BILLY AND THE BEVERLEY SISTERS The legendary Beverley Sisters were for twenty years the most successful and highest paid female singing act in Europe, household names throughout the 1950s and 1960s. They broke box-office records wherever they appeared, and had many hit records including 'I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus,' Little Donkey' and 'Drummer Boy.' Their regular television appearances, including a long-running series of their own, made them among the best-known faces in the land: the vivacious Joy, always flanked by her beautiful twin sisters Teddie and Babs. They were following a family tradition. Their mother and father had a famous pre-war music-hall act called Coram & Mills. Now there is a third generation, The Foxes, a stunning trio made up of Billy and Joy's daughters, Vicky and Babette, and Teddie's daughter Sasha. One night in 1985 while watching The Foxes singing at London's ultradisco, The Hippodrome, the Beverley Sisters were approached by club owner Peter Stringfellow, who invited them to make a one-off appearance on his stage. They were a smash-hit and started a comeback that continues to this day, with regular performances at nationwide retirement and senior citizen homes. Joy and Billy married in 1959 after a whirlwind courtship. Their 'secret' wedding in Poole, Dorset, stopped the town, with thousands jamming the streets to catch a sight of the Posh and Becks of their time. They were together for 36 years. |
