Often, it comes down to lyricism clashing with the sensibilities of the time, or lyrics that can prove a potentially dangerous influence. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.Later that same year, the song was recorded and released by Ricky Valance in the United Kingdom, where it went all the way to the No. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. His “Tell Laura I love her” song was tear jerking. He was signed to a record deal and recorded his signature song, which tells the tragic story of a boy called Tommy who dies in an accident, but manages to gasp out a final statement on his love for a girl called Laura. Let’s take a moment to consider one of them…. Ricky Valance, a singer best known for his controversial song “Tell Laura I Love Her,” has died at the age of 84.. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. It was a US top ten popular music hit for singer Ray Peterson in 1960 on RCA Victor Records, reaching No. All Rights reserved. In 2015, Valance was given an award at a St David’s Day concert at the Wales Millennium Centre for being the first Welshman to have a UK Number One hit. An inspiring man, and such a sad loss. But its notoriety soon led the BBC to relent on airing it. Ricky Valance, whose controversial song Tell Laura I Love Her was briefly banned by the BBC, has died after a long battle with dementia. Launch dates for broadcast, cable and streaming programs, Up-to-date lists for broadcast, cable and streaming series, Pandemic-proof vs. pandemic-contingent broadcast lineups, Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters, Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. Tell Laura I Love Her went on to be a number one single, selling more than a million copies and spending three weeks at No. Tell Laura I Love Her went on to be a number one single, selling more than a million copies and spending three weeks at No. Welsh singer Ricky Valance has died aged 84, his agent has confirmed. For Valance, it was his only hit, but he managed to live off it and kept performing well into his 70s. Many fans have come out on social media to pay their respects and share memories of his work. 1. ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’ was banned briefly by the BBC because there were fears it would potentially encourage some listeners to commit suicide. The song was controversial upon release in those more conservative times, and briefly banned by the BBC because of fears it was an incitement to commit suicide. Valance and his wife, Evelyn, were living in Skegness at the time of his death. Born David Spencer, Valance became the first Welshman to have a solo UK Number One hit with Tell Laura I Love Her in 1960. The banning of some songs may appear totally arbitrary to modern listeners. Nevertheless, they were pulled in good confidence at the time. His death has caused many fans to remember his musical career and that included his most controversial hit, Tell Laura I Love Her, a cover version … Born David Spencer in Ynysddu, now Caerphilly county, Valance became the first Welshman to achieve a solo UK No 1 hit single, with 1960’s “Tell Laura I Love Her”. He has been battling with dementia for some time, with his agent confirming that he has been in hospital since March; he is survived by his wife, Evelyn. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. His final single, “Welcome Home”, was released in 2017 to raise money for the Royal Air Force Museum and RAF Association. It’s perhaps safe to say that we’ve all loved a song which has been banned by the BBC at some point.