Lady Lee

British singer Lady Lee enjoyed an exciting life among the top stars of the 1960s, including lover Billy Fury and, later, husband Kenny Everett. Her recording career, however, proved all too brief, after her debut – a take on Earl-Jean’s I’m into something good – was derailed when Herman’s Hermits released a rival version.

Lady Lee was born Audrey Middleton on 14 February 1937 in Sheffield, Yorkshire.

After quitting school, she began working as an usherette in a local cinema. She married young, but the marriage broke down when she became romantically involved with a touring musician while her husband was away on National Service.

After suffering a miscarriage, she moved to London, where she found work singing at The 2i’s Coffee Bar on Old Compton Street in Soho in 1958. Within a year, she began touring with Emile Ford before going on to perform in cabaret at The Bag o’ Nails, another well-known Soho venue.

Impresario Larry Parnes took over managing the young singer, renaming her Lady Lee. Among his roster of stars were the likes of Duffy Power, Billy Fury, Tommy Steele and Marty Wilde. Lee and Power were attracted to each other and moved in together, albeit briefly.

Things changed when she was introduced to Billy Fury, however. The pair fell in love and began a relationship that would see them live together for eight years.

Lady Lee would also tour with the singer as part of a package that included other Parnes signings, under the label Rockin’ with The 2i’s.

It wasn’t 1964, however, that Lee was rewarded for her efforts with a recording contract. Signed to the Decca label, she cut a version of a song that Parnes had found on a trip to the US – the Gerry Goffin and Carole-King-penned I’m into something good, a Stateside hit for Earl-Jean.

Excited by her new record, Lee made what would turn out to be a catastrophic mistake: she played it to former boyfriend Alex Wharton. Wharton had been half of 1950s rock ‘n’ roll duo The Most Brothers with future record producer Mickie Most.