(c’59-68) Terry Lewis (vocals).
In July ’59 this 16-year old, Woking born, ex-church soprano (he’d performed in Canterbury Cathedral and the Royal Albert Hall), was to follow in fellow brylcreem boys, Cliff Richard and Billy Fury’s footsteps having been discovered by talent scout / manager Ray Mackender at a Peckham dance hall filling in for a band’s regular singer. In 1960 he first appeared as Mark Wynter at a charity bash in Cheshunt thrown by Cliff Richard, with his newly formed backing group, The Snowdrifts. The Snowdrifts lasted 3 months, but cabaret gigs in London, including at the Blue Angel in June, lead Wynter to his first Summer Season at Bournemouth for Harold Fielding and his first TV appearance in August.
It was during these early successes Lewis changed his name to avoid confusion with Jerry Lewis, to Mark Wynter. He also signed to Decca in 1960, releasing 7 singles over the next 2 years. His debut, cover of The Safaris’ “Image Of A Girl”, peaked at #11. Starting in July ’60, he was bottom of the bill for Harold Fielding’s “2:30 Special” Summer season at the Pier Theatre, Bournemouth, looking up at Michael Cox, Dave Sampson, Cherry Wainer, Red Price, Marke Anthony and Cuddly Duddly. By the end of the year Wynter was second billing on the 23 date “Good Timing” package tour behind Jimmie Jones. This tour included Michael Cox & The Hunters, Brook Brothers, Dean Rogers & The Marauders, Janet Richmond, Kenny Lynch, and Johnny Wiltshire & The Trebletones and kicked off at East Ham’s Granada on 8 October ’60. That next year saw the release of the “The Warmth of Winter” LP, tours with Jimmy Jones and Gene Vincent, and being name NME’s Most Promising Newcomer, which he was presented by Connie Francis. The latter saw him appear at The NME 1960-61 Annual Poll-Winners’ All-Star Concert at Empire Pool, Wembley in the afternoon of 5 March ’61.
Earlier in ’61, Wynter joined the “Jack Good’s Rock ‘n’ Trad Spectacular – 2nd Edition” package tour promoted by Larry Parnes, which Billy Fury headlined and included, along with Wynter: Tommy Bruce, Joe Brown, Nelson Keene, Duffy Power, The Four Kestrels, Johnny Gentle, Georgie Fame, The Valentine Girls, and the New Orleans Rockers. Did Wynter make it back from the NME event in Wembley to his scheduled appearance at De Montfort Hall, Leicester as part of this package tour – we don’t know. That same year, Wynter was entered as one of the UK contenders for the Eurovision Song Contest, with “Dream Girl”, but finished fourth behind The Allisons. Not to worry, he performed in America later that year and appeared on American Bandstand. The single that was released stateside flopped however.
He also toured Australia in ’61 with Bobby Vee and The Everly Brothers, securing a 1 hour long TV special titled “Exclusively Yours”. He returned to the UK for Summer Seasons at Bournmouth and Southsea, plus Sunday Summer concerts with Shirley Bassey in Blackpool. Christmas ’61 saw him appear in Cole Porter’s “Aladdin”. Then, on 27 August ’61, he headlined ‘The Show of ’61’ at the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, supported by John Leyton, Eden Kane, Mike Preston, and Red Price.
On 1 July ’62 Wynter appeared at the Opera House, Blackpool supporting The Temperance Seven with Joan Regan, and The Southlanders. After Decca hesitated – due to the failure of “Angel Talk” – in renewing Wynter’s contract in ’62, he went to the Pye Records, thanks to A&R man Tony Hatch. It was at Pye he had his greatest success with his cover of Jimmy Clanton’s “Venus in Blue Jeans”. Starting at the Odeon, Guildford, on 30 September ’62, Wynter joined Larry Parnes’ 49 town, 2 shows a day in each, “The Mammoth Star Show of 1962” headlined by Billy Fury and featuring Marty Wilde, Karl Denver Trio, Joe Brown & The Bruvvers, Mike Sarne, Jimmy Justice, and Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers. And, like Cliff Richard, he started appearing in film musicals, the first being “Just for Fun” released in 1963.
“Venus in Blue Jeans” had reached #4, producing his first silver disc. This was followed by “Go Away Little Girl” hitting #6. Subsequent release “Aladdin’s Lamp” failed to chart, while “Shy Girl” was Top 30. On 14 March ’63, Wynter was included in the line-up for BBC’s “Top of the Pops” at the Royal Albert Hall, London that reflected radio’s most popular programmes content. Pulling from the ‘Saturday Club’, ‘Easy Beat’, ‘Parade Of The Pops’, and ‘Go Man Go’ programmes, Wynter found himself alongside Helen Shapiro, Danny Williams, Craig Douglas, Clinton Ford, Vince Hill, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, The Brook Brothers, Acker Bilk & His Pramount Jazz Band, Maureen Evans, Russ Sainty, Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen, The Karl Denver Trio, Bob Miller & The Millermen, and David Ede & The Rabin Band. Ten days later Wynter was back in London, at Empire Pool, Wembley for the Daily Express charity event in association with The Stars Organisation For Spastics along with Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, Brook Brothers, Alma Cogan, Carol Deene, Adam Faith & The Roulettes, Julie Grant, Des Lane, Mike Sarne, Helen Shapiro, Marty Wilde, and Danny Williams.
The George Cooper Organisation booked Wynter to appear at a series on four variety shows, starting on 1 April ’63 at the Empire, Newcastle that also featured: Joe Brown & His Bruvvers, Julie Grant, Toni & Margo, Des Lane, Jody & Holly, Al Paige, and Habbin & Day. The show also visited the Hippodrome, Birmingham (6 May), Theatre Royal, Nottingham (13), and Hippodrome, Manchester (20). The NME Poll Winners Concert was held at Empire Pool, Wembley on the afternoon of 21 April ’63 at which Wynter rubbed shoulders with The Beatles, The Brook Brothers, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Frank Ifield, Jet Harris & Tony Meehan, Joe Brown & The Bruvvers, Joe Loss & His Band, Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, Mike Berry, and The Springfields. That evening Wynter performed again, at Granada, Dartford, on the first date in a seven city package tour that also took in Granada, Shrewsbury (22 April), Granada, Kettering (23), Granada, Maidstone (24), Granada, East Ham (25), Granada, Harrow (26), and Adelphi, Slough (27) with Joe Brown, Marty Wilde & The Wildcats, Rolf Harris & The Diggeroos, Duffy Power, and Julie Grant. Later in the year he was part of the Larry Parnes’ Summer Season at the Windmill Theatre, Great Yarmouth. Opening night was 14 June ’63 and Wynter was once again with Joe Brown & The Bruvvers and Rolf Harris, but also The Tornados, The Off-Keys, and Jody & Holly. On 4 August ’63, Wynter appeared at the Opera House, Blackpool as part of Harold Fielding’s “Sunday Night at the Blackpool Opera House” with Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, Jet Harris & Tony Meehan, Susan Maughan, and Bob Miller & The Millermen. The following week, on 11 August, Fielding moved Wynter and Jet Harris & Tony Meehan to the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, joining The Springfields, Jan & Kelly, The Hollies, and The Eric Delaney Band there. Wynter visited the Opera House, Blackpool again on 15 September ’63, again for Fielding’s “Sunday Night at the Blackpool Opera House”, this time as second to headliner Vera Lynne.
On 16 March 1964, Wynter was introduced to the Empire, Liverpool audience to perform his latest ‘hit’ “The Boy You’re Kissing” as part of a package with the Dave Clark Five headlining and Susan Maughan, Dave Nelson, McAndrews & Mills, and George Meaton supporting along with Wynter. The same package appeared at the Hippodrome, Birmingham a week later, on 23 March ’64. Six days later Wynter embarked on a 43 date package tour, again with the Dave Clark Five, but also The Hollies, The Kinks, The Mojos and The Trebletones. It kicked off on 29 March ’64 at the Theatre, Coventry, followed by 42 dates zig-zagging across the country: Futurist, Scarborough (30); De Montfort Hall, Leicester (31); ABC, Cleethorpes (1 April); ABC, Carlisle (2); City Hall, Newcastle (3); City Hall, Sheffield (4); Gaumont, Bradford (5); Granada, Woolwich (6); ABC, Gloucester (7); Granada, Tooting (8); ABC, Cambridge (9); Granada, Bedford (10); Theatre Royal, Norwich (11); Embassy, Peterborough (12); ABC, Dover (14); ABC, Romford (15); Odeon, Chelmsford (16); ABC, Lincoln (17); Apollo, Manchester (18); a date close to home at Odeon, Guildford (19); Gaumont, Doncaster (21); Granada, Mansfeld (22); Granada, Shrewsbury (23); Capital, Cardiff (24); Winter Gardens, Bournmouth (25); Hippodrome, Brighton (26); ABC, Northampton (28); Gaumont, Wolverhampton (29); Gaumont, Taunton (30); Gaumont, Souhampton (1 May); Astoria, Finsbury Park (2); Odeon, Lewisham (3); ABC, Hull (5); ABC, Huddersfield (6); Globe, Stockton (7); Gaumont, Hanley (8); Gaumont, Derby (9); Odeon, Walthamstow (10); Odeon, Southend (11); Colston Hall, Bristol (12); Granada, Harrow (13) and finally Granada, Kingston (14).
Larry Parnes presented The Sunday Extra Special from 21 June to 13 September ’64 and he booked Wynter to perform at ten of those Sunday specials at Britannia Pier Theatre, Great Yarmouth. Wynter was backed by Woking’s The Plebs, who’d been introduced to Parnes by Kingston upon Thames’ Celler Club owner Hugh O’Donnell, who were also the opening act, and appeared alongside The Applejacks, The Karl Denver Trio, The Gamblers and The Cresters on the first Sunday. The following Sunday, 28 June, The Mojos replaced The Applejacks, as they did on 5, 12 and 19 July. Gene Vincent joined the show on 26 July. A Sunday off for Wynter on 2 August, who returned on 9 August, joining forces with The Karl Denver Trio, Vincent, The Gamblers and The Crestors. Wynter remained with the show for a further three Sundays, the 16, 23, and 30 August. In the middle of The Sunday Extra special Wynter joined Lonnie Donegan & His Group for a two weeklong booking at the Hippdrome, Brighton starting on 6 July ’64, along with The Two Peters, Don Arrol, The Kestrels, Joe Church, Barbour & Billie, and the Hippodrome Orchestra led by Sydney Sharpe. Wynter then stayed in Brighton to support Winifred Atwell for six nights of twice-nightly performances, starting on 20 July ’64. He spent the ’64/’65 pantomime season in Southampton, appearing in Mother Goose. That New Years Eve, Wynter helped in the New Year by appearing on the ‘New Year Revels’ radio show with Georgie Fame, The Migil Five, The Viscounts, and Seekers.
Wynter’s record sales declined in the mid ’60s and singles like “Can I Get To Know You Better” and ’66’s “Before Your Time” failed to reverse the decline. In the early 70’s he went into acting playing the lead in “Conduct Unbecoming” at the Queen’s Theatre in London, and in Australia. He appeared with Julia McKenzie in “On the Twentieth Century”, and in “Charley’s Aunt”. He also starred in “Side By Side By Sondheim” in Toronto, in Chichester, and on the UK tour. In the 1982 Chichester Festival season he acted in several plays including “On The Rocks” and “Henry V”, and also sang in “Valmouth”. During the ’80s he played the King in “The King and I”, the title roles in “Hans Andersen” and “Barnum” and “Charlie Girl” in ’86 and the part of Robert Browning in “Robert and Elizabeth”. The ’90s saw Wynter doing two years in “Cats”, and also time as the Phantom and M. Andre in “The Phantom of the Opera”. In 1994 he created the role of Van Helsing in the studio recording of the opera/musical “Nosferatu” by Bernard J. Taylor and four years later starred as Vittorio in “Sweet Charity”. He also presented on BBC Radio 2 in the ’90s, including New York Radio Award nominated documentary “Happy Times” about Danny Kaye.
In 2000 Castle Communications released “Go Away Little Girl: The Pye Anthology” compiling Wynter’s complete output for the Pye label. In 2017, Wynter went on a UK tour with The Solid Gold Rock’n’Roll Show, which also featured Eden Kane, Marty Wilde and Mike Berry. He now lives in Sussex, and tours the country with an Agatha Christie Theatre Company.
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