And so, farewell then, to pop singer Twinkle. She had (her only) Top Ten hit in 1964 with
Terry, a poor relation of the type of song made popular by the likes of the Shangri-Las - all about a biker and his tragic demise.
Notable at the time for her youth (she was only sixteen) and her on-trend blonde hair and kohl-eyed image, Twinkle, despite being a one-hit-wonder more than half a century ago, remained popular on the "nostalgia concert" circuit up until her recent illness. And here she is...
He said to me he wanted to be near to me
He said he never wanted to be out of my sight
But it's too late to give this boy my love tonight
Please wait at the gate of heaven for me, Terry
He said to me he wanted to be close by my side
We had a quarrel. I was untrue on the night he died
And it's too late to tell this boy how great he was
Please wait at the gate of heaven for me, Terry
He rode into the night
Accelerated his motorbike
I cried to him in fright
Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it!
He said to me, you are the one I want to be with
He said to me, you are the one my love I shall give
One day he'll know how hard I prayed for him to live
Please wait at the gate of heaven for me, Terry
He rode into the night
Accelerated his motorbike
I cried to him in fright
Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it!
Facts:
- Born Lynne Ripley to a wealthy Surrey family, she went to school in Knightsbridge with Camilla (now Duchess of Cornwall).
- Bizarrely, Terry was banned by the BBC and many radio stations for its doomy content.
- Chosen as the unlikely support act to the Rolling Stones in their early years, her bad experiences on tour led her to almost quit her music career before it had really begun.
- She was married to the "Milk Tray Man" from the Cadbury's chocolate adverts.
RIP
Lynn Annette Ripley aka Twinkle (15th July 1948 – 21st May 2015)
