Tommy Bruce was an English rock and roll singer who had most of his success in the early 1960s. His cover version of "Ain't Misbehavin'" was a number 3 hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1960.
Life and career
He was born Thomas CharlesJoseph Bruce, in Stepney, London. Both his parents died when he was a child and he grew up in an orphanage, later working as a van driver in Covent Garden Market before undertaking National Service in Hannover, Germany. Returning to London in 1959, and working again as a market porter, he became a friend of his neighbour, songwriter Barry Mason. Mason suggested he record a version of the song "Ain't Misbehavin'", written by Fats Waller, in a style similar to "Chantilly Lace", a recent hit single by the Big Bopper. Produced by Norrie Paramor and released on Columbia Records, Bruce's recording rose to number 3 in the UKSingles Chart in 1960. He had no musical training, and described his own "sandpaper and gravel" singing voice with a strong London accent as "diabolical". Backed by the Bruisers, a group of Birmingham musicians, he toured the UK on large variety bills with Billy Fury and others and they made a number of television appearances. However, his subsequent record releases were less successful, only "Broken Doll" and "Babette" making the Top 50. From 1963, he became a regular performer on the ITVvariety showStars and Garters, becoming involved in comedy routines as well as singing. Bruce sang "Two Left Feet" for the opening credits of the 1963 film of the same name. Although he recorded further songs for a number of labels between 1965 and 1969, he largely made a living in cabaret, much of it in Spain and Malta, and also made appearances on the 1960s nostalgia circuit. Tommy Bruce was presented with a lifetime achievement award from the Heritage FoundationArts & Entertainment Trust in March 2006. He died from cancer at home four months later, on 10 July 2006. Bruce's manager Dave Lodge, who had published a biography "Have Gravel Will Travel" that year, described Bruce as "the most unique entertainer of his generation".
