's top rock-n-roll attraction, backed by the legendary Tornadoes of "Telstar" fame, appearing regularly on television. During this time, he also ventured to America where he got to meet Elvis Presley on the set of "Girls, Girls, Girls." (Many considered Fury to be the closest that England came to producing its own Elvis Presley, capable of dark, brooding, sexual performances, as well as gentle, vulnerable ballads.)
It was the arrival of another group from Liverpool, The Beatles, which ended Fury's dominance of the British teen music scene. (Interesting aside - The Beatles had tried, and failed, to become Fury's back-up during one of his tours.) Nonetheless, Fury continued to chart records into 1964. During that summer, he starred in a semi-autobiographical movie, "I've Got a Horse." Later the same year, he got his own television show. By 1965, however, Fury's health had begun to deteriorate and his records seldom charted better than the mid-20s.
Fury left DECCA Records in 1966 and signed a five-year contract with EMI's Parlophone Records. During those five years, Fury saw some very modest success but nothing like the frenzied stardom of his first seven years in music.
Fury underwent heart surgery in 1970 and in 1971, but resumed performing in 1972. England's rock-n-roll revival during the mid-70s saw the re-release of "The Sound of Fury," as well as other parts of Fury's catalog. During those years, Fury toured England with his one-time idol Marty Wilde. When he wasn't performing, Fury looked after his other interests, including wildlife preservation.
Another heart operation, in 1976, essentially ended Fury's musical career although there were still occasional recordings and television appearances. In 1978, Fury re-recorded his classic songs for K-Tel; in the early '80s he recut his old hits yet again for Polydor, which, by that time, owned DECCA Records. In 1981, a single, "Be Mine Tonight," just missed the British charts.
On March 4, 1982, Fury collapsed and nearly died while working on his farm. Nonetheless, that summer, he again went back on tour and placed the singles "Love Or Money" and "Devil Or Angel" on the English charts. Plans were made for a new album and a national tour, but Fury was found unconscious in his home on January 28, 1983. He died that same day in hospital.
A posthumous single, "Forget Him," charted in England later that same year. Numerous re-issues, as well as releases of previously unreleased material, have continued to appear in the compact disc era, most recently the "40th Anniversary Anthology," a double CD set and Beat Goes On's two-on-one CD of "We Want Billy" and "Billy."
On 10 April 1983, a tribute concert for Billy was held at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, Middlesex. All the artists performed for free and the money raised was donated to the Billy Fury memorial fund for research into heart disease. On the bill were such names as Marty Wilde with his daughter Kim Wilde, Joe Brown, Alvin Stardust, Dave Berry, Helen Shapiro, and John Miles.[citation needed]
In 1999 a TV documentary about Billy called Halfway to Paradise was broadcast on the BBC channel. It was narrated by Ian Dury.
Between 1999 and 2000 the song "Wondrous Place", a favourite of Fury's (he re-recorded it at least three times during his career), later received wide airplay on British television when it was used as the theme for a Toyota Yaris car advertisement.
On 19 April 2003 a bronze statue of Fury was unveiled by Jack Good at the National Museum of Liverpool Life. The sculpture, by Tom Murphy, a Liverpool sculptor, was donated by 'The Sound of Fury' fan club after the money was raised by fans.
In 2005 Spencer Leigh from BBC Radio Merseyside published a biography book about Billy Fury called Wondrous Face – The Billy Fury Story.
In 2008 a biographical documentary film Billy Fury His Wondrous Story was released on DVD.
Eight of his EMI recordings remained unreleased on mainstream CD until June 2010, when they appeared on a 29-track issue, The Complete Parlophone Singles, released by Peaksoft (PEA009). The singer's estate licensed the tracks to benefit his memorial fund, which finances equipment purchases for hospital heart units.
In November 2011, further co-operation between the estate and Peaksoft resulted in the issuing of a second CD, The Lost Album (PEA014), which attempted to construct the format of an album recorded by Fury in 1967–71, but which was never released.
In 2010 Camden Council, London, named a small formerly nameless road Billy Fury Way in his honour. It starts just off Finchley Road near Finchley & Frognal station and runs to West Hampstead Station. He had recorded at the nearby Decca Studios. The alleyway was decorated with a large mural of his face (at the West Hampstead end), which was unveiled and blessed on Friday 29 July 2011.
Play It Cool was released for the first time on DVD on 10 February 2014.
Lost Without You
Billy Fury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're gone, and they want to know why,
I've stopped, even trying to tell them,
Tears fill my eyes I walk away,
What can I say where can I go
Without your love, what shall I tell them now that you've left me,
What shall I say, what can I do, I'm lost without you.
I'm sorry, for what I've done wrong,
You can't, really mean it's all over,
Give me a chance, don't walk away,
Hear what I say, where can I go
Without your love, what shall I tell them, now that you've left me,
What shall I say, what can I do, I'm lost without you.
If you turn and walk away, don?t come back now,
If you break my heart again, I'll just hate you,
Hate you with every beat, with every beat of my heart,
Oh, I'm lost without you [Repeat: x3]
The lyrics of "I'm Lost Without You" by Billy Fury paints a picture of a person who is in deep pain and despair after a breakup. They are constantly asked by friends about their former partner and are reminded of their absence. The singer's attempts to explain the situation to their friends are futile, and the pain of the separation renders them speechless. They are lost without their partner to guide them and give meaning to their life.
Throughout the song, the singer pleads with their ex-partner to reconsider and come back to them. They apologize for any wrongdoing they may have committed in the past and ask for a second chance. The singer's desperation is palpable throughout the song, making it a heartbreaking listen.
"I'm Lost Without You" is a powerful expression of the emotional pain that comes with heartbreak. The lyrics convey the pain of separation, the desperation that comes with the loss of love, and the struggle to find meaning without the person who gave life its purpose. The message of the song is universal, and it's easy to relate to for anyone who has been through a similar experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Friends, all ask me about you,
All my friends ask about you since you have left me,
You're gone, and they want to know why,
Since you have gone, my friends are curious to know the reason behind it
I've stopped, even trying to tell them,
I have stopped trying to explain the situation to them
Tears fill my eyes I walk away,
I am emotionally overwhelmed and can't face them, so I walk away shedding tears
What can I say where can I go
I am feeling helpless and confused, not knowing what to say or do next
Without your love, what shall I tell them now that you've left me,
Now that you have left me, I am at a loss to explain anything to them without your love and support
What shall I say, what can I do, I'm lost without you.
I don't know what to do or say without you; I feel hopeless, directionless, and disoriented
If I've made, you unhappy,
If I have been the reason for your unhappiness,
I'm sorry, for what I've done wrong,
I am sorry for my mistakes
You can't, really mean it's all over,
I am hoping that it's not the end of the relationship
Give me a chance, don't walk away,
Please give me one more chance, don't leave me alone
Hear what I say, where can I go
Please listen to me, I am lost and confused
If you turn and walk away, don't come back now,
If you choose to leave me, don't come back later
If you break my heart again, I'll just hate you,
If you hurt me again, I will end up hating you
Hate you with every beat, with every beat of my heart,
My hatred for you will only grow stronger with each passing day if you betray me again
Oh, I'm lost without you [Repeat: x3]
I am helplessly lost and devastated without you, and this feeling is repeating itself over and over again
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY BARBERIS, TEDDY RANDAZZO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jane Doe
Lyrics
Friends, all ask me about you,
You're gone, and they want to know why,
I've stopped, even trying to tell them,
Tears fill my eyes
I walk away,
What can I say
Where can I go
Without your love
What shall I tell them now that you've left me,
What shall I say
What can I do
I'm lost without you.
If I've made, you unhappy,
I'm sorry, for what I've done wrong,
You can't, really mean it's all over,
Give me a chance
Don't walk away,
Hear what I say
Where can I go
Without your love
What shall I tell them, now that you've left me,
What shall I say, what can I do, I'm lost without you.
If you turn and walk away, don’t come back now,
If you break my heart again, I'll just hate you,
Hate you with every beat, with every beat of my heart,
Oh, I'm lost without you
andym1742
Another song that deserves to be much better known. One of Billy's best.
Clivestas 6274
yep agree with that so full of angst - but I have always been a billy fury fan !!!
paul rawes
Certainly the most emotional songs ever!
Tony Darbyshire
Billy had so many fans. His loss is still felt but we can listen to his lovely voice and know we have his legacy of songs to remember him by. RIP Billy. 👍
Jane Doe
Lyrics
Friends, all ask me about you,
You're gone, and they want to know why,
I've stopped, even trying to tell them,
Tears fill my eyes
I walk away,
What can I say
Where can I go
Without your love
What shall I tell them now that you've left me,
What shall I say
What can I do
I'm lost without you.
If I've made, you unhappy,
I'm sorry, for what I've done wrong,
You can't, really mean it's all over,
Give me a chance
Don't walk away,
Hear what I say
Where can I go
Without your love
What shall I tell them, now that you've left me,
What shall I say, what can I do, I'm lost without you.
If you turn and walk away, don’t come back now,
If you break my heart again, I'll just hate you,
Hate you with every beat, with every beat of my heart,
Oh, I'm lost without you
Banderuola66-Szonja
I love Billy !!!!!!! What a great Artist he was. I enjoyed your vid very much. Great Song and Beautiful Pics !! Thank you for sharing. ALL THUMBS UP !!!
Rob Dee
My all time favourite Billy Fury song. 40 years without you now 😢
dawn law
love this song , what a handsome guy and and a great legend,
tracey hayward
This should of been a big hit for billy .One of his best . Xxxx
Andy Simmons
Love this song 💔