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Your support makes all the difference.Jean Campbell, singer: born Glasgow 26 January 1926; twice married; died East Kilbride, Lanarkshire 11 January 2003.
"I loveto sing," said Jean Campbell, "I don't have to be top of the bill, I just want to be singing." Tony Bennett described her as "Britain's Jo Stafford" and, if she had had the breaks and possibly more ambition, Campbell could have rivalled Stafford or Rosemary Clooney.
Campbell, who was born in Glasgow in 1926, began her career as a dancer and became part of the Gibson Trio, who entertained the troops as part of Ensa during the Second World War. Their pianist, Bill Sellers (father of Peter Sellers), acted as guardian for her because she was only 18.
After the war, Campbell replaced Pearl Carr as the female vocalist with Cyril Stapleton and his Orchestra. The orchestra was strongly featured in the BBC radio series Showband Show, and as a result, Campbell performed in the 1952 Royal Variety Performance.
Johnnie Johnston of the Johnston Brothers saw the potential of a mixed harmony group for radio work, and Campbell became part of his creation, the Keynotes. They were featured in the long-running comedy series Take It From Here and accompanied Dickie Valentine and Dave King on hit singles.
Encouraged by the singer Dorothy Squires, Campbell made solo recordings for Parlophone. However, she often found herself competing against major artists who had recorded the same songs, such as Frankie Laine and Nat "King" Cole on "Answer Me", Pat Boone on "Two Hearts" and Bing Crosby on "True Love".
After the Keynotes, Campbell worked for Benny Lee in the Coronets and was featured in his series Sing It Again, as well as making albums for Columbia Records. In 1960 she took part in a bizarre television series, Dial for Music, with Ronnie Carroll and Denis Lotis. Viewers could request a song over the phone. When one caller asked for "Danny Boy", the Belfast-born Carroll did not like to admit that he didn't know the lyrics and Campbell had to stand out of shot by the camera mouthing the words to him.
Because of her versatility, Campbell was much in demand by Embassy Records, Woolworth's label of low-priced covers. One week she would be singing Brenda Lee's "Sweet Nuthins", the next Connie Francis's "Everybody's Somebody's Fool". Credibility was stretched when she recorded Helen Shapiro's "Don't Treat Me Like a Child" at the age of 34. Campbell also sang on many television adverts – think of "Hands that do dishes can be soft as your face" for Fairy Liquid, "Beanz Meanz Heinz" and "Keep going well, Keep going Shell" and you will hear her voice.
After some years singing in South Africa, Campbell returned to Scotland and was singing with Bill Fanning's band until her retirement in 1995.
Spencer Leigh
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