Who was the first black British pop star?

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Not an easy question, if you look the British-born musicians/stars. Was it really Pauline Black? Or wasn't she mainstream enough?
Then who? Goldie? Tricky? Mark Morrison? Craig David?

― zeus (zeus), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 10:20 (twenty years ago)

hendrix!

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 10:24 (twenty years ago)

The Equals? Ray Ellington?

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

Leslie Hutchinson.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

Kenny Lynch

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 10:50 (twenty years ago)

Emile Ford (of "And the Checkmates" fame)

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 10:55 (twenty years ago)

Shirley Bassey

― Bidfurd__, Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:04 (twenty years ago)

Musical Youth

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

Another vote for the American, Jimi Hendrix.

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:12 (twenty years ago)

The correct answer is Shirley Bassey, unless anybody can think of somebody earlier.

― Don King of the Mountain (noodle vague), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:17 (twenty years ago)

I believe I already said Leslie Hutchinson.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

Who is the best selling black British artist of them all?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

Oops, sorry Marcello, so you did.

― Don King of the Mountain (noodle vague), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:28 (twenty years ago)

Best Selling? Shirley Bassey, probably. Do car boot sales count?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:30 (twenty years ago)

Sade?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:32 (twenty years ago)

In terms of biggest-selling black British artist, I meant.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:33 (twenty years ago)

Best Selling = Zeke Manyika.

― Don King of the Mountain (noodle vague), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:33 (twenty years ago)

Does Sade have a British or Nigerian passport?

― Don King of the Mountain (noodle vague), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:34 (twenty years ago)

Sade was born in Nigeria

― zeus (zeus), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:44 (twenty years ago)

would Seal be the best selling British black male artist?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

I wouldn't have thought Craig David or Lemar could've overtaken him due to lower sales these days but could be wrong here considering Seal's own sales can't be that high (relatively) either.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:47 (twenty years ago)

Mark morrisn?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:53 (twenty years ago)

We talking worldwide, right?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:53 (twenty years ago)

I bet Errol Brown has sold more than Seal.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:57 (twenty years ago)

rachel stevens

― sovietpanda (sovietpanda), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

OK, Black, British, sold worldwide.

Howabout Phil Lynott?

(I'll get me coat)

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

Phil Lynott was Irish.

― vincent spano (vincent spano), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 13:16 (twenty years ago)

(I know, I know...)

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 13:28 (twenty years ago)

The biggest selling would be Slash, surely?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 13:38 (twenty years ago)

he is more white than black, or something.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

How big was PP Arnold? I've only heard one song by her but it was one of the best on the comp.

― nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

Do car boot sales count?

ALWAYS

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 17:48 (twenty years ago)

Kenny Lynch?

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

(doesn't pre-date Hutchinson, but earlier than Bassey, yes?)

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

Shirley Bassey,Slash,Craig David and Sade are all of mixed race!.As was the late Phil Lynott.

So none of them are technically "black" whatever that means.And no Slash isn't "more white than black".He's the same African American/Jewish mix as Lenny kravitz.ie Black mother Jewish father.

But if you must all insist on just recognising people by one part of their heritage then I suppose it has to be said Slash could well be the first black British pop star.Now give the man his MOBO.

― A pair of brown eyes, Wednesday, 5 October 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

But if you must all insist on just recognising people by one part of their heritage then I suppose it has to be said Slash could well be the first black British pop star.Now give the man his MOBO.

Are you saying Guns 'n' Roses were famous before Shirley Bassey?

I thought this thread was about solo artists. If just being a member of a group is good enough then surely there were plenty back in the Two Tone days? I don't know for a fact, but I'd have thought some of the black members of The Specials and The Beat were born in Britain.

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 21:33 (twenty years ago)

No but Slash was a bigger international star,so there!.

So hey I know who the first black British pop star was....Tom Jones!

It couldn't have been Cliff Richard because he's indian.
And it certainly wasn't Farouk Bulsara .

― A pair of brown eyes, Wednesday, 5 October 2005 21:47 (twenty years ago)

Slade is from Nigeria!?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

Paul McCartney

― richard wood johnson, Wednesday, 5 October 2005 22:48 (twenty years ago)

scary spice would be the biggest selling black briton artist (well as a part of the spice girls, any way) - wouldn't she?

― chris andrews (fraew), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

What about Millie? ...or Prince Buster?

― Jez (Jez), Thursday, 6 October 2005 06:02 (twenty years ago)

That dude from Bloc Party FTW

― Cunga (Cunga), Thursday, 6 October 2005 06:21 (twenty years ago)

I thought you lot claimed to know about pop music? It was Winifred Atwell for Christ's sake!

http://www.andmas.co.uk/rock_stars/girls/winifred.jpg

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 07:58 (twenty years ago)

Born in Trinidad - moved to the USA - then to London - retired to Australia.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 08:26 (twenty years ago)

Well, Trinidad, it was all the British Empire in those days.

Winifred's hits:

11 Britannia Rag, Dec 1952
5 Britannia Rag (re-entry), Jan 1953
12 Coronation Rag, May 1953
5 Coronation Rag (re-entry), May 1953
12 Flirtation Waltz, Sep 1953
10 Flirtation Waltz (re-entry), Oct 1953
12 Flirtation Waltz (re-entry), Nov 1953
2 Let's Have A Party, Dec 1953
9 Rachmaninoff's Variation On A Theme, Jul 1954
19 Rachmaninoff's Variation On A Theme (re-entry), Oct 1954
1 Let's Have Another Party, Nov 1954
14 Let's Have A Party (re-entry), Nov 1954
3 Let's Have A Ding Dong, Nov 1955
1 Poor People Of Paris, Mar 1956
18 Port Au Prince, May 1956
14 Left Bank, Jul 1956
7 Make It A Party, Oct 1956
28 Let's Rock 'N Roll, Feb 1957
24 Let's Rock 'N Roll (re-entry), Mar 1957
4 Let's Have A Ball, Dec 1957
24 Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll, Aug 1959
10 Piano Party, Nov 1959

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 08:33 (twenty years ago)

She was kinda running out of titles by the end there...

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 09:37 (twenty years ago)

... but has anyone else on this thread had as many hits?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 09:41 (twenty years ago)

slash is british? and part-jewish/black? wtf?

― N_RQ, Thursday, 6 October 2005 09:42 (twenty years ago)

I think Scary Spice has had more than Winifred.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 6 October 2005 09:44 (twenty years ago)

He was born in Stoke-on-Trent! (xpost)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 09:44 (twenty years ago)

I thought Slash was a honky.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Thursday, 6 October 2005 09:51 (twenty years ago)

By the way, scratch Leslie Hutchinson - he didn't come to Britain until he was 27.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:18 (twenty years ago)

Also, Millie Small didn't come to Britain until she was 17.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:20 (twenty years ago)

And you can't have Eddy Grant either: he was born in Guyana.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

They all had British passports tho didn't they?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:22 (twenty years ago)

... I could be wrong there, not up on the status of people born under the British Empire

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

Well, the original question specified "British born". So it's Kenny Lynch. Born in Stepney, first UK hit in 1960.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

Oh sorry, didn't notice that

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:26 (twenty years ago)

Shirley Bassey - first hit, Feb. 1957

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:27 (twenty years ago)

Bassey swings it, if you allow mixed-race (her mother was from Yorkshire). Lynch has it otherwise.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:38 (twenty years ago)

(Emile Ford nearly had it, but he was born in the Caribbean.)

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:40 (twenty years ago)

is it true kenny lynch was the first person ever to cover a beatles tune?

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Thursday, 6 October 2005 10:57 (twenty years ago)

Yes, with "Misery".

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 6 October 2005 11:24 (twenty years ago)

what does this thread tell us? that there arent many black british pop stars

― hater, Thursday, 6 October 2005 11:44 (twenty years ago)

Not at all. There have been loads. Just not very many in the 1950s and 1960s.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 6 October 2005 12:44 (twenty years ago)

Winifred's hits:

2 Let's Have A Party, Dec 1953
1 Let's Have Another Party, Nov 1954
14 Let's Have A Party (re-entry), Nov 1954
3 Let's Have A Ding Dong, Nov 1955
7 Make It A Party, Oct 1956
28 Let's Rock 'N Roll, Feb 1957
4 Let's Have A Ball, Dec 1957

Winifrid *IS* Andrew WK

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 6 October 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

>> How big was PP Arnold? I've only heard one song by her but it was one of the best on the comp.

PP Arnold is American. She sang with Ike & Tina before her solo career.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 6 October 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

You missed out

17 Let's have a hard ding-dong, Sep 1997

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 6 October 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

PP Arnold is American

I did the briefest Google to confirm her Britishness, and misinterpreted a line. So she is American but seemed to have a bigger career in the UK.

On a side note, wikipedia (not the site that led me to believe she was English in the first place) says she is English, and even gets her first name wrong!

― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 6 October 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

He wasn't the first pop star but how about giving Bob Marley a look in here!.His Mother was Jamaican and his father was a British Jew I believe.

― A pair of brown eyes, Thursday, 6 October 2005 16:16 (twenty years ago)

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