Anthony Newley

Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999)[2] was an English actor, singer and songwriter. Newley achieved success as a performer in such diverse fields as rock and roll and stage and screen acting. As a recording artist he enjoyed a dozen Top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart between 1959 and 1962, including two number one hits. With songwriting partner Leslie Bricusse, Newley wrote “Feeling Good”, which was popularised by Nina Simone and covered by many other popular artists, as well as the lyrics for the title song of 1964 film Goldfinger (the music was composed by John Barry). Bricusse and Newley received an Academy Award nomination for the film score of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971).

The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums described Newley as “among the most innovative UK acts of the early rock years before moving into musicals and cabaret”.[3] Newley was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989.

Newley was born in the London district of Hackney, the son of Frances Grace Newley and George Kirby, a shipping clerk. He did not have any siblings.[4] He was part Jewish through his maternal grandmother.[5][6][7] His parents, who had never married, separated during his early childhood, and his aunt and uncle brought him up through unofficial adoption.[4] During the Second World War he was evacuated to a foster home in the country area safe from the Blitz aerial bombing attacks on London.[8]

Newley attended Clapton Park Lower School,[9] now named Mandeville Primary School which today recognises him as an alumnus with an official plaque.[10] Although recognised as very bright by his teachers, by the age of fourteen he had left education and was working as an office boy for an Advertising Agency in Fleet Street called Hannaford and Goodman. When he read an ad in The Daily Telegraph, headed “Boy Actors Urgently Wanted” he applied to the advertisers, the Italia Conti Stage School, only to discover that the fees were too high. Nevertheless, after a brief audition, he was offered a job as an office boy on a salary of 30 shillings a week plus tuition at the school. While serving tea one afternoon he caught the eye of producer Geoffrey de Barkus, who cast Newley as “Dusty” in the children’s serial, The Adventures of Dusty Bates.[8]