Ruby's 54 year old record

[MARTIN FOSTER]

Hope you are right John!

Martin

[Bernie Burgess]

Hello Friends,
I cannot understand why there has been no response from Guinness World Records. Even allowing for the fact that they probably have hundreds of questions to answer, I still feel that there should have been some kind of word from them. As I said previously I will pursue the matter now that I am back home.

I'd like to think we are right John - the record has not been broken so it should rightly be retained by the world record creator - we shall hopefuly have their ruling soon. In the meantime - well done England for winning the ashes.

Adios Amigos Bernie.

[Jk]

This is a message from Bernie, he has done some searching and come up with this very interesting article.


Ruby Murray
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Ruby Murray
Birth name Ruby Florence Murray
Born 29 March 1935
Donegall Road, Belfast

Died 17 December 1996 (aged 61)
Torquay, England

Genre(s)
Traditional popular music

Occupation(s) Singer, actress

Instrument(s)
Vocals

Years active 1953 - 1996
Label(s)
Columbia

Website http://www.rubymurray.org

Ruby Murray (29 March 1935 – 17 December 1996[1]), from Northern Ireland, was one of the most popular singers in the United Kingdom in the 1950s.[2] In the year of 1955 alone, she secured seven Top 10 UK hit singles.[3]
Contents
• 1 Child star
• 2 Chart success
• 3 Personal life
• 4 Singles discography
• 5 See also
• 6 References
• 7 External links

[edit] Child star
She was born Ruby Florence Murray, on the Donegall Road in south Belfast.[4] Her voice's unique sound was a result of an operation on her throat in early childhood.[5] She toured as a child singer, and first appeared on television at the age of 12, having been spotted by producer Richard Afton.[1] Due to laws governing children performing, Murray had to delay her start in the entertainment industry.[1] She returned to Belfast and full time education until she was 14.
[edit] Chart success
Again spotted by Afton, she was signed to Columbia and her first single, "Heartbeat", reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1954.[3] Afton had offered her the position of resident singer on the BBC's Quite Contrary television show, to replace Joan Regan.[6] "Softly, Softly", her second single, reached number one the following year.[3] That song was one of five of hers in the Top 20 in the same week in March 1955 — a record which still stands to this day, though it was equalled by Michael Jackson (posthumously) in the first week of July 2009. [7][1]The 1950s was a busy period for Murray, during which she had her own television show, starred at the London Palladium with Norman Wisdom, appeared in a Royal Command Performance (1955)[8], and toured the world.[1] In a period of 52 weeks, starting in 1955, Murray constantly had at least one single in the UK charts.
She starred with Frankie Howerd and Dennis Price in her only film rôle as Ruby, in the 1956 farce, A Touch of the Sun.[1] A couple of minor hits followed, "Real Love" and "Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye", which was her final appearance in the charts almost at the end of the 1950s.[1] She continued to headline variety bills in the provinces for another two decades, but her career was never to reach such a peak again, whilst problems in her personal life plus the stresses of her career prompted addiction to both alcohol and valium.[2] Still fondly remembered, she received a standing ovation in 1985, when she appeared in the concert Forty Years of Peace in the presence of Princess Anne.[2]
EMI put together a compilation album of her hits on CD in 1989, including songs that regularly featured in her act; "Mr. Wonderful", "Scarlet Ribbons" and "It's the Irish in Me".[1] They updated this with the release of EMI Presents The Magic Of Ruby Murray in 1997, and a triple album, Anthology - The Golden Anniversary Collection in 2005, the 50th anniversary of her peak successes on the charts.[1]
Ruby Murray's name lives on in rhyming slang as the rhyme for curry, usually with the usage ruby rather than the name in full.[9]
A play about Murray's life, Ruby, written by the Belfast playwright, Marie Jones, opened at the Group Theatre in Belfast in April 2000.[1]
[edit] Personal life
During the summer of 1957, while working in Blackpool, Murray met Bernie Burgess, eventually leaving Northern Ireland to live with him in England.[1] Burgess became her manager and the couple became a double act during the 1960s. After her first marriage failed, she married Ray Lamar and lived in Torquay, Devon.[1]
She died of liver cancer, aged 61, in December 1996 in Torquay, after a period of illness and alcoholism.[1]
[edit] Singles discography
• "Heartbeat" (1954) - UK #3
• "Softly, Softly" (1955) - UK #1
• "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" (1955) - UK #6
• "Let Me Go Lover" (1955) - UK #5
• "If Anyone Finds This, I Love You" (1955) - UK #4 â€
• "Evermore" (1955) - UK #3
• "I'll Come When You Call" (1955) - UK #6
• "You are My First Love" (1956) - UK #16
• "Real Love" (1958) - UK #18
• "Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye" (1959) - UK #10
†Ruby Murray with Anne Warren

[MARTIN FOSTER]

Looks promising!

Thanks John and Bernie.

[Teddy O'Neil]

The Wikipedia reference to Ruby's 5 simultaneous hits record is very interesting and certainly confirms our previous assertions that the record set has not been broken but only equalled postumously by Michael Jackson. I therefore feel that the reference to her unique achievement in this website's Home Page is still relevant and the wording need only be changed by omitting the words "equalled or" so that it reads ".... has never been beaten by any other singer". I see no need for the RM website to make reference to the posthumous achivement of Michael Jackson. What do others think?

Cheers, Teddy O'Neil

[Bernie Burgess]

Hello Friends,
As promised, I have pursued G.W.R.- 'British Hit Singles' in the hope of getting answers and finally I now know why I am not getting replies. I telephoned the offices of Guinness World Reords -AGAIN- and asked to speak to the Editor of 'British Hit Singles' (there are several mentions on the Internet which also gives names of authors and an email address - editor@bibleofpop.com which is the avenue that I followed and I sent several emails which were not replied to) I was told that 'British Hit Singles' no longer exists, the department has been closed for a long time. My question then was,"Why is there an email address still on the Internet?" The reply simply was that it is out of date. It was then suggested that I should try to find the copy that Ruby was mentioned in. The lady "could not give me any more information." I have searched the Internet and there are many published books entitled 'British Hit Singles', including one by Virgin but to find the original one that mentioned Ruby's world record might prove to be difficult.

I must confess that in a previous posting I had been under the impression that I was quoting from Guinness World Records when in fact it was from Wikipedia who appear to have used quotes and facts from numerous sources, including, I am delighted to say, Ruby's website.

In discussions with Gerald on this issue, he came up with a logical solution. When he can re-establish contact with Timmer he will hopefully be able to access the neccessary pages and make a simple wording change. Watch the Home Page for his suggested wording change, it's brief, it' simple and it's truthful. Over to Gerald.

Adios Amigos. Bernie.

[Jk]

THE END. Thank goodness for that.

[Gerald Lawrence]

The Wikipedia reference to Ruby's 5 simultaneous hits record is very interesting and certainly confirms our previous assertions that the record set has not been broken but only equalled postumously by Michael Jackson. I therefore feel that the reference to her unique achievement in this website's Home Page is still relevant and the wording need only be changed by omitting the words "equalled or" so that it reads ".... has never been beaten by any other singer". I see no need for the RM website to make reference to the posthumous achivement of Michael Jackson. What do others think?

Cheers, Teddy O'Neil

Great minds think alike! The Wikipedia entry has almost certainly come from our discussions here, so we cannot really use it as an argument. However, I fully agree with your proposed words, and indeed they are exactly the same ones to which Bernie refers in his message about having discussions with me.
I now await Timmer being able to let me back into his server in order to make the change. Then we can put this matter to rest, as JK has said!

[MARTIN FOSTER]

Again how pathetic they are Bernie!

Look forward to the new word changes on here. Let's hope we don't have all this again with the release of The Beatles CDs recently announced!

Martin

[Bernie Burgess]

Hello Martin,

Unless E.M.I. release a host of singles, which I think would be doubtful, the releases might be confined to C.D.s. so I don't think tne same situation will occur.- hopefully.

All is well that ends well.

Adios Amigos. Bernie.

[MARTIN FOSTER]

Relieved to hear that Bernie!

Hope everyone is well!