Frank Ifield pays tribute after the death of the Coventry music legend who helped launch The Beatles

Coventry music legend Frank Ifield has died. The iconic singer, dubbed the city’s most successful recording artist, died peacefully in his sleep, reports said.

The singer, who is honored on the city’s Music Wall of Fame, was born in Coundon in November 1937 and moved to Australia aged three. But he did not forget his roots and during the height of his fame he made frequent appearances at The Coventry Theatre.

Frank has had four UK number one singles. This was in an era where being number one in the charts guaranteed stardom.

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He also helped launch the career of The Beatles by opening for him. It exposed the Liverpool lads to his massive fan base and helped launch their careers.

He paid a visit to his hometown in 2013, where he visited the theater as well as his old childhood home before visiting the Wall of Fame. He died at the age of 86 at the weekend, The Mirror reported.

It was his friend Glenn A. Baker, a music historian and journalist, who shared the heartbreaking news on social media. A Facebook post said: “I have just had a call from David Ifield telling me that his brother FRANK IFIELD passed away peacefully this Saturday evening aged 86.

“There is so much to say about this remarkable man who had four UK number ones, three of them before the Beatles (who he briefly supported in concert). I remember you becoming an indelible worldwide hit and a perfect signature song.

“It topped the UK charts for 7 weeks. This is not the time to say more than my thoughts with Frank’s brothers and his wife Carole and how fortunate I was to see him earlier this year. I’m still collecting. thoughts.”

After moving from Coventry to Sydney, he developed a passion for country music and yodeling. When he received a guitar from his grandmother at the tender age of 13, he taught himself to play and began writing songs.

By the time he was just 19, he had already released an incredible 44 records and was the top recording artist in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. He then moved to London in 1959, where he became an international sensation after scoring four number one hits in the UK singles chart: I Remember You, Lovesick Blues, The Wayward Wind and Confessin’ That I Love You.

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