John Leyton

John Leyton
Leyton in Von Ryan's Express, 1965
Born	John Dudley Leyton (1936-02-17) 17 February 1936 (age 80) Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK
Years active	c. 1959—present
Website	http://www.johnleyton.com/

John Dudley Leyton (born 17 February 1936 in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex) is an English actor and singer. As a singer he is best known for his hit song, "Johnny Remember Me" (written by Geoff Goddard and produced by Joe Meek), which reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961 despite being banned by the BBC for its death references. His follow-up single, "Wild Wind", reached Number 2 in the charts.

Alongside singing, Leyton's acting career saw him appearing in television and films throughout the 1960s. His films included The Great Escape, Guns at Batasi, Von Ryan's Express and Krakatoa, East of Java. In 2009 he also had a small part in the film Telstar, a biopic based on Joe Meek's life in which Leyton himself was portrayed by Callum Dixon.

Leyton went to Highgate School and after completing his national service, he studied drama, paying his way through drama school with bit-part roles in films and on television. His first major acting role was his portrayal of Ginger in a 1960 Granada TV adaptation of Biggles, which earned him a large following of young female fans and led to the formation of a John Leyton fan club.