The Vipers Skiffle Group – later known simply as The Vipers – were one of the leading British groups during the skiffle period of the mid to late 1950s, and were important in the careers of radio and television presenter Wally Whyton , coffee bar manager Johnny Martyn , wire salesman Jean Van den Bosch , instrument repairer Tony Tolhurst , journalist John Pilgrim, record producer George Martin , and several members of The Shadows .
93-553: Sir Thomas Hicks OBE (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele , is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho , London, Steele recorded a string of hit singles including " Rock with the Caveman " (1956) and the chart-topper " Singing the Blues " (1957). Steele's rise to fame
186-527: A dual role in his second film vehicle, The Duke Wore Jeans , released in March 1958. The film's soundtrack topped the UK Albums Chart . In May 1958, Steele was hospitalised after being mobbed by fans at a concert at Caird Hall , Dundee , having had his right arm hurt, chunks of his hair pulled out and his shirt ripped off. Steele subsequently largely withdrew from performing concerts and increasingly worked in
279-586: A publicity stunt in which Steele performed at a staged debutante ball , getting the singer his first national press in The People under the headline " Rock 'n' roll has got the debs too!". Within weeks, Steele was headlining variety bills. Steele's first single, " Rock with the Caveman ", was one of the first British rock and roll hits, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1956. He promoted
372-403: A recording contract . Their second single , "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O", produced by Martin, reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart in early 1957. Although the songwriting credits were given to Whyton, the song is a variant of the folk standard "Sail Away Ladies", as recorded by Uncle Dave Macon in the 1920s. In the same year they released their version of " Maggie May ", which
465-667: A Sixpence and played character roles in The Happiest Millionaire and Finian's Rainbow . In this last film, he played Og, the leprechaun turning human and co-starred with Petula Clark and Fred Astaire . In 1968, British exhibitors voted him the fourth most popular star at the local box office. The following year, he starred with Stanley Baker in the period drama Where's Jack? In April 1971, Steele starred in his own show, Meet Me in London , originating in Las Vegas before
558-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
651-449: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
744-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
837-498: A diagnosis of cardiomyopathy . Steele attended Bacon's College in Rotherhithe , south London. Through his paternal line, the full family name (Still-Hicks) influenced his future stage name, as he adapted it to become known professionally as Tommy Steele. Whilst working as a merchant seaman , Steele learned to play guitar and began performing country and calypso music , inspired most by Hank Williams . He has claimed that when
930-617: A factory; they had married in 1933, in Bermondsey. As a child, Steele spent time in hospital for porphyria . He dreamt of being a star performer after his parents took him to the London Palladium , but "didn't think you could be English and be a star". In 1952, at the age of 15, Steele joined the Merchant Navy , working on the Cunard line. He was not eligible for national service because of
1023-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
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#17328981101001116-403: A limited run at London's Adelphi Theatre . The London production was troubled when Steele demanded cuts to the first act on opening night. Singer Clodagh Rodgers refused to accommodate the cuts, and walked out fifteen minutes before the first night curtain. She was eventually replaced by Susan Maughan . In 1978, Steele performed in a TV movie version of Gilbert and Sullivan 's The Yeomen of
1209-589: A loose band, the Cavemen. Usually with the Cavemen, Steele began playing in Soho bars, including " Blue Suede Shoes " and " Heartbreak Hotel " alongside country songs in his set. A performance backed by members of the Vipers Skiffle Group at the 2i's Coffee Bar was seen by John Kennedy, a photographer and publicity man who, within two weeks, got Steele a deal with Decca . With impresario Larry Parnes , Kennedy arranged
1302-640: A new stage production of The Glenn Miller Story " which enjoyed two UK tours before heading for a summer season at the " London Coliseum ." He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1958 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre . In December 2019, he hosted a 'Magic of the Musicals' event at the British Film Institute, where he narrated and spoke about some of his favourite musical theatre film routines. Steele
1395-545: A novel titled The Final Run about World War II and the evacuation of Dunkirk . He also wrote a children's novel, entitled Quincy , about a reject toy trying to save himself and his fellow rejects in the basement of a toy store from the furnace the day after Christmas. Released in 1981, it was based on his own television film, Quincy's Quest , from 1979, in which Steele played Quincy and Mel Martin played Quincy's girlfriend doll, Rebecca. Steele co-wrote many of his early songs with Lionel Bart and Mike Pratt , but he used
1488-551: A production of Scrooge: The Musical , an adaptation of Scrooge . Following this return, he reprised his role at the Palace Theatre , Manchester, over Christmas 2004 and brought the production to the London Palladium for Christmas 2005 and which toured over the next ten years. In 2008, at the age of 71, Steele toured in the lead role of the stage musical Doctor Dolittle . In 2015, Steele began touring as Glenn Miller in
1581-456: A ship he was serving on docked in Norfolk, Virginia , U.S., he saw Buddy Holly perform and fell in love with rock and roll . The story conflicts with the known performances of Holly, making it appear impossible that it could have occurred as described. On shore leave in summer 1956, Steele met writer Lionel Bart and actor Mike Pratt at a Soho party. The trio began writing together and formed
1674-461: A specially recorded festive tale, The Christmas Mystery of Muchhope . This story was re-released for the festive period of 2022 with new edits and sound effects and a new story, 'The Magic of Christmas,' was written and recorded by Steele for a limited release for Christmas 2023. In June 2021, to celebrate his 65 years in the entertainment industry, his authorised biography, A Life in the Spotlight ,
1767-675: A three-day concert visit to Moscow , where The Tommy Steele Story was screened at the Kremlin . In his first colour film, Tommy the Toreador (1959), Steele proved "a real, true Danny Kaye ", according to its cinematographer Gilbert Taylor . A hit single from the film, " Little White Bull ", became a children's favourite after it was released in aid of a cancer research unit for children. Considered Britain's first rock and roll star, Steele has been described by AllMusic as "the English teenager who let
1860-659: Is a respected sculptor and four of his major works have been on public display. Bermondsey Boy at Rotherhithe Town Hall in London, was stolen in 1998: its whereabouts are unknown. Eleanor Rigby , which he sculpted and donated to the City of Liverpool as a tribute to the Beatles , stands in Stanley Street , Liverpool, not far from the Cavern Club . Union , featuring two rugby players,
1953-512: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
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#17328981101002046-931: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
2139-595: Is on display at Twickenham Stadium . Trinity , designed during the regeneration of the docklands area in Bermondsey, stood outside the Trinity building in Bermondsey. When Steele lived in Montrose House , Petersham, Surrey , his life-sized sculpture of Charlie Chaplin as " The Tramp " stood outside his front door. He is also an artist of some note and has exhibited at the Royal Academy . In 1981, Steele wrote and published
2232-488: The 1979 New Year Honours , he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his work as an entertainer and actor. He was knighted in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment and charity. Steele's teen idol stardom was the subject of several contemporary parodies. On his album The Best of Sellers (1958), Peter Sellers portrays Cockney rock and roll star named "Mr. Iron" in
2325-584: The British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of the order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to
2418-573: The Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941, the medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed
2511-484: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
2604-453: The U.S. called The Original Soho Skiffle Group , a showcase for traditional folk and blues music , with sleeve notes by Nat Hentoff . However, by 1958 the skiffle craze was over, and the Vipers dropped the "Skiffle Group" designation from their name. As The Vipers, the group at one point added Hank Marvin , Jet Harris and Tony Meehan , who would go on to form The Shadows . However,
2697-606: The UK Top 10, and was followed by their last chart hit, "Streamline Train". Significantly, Martin later commented that working with the Vipers gave him important experience in working with informally trained (Whyton being a skilled trad jazz trombonist ), but enthusiastic group of musicians . The Vipers Skiffle Group continued to record , and for a time were one of the biggest stage attractions among British groups and were second only to Donegan in terms of their skiffle based success. Whyton and Booker also made an album released in
2790-444: The coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of the medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to
2883-445: The "castration of early rock and roll". In 2009, the greatest hits collection The Very Best of Tommy Steele reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart , the first UK chart entry for Steele in over 46 years. The increase in home-grown musical talent during the 1950s and 1960s allowed Steele to progress to a career in stage and film musicals, leaving behind his pop-idol identity. In 1957, he
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2976-464: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
3069-682: The BBC programme Six-Five Special (1957–58), though agent Ian Bevan restricted the singer's bookings in the belief that television "tends to cheapen an artist of that nature". He performed at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC's Third Annual Festival of Dance Music in April 1957 and topped the bill at the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium in November 1957. In 2008, theatre producer Bill Kenwright alleged that Elvis Presley
3162-484: The British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of,
3255-788: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
3348-443: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
3441-658: The Guard (misspelt as "The Yeoman..."), singing the role of the hapless jester Jack Point. In 1983, Steele directed and starred in the West End stage production of Singin' in the Rain at the London Palladium . In 1991, he toured with Some Like It Hot the stage version of the Billy Wilder film. In 2003, after a decade-long hiatus, save his one-man shows An Evening With Tommy Steele and What A Show! , he toured as Ebenezer Scrooge in
3534-845: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
3627-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
3720-513: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
3813-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
Tommy Steele - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-468: The Toreador (1959), the latter spawning the hit " Little White Bull ". Steele shifted away from rock and roll in the 1960s, becoming an all-round entertainer. He originated the part of Kipps in Half a Sixpence in the West End and on Broadway , reprising his role in the 1967 film version . As an actor, he notably appeared in the films The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and Finian's Rainbow (1968) and as
3999-486: The UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use the titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded
4092-460: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
4185-451: The award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to the order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were
4278-468: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
4371-402: The centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
4464-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
4557-488: The civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of the medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as
4650-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
4743-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
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#17328981101004836-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
4929-607: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
5022-515: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
5115-507: The genie out of the bottle, even if he wasn't the genie." Steele's rock and roll recordings have often divided critical opinion. In Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop (2013), Bob Stanley describes Steele's early singles as "charming and naïve, endearingly amateurish, with odd smudges of echo and strangely slurred vocals". In his 1970 book Revolt into Style: The Pop Arts in Britain , George Melly derided Steele’s films of being emblematic of
5208-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
5301-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
5394-595: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". The Vipers Skiffle Group The group formed in
5487-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
5580-624: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
5673-519: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
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#17328981101005766-600: The lead in several West End productions of Singin' in the Rain . Also an author and sculptor, Steele remains active. He was knighted in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment and charity and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2021. Steele was born Thomas Hicks in Bermondsey , London, in 1936. His father, Thomas Walter Hicks, was a racing tipster and his mother, Elizabeth "Betty" Ellen Bennett, worked in
5859-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
5952-469: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
6045-449: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
6138-605: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
6231-463: The order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At
6324-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
6417-410: The order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with the addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in
6510-402: The order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside
6603-444: The pseudonym of Jimmy Bennett from 1958 onwards. On 7 November 2019, Steele was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Music Hall Society at a celebratory luncheon in Mayfair 's Lansdowne Club . Those paying tribute to his then 63 years and two days in show business included Tim Rice , Wyn Calvin and Bill Kenwright . In May 2020, Steele announced a new project which he had been working on titled Breakheart , which
6696-586: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
6789-459: The same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from a burning building containing explosives. In December 1922
6882-556: The same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as a GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and
6975-671: The single with his first television appearance, on bandleader Jack Payne 's BBC series Off the Record , and quickly became a national teen idol . Steele's success saw him dubbed "Britain's Elvis ", though his appeal has been characterised as less provocative than Presley's. A 1957 concert review by Trevor Philpott of Picture Post described Steele's act as possessing "not a trace of sex, real or implied", whilst Stephen Glynn has written that Steele's voice "was genial before threatening, his stage demeanour more playground skip than bedroom thrust". Steele's live performances were marked by frenzy from
7068-538: The sketch "The Trumpet Volunteer". Steele's rise to fame was satirised in the 1958 West End musical Expresso Bongo and its 1959 film adaptation starring Cliff Richard. There is a London Borough of Southwark blue plaque on Nickleby House, in the Dickens Estate in Bermondsey, commemorating Steele. Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of
7161-637: The spring of 1956 in central London , originally as a trio of singer - guitarists comprising Whyton, Johnny Martyn (born John Martyn Booker, 1934–2007), and Jean Van den Bosch , who was replaced in 1958 by Freddy Lloyd . Later that summer they added a rhythm section , Tony Tolhurst ( bass ) and John Pilgrim ( washboard ), and took up residency at the renowned Soho music venue, the 2i's Coffee Bar . There, they sometimes jammed with jazz musician Mike Pratt and singer Tommy Hicks, later known as Tommy Steele . In September 1956 they were offered an audition with George Martin at Parlophone Records , and won
7254-455: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
7347-416: The statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by a proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in
7440-452: The teenage audience. His first album, Tommy Steele Stage Show , was recorded at a London concert the night before his twentieth birthday and issued in March 1957. "Doomsday Rock", Steele's second single, failed to chart after its apocalyptic theme drew controversy. His third, " Singing the Blues ", reached number 1 in January 1957, staving off a recording by Guy Mitchell for one week. Steele
7533-406: The theatre. He continued to record rock and roll over 1958 and 1959, finding chart success with covers of US hits, including " Come On, Let's Go " and " Tallahassee Lassie ". In September 1958, he appeared in the first episode of Oh Boy! , Jack Good 's ITV series which featured several new British rock and roll stars, including Cliff Richard and Marty Wilde . In August 1959, Steele undertook
7626-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
7719-411: Was among the first British pop stars to be heavily merchandised, with tie-in sweaters, shoes and toy guitars. Only a few months after his first chart presence, the singer was filming his life story; The Tommy Steele Story (1957) featured twelve new songs, written hastily by Steele, Bart and Pratt, that expanded the singer's repertoire to incorporate ballads and calypso music . The film's soundtrack
7812-468: Was available exclusively online throughout May. Announced via a specially recorded video during the COVID-19 lockdown, Breakheart was a seven-episode audio thriller, written by Steele and set during the Second World War. A new episode was released each day for a week culminating in the full story. Following the re-release of the complete version of Breakheart for the 2020 festive period, Steele also released
7905-422: Was banned from BBC Radio because of its sexual content, despite the group's attempt to minimise the bawdiness of the lyrics. The group came into direct competition with Lonnie Donegan on the rival Pye label , who imitated Whyton's arrangements but had the bigger hits , both with "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" and with its follow-up " Cumberland Gap ". However, the Vipers' version of the latter song again made
7998-512: Was dramatised in The Tommy Steele Story (1957), the soundtrack of which was the first British album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart . With collaborators Lionel Bart and Mike Pratt , Steele received the 1958 Ivor Novello Award for Most Outstanding Song of the Year for "A Handful of Songs". He starred in further musical films including The Duke Wore Jeans (1958) and Tommy
8091-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
8184-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
8277-423: Was published by FontHill Media, written by fan and archivist Sebastian Lassandro. Steele and Winifred Anne Donoghue or Donoughue (born 1936) married at St Patrick's Catholic Church, Soho Square , London, in spring 1960. The couple have one daughter. In 2019, Steele was awarded the Freedom of the City of London . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the ceremony at Mansion House was delayed until 20 July 2021. In
8370-566: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
8463-418: Was taken on a tour of London by Steele in 1958, challenging Glasgow Prestwick Airport 's accepted status as the only place in the United Kingdom where Presley set foot. The unverified claim caused controversy, with Steele telling the media "I swore never to divulge what took place and I regret that it has found some way of 'getting into the light'. I can only hope he [Elvis] can forgive me." Steele starred in
8556-464: Was the first UK number one album by a British act, and the hit single "A Handful of Songs" received the 1958 Ivor Novello Award for Most Outstanding Song of the Year, Musically and Lyrically. By the end of 1957, Steele had bought a four-bedroomed house in South London for his parents and was reported to be earning more than British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan . Steele made several appearances on
8649-589: Was voted the seventh-most-popular actor at the British box office. In 1960, a tour of Australia had not been particularly successful and upon his return to England he received two offers, one to star in the play Billy Liar , the other to join the Old Vic Company. He chose the latter. In the West End , he appeared in She Stoops to Conquer , and played the title role of Hans Christian Andersen . On film, he recreated his London and Broadway stage role in Half
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