Ruby Murray
| Ruby Murray | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ruby Florence Murray |
| Born |
29 March 1935 Donegall Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 17 December 1996 (aged 61) Torquay, Devon, England |
| Genres | Traditional popular music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1953–1996 |
| Labels | Columbia (EMI) |
| Website | rubymurray.org |
Ruby Florence Murray (29 March 1935 – 17 December 1996) was one of the most popular singers in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1950s. In 1955 alone, she secured seven Top 10 UK hit singles.
Ruby Florence Murray was born on the Donegall Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her voice's distinctive sound was partly the result of an operation on her throat in early childhood. She toured as a child singer and first appeared on television at the age of 12, having been spotted by producer Richard Afton. Owing to laws governing children performing, Murray had to delay her start in the entertainment industry. She returned to Belfast and full-time education until she was 14.
Again spotted by Afton, Murray was signed to Columbia and her first single, "Heartbeat", reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1954. Afton had offered her the position of resident singer on the BBC's Quite Contrary television show, to replace Joan Regan. "Softly, Softly", her second single, reached number one in early 1955. That same year Murray set a pop-chart record by having five hits in the Top Twenty in one week, a feat unmatched for many years.
The 1950s was a busy period for Murray, during which she had her own television show, starred at the London Palladium with Norman Wisdom, appeared in a Royal Command Performance (1955), and toured the world. In a period of 52 weeks, starting in 1955, Murray constantly had at least one single in the UK charts — this at a time when only a Top 20 was listed.
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