Where are they now... ? PJ Proby (2024)

PH

'My love of entertaining came from my family, who loved singing and dancing'

His career notoriously came crashing down when he was banned from British theatres after he split his trousers on stage. Texas-born PJ, 77, is single and lives in Worcestershire. He is part of the Sixties Gold tour, which begins later this year.

“I was born James Marcus Smith and my love of entertaining came from my family, who loved singing and dancing. I sang harmonies with my mother and she always encouraged me to perform for people.

I’ve enjoyed 50 years in this business

PJ Proby

“I got to know Elvis Presley through my half-sister, Betty, who dated him when I was a teenager. Later, in Hollywood, I worked with Elvis as a demo singer.

“I was singing in clubs and bars and wanted Colonel Tom Parker to manage me, but he refused, saying that managing Elvis was a full-time job. Alongside singing, I worked in burger bars and as a bodyguard for Rock Hudson and Liberace in Hollywood.

PH

'I’ve enjoyed 50 years in this business'

“I got a record contract with Liberty Records in 1962 and changed my name to PJ Proby, but didn’t really come to prominence until 1964 when I appeared in a TV special called Around The Beatles where I was introduced by Paul McCartney.

“My record Hold Me became so big that I appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, to major sell-out theatres and on TV shows. I used a 16-piece orchestra, had a ‘buccaneer look’ complete with ponytail and moved around the stage like James Brown rather than standing still with a four-piece band.

“Six months later, everything fell apart when I split my velvet trousers on stage performing to a teenage audience. I only showed my knees, but when the morals campaigner Mary Whitehouse got involved, everything spiralled. She wanted me in her bad books. I was banned from performing in British theatres.

After that, I ended up playing in a few northern clubs, but nothing for teenagers.

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“Over the next 25 years, I did musical theatre like Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and I played the title role in Elvis The Musical and toured Europe. I also drank so much whisky it was killing me.

“In 1992, while I was in Florida, I suffered a massive heart attack – so massive that my heart stopped. I woke up in hospital and I couldn’t walk or talk and that’s when I gave up booze for good.

“I returned to England for a long period of convalescence, but returning to the theatre afterwards really helped. Theatrical impresario Bill Kenwright asked me to appear in Only The Lonely, but I was hesitant because of everything I’d been through. He said I should try it out in Liverpool for two weeks and if it didn’t work, I could leave it.

P.J. Proby - Somewhere

“I sang Somewhere to a standing ovation and the same thing happened night after night, so I asked Bill to let me stay and use the audience as my therapy.

“My ban was lifted in 2001, so I returned to solo tours and went on the road with The Searchers. I’ve just released two new albums called Enigma In Gold 1 and 2, and later this year I’m doing the 60s Gold Tour and Rock The Boat – a cruise sailing from Australia.

“I’ve enjoyed 50 years in this business. Looking back, I thank the producer Jack Good for being my mentor and giving me a stage to show off my talent with The Beatles, and Bill Kenwright for taking a chance on me when I was on the brink of death.”

Visit pjproby.net for details of tour dates.