Lance Fortune

Christopher Morris, known by the stage name Lance Fortune (born 4 January 1940, Birkenhead, Cheshire, England),[1] is an English pop singer.

Morris was classically trained on piano.[2] He formed a rock and roll group called the Firecrests while a student at Birkenhead School, and served as lead vocalist; they recorded the songs "That'll Be the Day", "I Knew From the Start", and "Party", but were strictly a local attraction.[3] After leaving University early, Morris was discovered by impresario Larry Parnes while working and singing at the 2i's Coffee Bar in London.[1] Parnes gave him the stage name Lance Fortune, a name he had previously considered for another artist he signed in 1959, Georgie Fame.[1][4] The newly christened Fortune signed to Pye Records as a solo artist,[2] and released four singles, two of which became hits in the UK Singles Chart in 1960. "Be Mine" reached No. 4, whilst the follow-up, "This Love I Have For You" was a Top 30 hit.[2][5]

In April 1960, Fortune and Jerry Keller replaced Eddie Cochran on Gene Vincent's then current UK tour, after Cochran's untimely death in a road accident.[6]

Later in the 1960s, Fortune joined a group called the Staggerlees.[7]

Releases
  • "Be Mine" / "Action" (Pye Records, 1960) UK No. 4[8]
  • "All On My Own" / "This Love I Have For You" (Pye, 1960) - B-side UK No. 26[8]
  • "I Wonder" / "Will You Still be My Girl" (Pye, 1960)
  • "Who's Gonna Tell Me?" / "Love Is the Sweetest Thing" (Pye, 1960?)

References
  1. Larkin C 'Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997) ISBN 0-7535-0149-X p197
  2. Lance Fortune. "Lance Fortune - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. "Dave Williams - Mersey Beat". Triumphpc.com. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. Room, Adrian: "Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins", (McFarland, 2010) ISBN 0-7864-4373-1; pp171, 182
  5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 208. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 81. CN 5585.
  7. "California Ballroom - Bands - Lance Fortune". California-ballroom.info. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  8. Search for "Lance Fortune" performed at Everyhit.com Archived 12 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine database on 28 April 2008
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