Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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WHITFIELD, David

(b 2 Feb. '26, Hull, England; d 16 Jan. '80, Sydney, Australia) Pop singer, a tenor with a voice that sounded to the microphone as of operatic quality. Entertained in Royal navy; began recording for Decca '53, made UK top 10 with 'Bridge Of Sighs', written towards the end of a long career by Billy Reid, who also wrote 'I'm Walking Beside You', 'It's A Pity To Say Good Night', etc. Also had UK no. 1 '53 with German song 'Answer Me' (Frankie Laine topped UK chart at the same time with the same song). About 20 UK hits included his second no. 1 'Cara Mia' '54, written by Lee Lange and Tulio Trapino, pseudonyms for Mantovani (who conducted on the record) and Bunny Lewis, Whitfield's recording manager; it was the first hit by a British male singer to reach no. 1 in the USA. A couple of others also charted in USA, but hits dried up '60; My Heart And I '61 was a light classical album; he also sang operetta (Friml's Rose-Marie, Romberg's The Desert Song). His voice made him welcome world-wide; when he died he was working on cruise ships around Australia.