Faron Ruffley
Faron Ruffley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Ruffley |
| Born | 8 January 1942 Liverpool, England |
| Genres | Merseybeat |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Member of | Faron's Flamingos |
| Formerly of | Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Big Three |
William "Faron" Ruffley (born 8 January 1942) is an English singer, known for being the lead vocalist for Faron's Flamingos.
Career[edit]
Ruffley was born and raised in Liverpool, and formed Faron's Flamingos in 1961 after touring with Gerry and the Pacemakers.[1] They were one of the first examples of the Merseybeat sound with their cover of "Do You Love Me". Faron had many versions of the band, including a version that was active in France.[1] During 1959/1960, Ruffley had briefly played rhythm guitar in a group called "Johnny Tempest and the Tempest Tornados", a band that didn't last long due to Tempest's death from a brain tumour aged 21.
In November 1963, Ruffley and Flamingo guitarist Paddy Chambers joined The Big Three.[2][3] Faron was the bass player during this time, taking a few lessons from Merseybeat bassist Billy Kinsley.[4] Ruffley left the group some time around October 1964, along with Paul Pilnick. Faron soon formed a new version of the Flamingos after departing from the Big Three. In 1999, Ruffley reunited with member Brian Griffiths to perform a few Big Three numbers for a charity event.[3]
He formed a small band with Brian Jones (of The Undertakers) and toured around Liverpool. He reformed the Flamingos in 1985.[1] Ruffley was advised by doctors to retire from touring in the 2000s, but is semi-active as of 2024.[1] In the 2000s, he was working on an autobiography.
Personal life[edit]
Ruffley married a woman from Corsica.[1] He lived in France for some time but moved back to Liverpool when his mother fell ill.[1] Ruffley is a born-again Christian. When he was fifty years old, he suffered a heart attack and spent some time in hospital. By the time he was sixty years old, he had suffered five heart attacks and had to have a quadruple heart bypass. A stroke left him unable to speak for six weeks and he also had both hips replaced, with metal replacements for some bones in his leg and toes. He recalled, "I've been dead three times and they've brought me back. Now I'm a born-again Christian and I firmly believe there is a God, I've been up there and seen the light".[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Sixties City - Bill Harry's Sixties - articles from the creator of iconic 60s music paper Mersey Beat". sixtiescity.net. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ^ Larkin C (1997). Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music. Muze UK Ltd. p. 55. ISBN 0-7535-0149-X.
- ^ a b "THE BIG THREE". www.7inchrecords.com. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- ^ "The Iron Door Club - Faron's Flamingos". www.rickresource.com. Retrieved 2024-04-25.