Lionel Morton
English musician and TV presenter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lionel Morton (born Lionel Walmsley, 14 August 1942)[1] is an English former musician and television presenter. He was the lead singer for The Four Pennies, who had a number one hit with "Juliet" in 1964, and was a presenter on Play School from 1968 to 1977.
14 August 1942
Lionel Morton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lionel Walmsley 14 August 1942 Blackburn, Lancashire, England |
| Occupations | Musician and television presenter |
| Instruments | Vocal, rhythm guitar |
| Formerly of | The Four Pennies |
Lionel Morton was born Lionel Walmsley in Blackburn, Lancashire, England.[1] He sang in the local cathedral choir.[2][3]
In the early 1960s, he was the lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist of the group, The Four Pennies. They are best known for their biggest hit single, "Juliet" which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in May 1964.[4] Morton and his group appeared seven times on the BBC Television music charts programme, Top of the Pops.
From April 1968 to December 1977, he was a regular presenter on the pre-school children's programme Play School. His debut appearance on the show was wiped however his third appearance, dated 11th June 1968, is the earliest archived.[2] In the 1970s he went on to present on Play Away. Many recent reports have come out revealing that Morton, as well as a few other presenters including Johnny Ball and Rick Jones, smoked marijuana and was high when he recorded some episodes of Play School in the 1970s, including an episode in which the shows hosts filmed a nativity scene.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
He was formerly married to actress, Julia Foster, for five years, with whom he had a daughter Emily.[11] He now lives in Cornwall.[2][3]
Discography
Singles
| Year | Label | A-side | B-side |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Phillips | "What To Do With Laurie"[12] | "I'll Just Wait Around" |
| "First Love Never Dies"[12] | "Try Not To Cry" | ||
| 1969 | RCA Victor | "Waterloo Road"[12] | "Floral Street" |
| 1972 | Cube Records | "What A Woman Does"[12] | "Listen To The Music" |
| 1974 | BBC Records | "Don't Let Life Get You Down"[12][13] | "Play Away" |
Albums
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Top of the Pops | Himself | Performing with The Four Pennies / six episodes[15] |
| Ready Steady Go! | Performing with The Four Pennies / four episodes[15] | ||
| 1965 | Pop Gear | Performing with The Four Pennies / film[15] | |
| Blackpool Night Out | Performing with The Four Pennies / one episode[15] | ||
| 1968—1985 | Play School | Presenter / three hundred and fifty episodes[15] | |
| 1971—1977 | Play Away | Presenter / twenty nine episodes[15] | |
| 1976 | Star Turn | Two episodes[15] |
