Ronald William Wycherley (17 April 1940 – 28 January 1983), better known by his
stage name Billy Fury, was an English singer from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s.
Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death. An early British
rock and roll (and film)
star, he equalled
the Beatles' record of 24 hits in the 1960s, and spent 332 weeks on the UK
chart, without a
chart-topping single or album.