Billie Anthony (born Philomena McGeachie Levy in Glasgow on 11 October 1932 — 5 January 1991) was a Scottish female singer.
In October 1953, after months of voice training and with her name changed to Billie Anthony, she recorded and released her first single for Columbia Records called "I'd Rather Take My Time" coupled with "Things Go Wrong". However it flopped.
January 1954 saw the release of her second record, "Ricochet", followed in March by, "Bell Bottom Blues", both of which did well for Alma Cogan, Teresa Brewer and Joan Regan. Both sides of her next release "Cross Over The Bridge" and "I Get So Lonely" were recorded in April as duets with Tony Brent.
Her sixth record release in October finally made the charts. The song was "This Ole House". Several other singers recorded the same song, including Alma Cogan and Joan Regan, but it was Rosemary Clooney who jockeyed with Anthony for the highest chart position. Clooney, in the charts for eighteen weeks, finally won the battle for the coveted number one spot both in the UK and America. Anthony reached No.4 in the UK and remained in the UK singles chart for sixteen weeks.
With the success of "This Ole House", she became known as "Britain's Blonde Bombshell". However, although she looked terrific, and had a good voice, no other record of hers ever made the UK chart, leaving her with the unfortunate one hit wonder tag. Her two follow up discs, "Teach Me Tonight" and "No More", went almost unnoticed.
This is from a '78' I bought around 1955. The Banjo's Back In Town - Sung by Billie Anthony with the Big Ben Banjo Band. Columbia D.B. 3648.
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