Trivia

His one-man show, "An Evening with Tommy Steele", ran for fourteen months at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1979/80 and is in the Guinness Book of Theatre Facts and Feats as "the longest running one-man show in West End history".

Has made more appearances than any other artist at The London Palladium.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1965 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for "Half a Sixpence" in the role of Arthur Kipps - which he later recreated for the film version of the same name, Half a Sixpence (1967). One of his co-stars was John Cleese.

The son of a tailor, he was discovered by Larry Parnes, who renamed him "Tommy Steele", and manufactured him into Britain's first pop star.

His second single "Singin' the Blues" reached No. 1 in 1956.

He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1979 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to entertainment and drama.

Tommy Steele played in a televised celebrity squash match, beaten by Leonard Rossiter, not very long before the latter's death. Ironically, Tommy conceded that Leonard was much fitter than he at the time.

Often used the pseudonym "Jimmy Bennett" for his song writing partnership with Lionel Bart and Mike Pratt.

Owned and drove an American Excalibur from the mid-1960s.

His first song "Rock with the Caveman" was a 1957 hit and, as a result, his sudden stardom was compressed quickly into a film as well ("The Tommy Steele Story") even before there was a story to tell.

In 1974, he composed and recorded an autobiographical cycle of twelve songs under the title of "My Life, My Song". Another of his talents was shown in the album sleeve for this recording which was illustrated with twelve of his own paintings and these together with other works were shown in a one-man exhibition at the Christopher Wade Gallery. He has also developed a talent as a sculptor and two of his major works are on public display; "Bermondsey Boy" at the Rotherhithe Civic Centre and "Eleanor Rigby" which he gave to the City of Liverpool as a tribute to the Beatles.

He was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to entertainment and charity in London, Greater London, England.

Evacuated from London during the World War II Blitz.

Sculptured a statue of his hero Charlie Chaplin, which he kept in his garden in Richmond London until he moved home.

Alex Harvey of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band won a Tommy Steele impersonator competition in Scotland. Part of the prize was meeting Tommy Steele.

Television commercial (1974) for his stage portrayal as Hans Christian Andersen.

Has one daughter, Emma Elizabeth Steele (born 1969).