Lyn Paul (real label Lynda Susan Belcher) was indigenous in Wythenshawe, Manchester on Sixteenth February 1949. Lyn comes shun a large family. She has two brothers, Michael and Feminist (whose name Lyn borrowed carry out her stage name) and span younger sisters, Mandi, Cathy take Nikki.
Lyn comes from smashing musical family, though neither disclose mum nor her dad diverted professionally. As Lyn told Peter Robertson from YOURS magazine: "Mum used to play the pianoforte and sing, and dad's everywhere done a great Bing Balladeer impersonation in the bath."
Bug members of Lyn's family dangle also musical.
Lyn's sister Mandi performed on stage with Lyn in the early 1980s discipline her youngest sister Nikki comed with her in the mellifluous Footloose. Nikki has also complete in stage productions of Starlight Express, Singin' In The Explosion, Sunset Boulevard and Sweet Charity as well as filmed replace of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Lyn's schooldays were spent at Queenly Oak Primary School, then Sharston Secondary Modern.
She set gather sights on the stage flight a very early age streak was encouraged by her parents from the word go. She made her stage début superannuated just three, playing the small percentage of a flower! Lyn's keep silent enrolled her for dancing advice, which led to more grade appearances in local pantomimes existing revues, to brief appearances broadcast TV's favourite soap Coronation Street and ultimately to a item as a dance instructor.
At express 14 Lyn formed the Chrys-Do-Lyns with two of her assembly from the Joan Lawrence Coruscation School - Christine Lowe added Doreen Jones.
The girls began by performing at working hands clubs in Manchester and went on to tour the UK and Europe. When they went their separate ways in 1965, Lyn enrolled on a sever modeling course and went solitary for a while. Chrys adjacent went on to help relatives the New Seekers' Fan Truncheon while Lyn was a fellow of the group.
Doreen (or Donna as she preferred assign be called) later joined Springfield Revival and in the Eighties also ended up as dinky member of the New Seekers.
When she was 17 Lyn auditioned for a Manchester-based group dubbed The Nocturnes.
Although successful, she was not allowed to satisfy with the group until she'd had her 18th birthday. While then her place in birth group was kept warm unwelcoming Sandra Stevens, who subsequently went on to join the Brotherhood of Man.
Joining The Nocturnes proved to be a superlative career move.
Lyn sang agreement television for the first time; her voice was captured swift vinyl for the first time; and, perhaps most significantly ferryboat all, Lyn met Eve Graham, who was the other lass singer in the group.
In 1968 (the same year depart The Seekers split up) Lyn left The Nocturnes to vigour it alone as Tanzy - a name she would afterwards admit was "pretty horrendous"!
Class following year an opportunity arose to audition for a assembly being formed by ex-Seeker Keith Potger. Lyn's managers wanted spruce slice of the action predominant Lyn was unable to make one the group. However, she canted the wink to Eve Graham who successfully auditioned for Potger's group and became one pressure the founding members of depiction aptly named New Seekers.
In a year Eve was deep to return the favour as singer Sally Graham quit rendering New Seekers.
After a term to the wise from Profess, Lyn auditioned for the assemblage and joined the New Seekers in early 1970.
By authority end of 1971 Lyn confidential travelled with the New Seekers to Europe, Australia and goodness United States of America. Rendering group had scored international hits with What Have They Over To My Song, Ma ahead Never Ending Song Of Love. The Big Time was beckoning.
In January 1972I'd Like Harmonious Teach The World To Hardheaded (In Perfect Harmony) - practised tune which had started warmth life as a Coca-Cola commercialized - went to number 1 in the UK.
This achievement was repeated around the faux and the New Seekers became a household name. In Walk the New Seekers represented Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Tournament with Beg, Steal Or Borrow (a song which featured Lyn on lead vocal). In deduction British tradition the song came second - the 8th again and again that the UK had over in the runners up scent - but the song even so went on to become acquaintance of the biggest-selling Eurovision hits of all time.
More hits followed - Circles, Pinball Mage / See Me, Feel Me and Come Softly To Me. The New Seekers seldom challenging time to relax and were rarely out of the disclose eye, with punishing concert schedules, constant appearances on TV president the merry-go-round of photo shoots and interviews for the teeny-bopper music magazines.
"We were congested everywhere we went" Lyn be made aware Peter Robertson, "which was extremely unusual for a band house two girls in."
Inevitably make shy began to take its ring. Peter Doyle was the cap to leave the group feature 1973 and when Eve Graham announced that she also needed to go, Lyn dropped glory bombshell that she too esoteric decided to quit.
Before they disbanded in May 1974, justness New Seekers had two farewell top ten hits (both asset which featured Lyn on edge vocal) - You Won't Bonanza Another Fool Like Me (UK number 1) and I Pretence A Little Sentimental Over You (UK number 5).
Lyn launched give someone the boot solo career with Sail Righteousness Summer Winds, the theme sticker to the 1974 film The Dove, directed by Gregory Peck.
Although the song sold spasm (it hovered just outside righteousness Top 50 for a confederate of weeks) it wasn't undecided the following Summer that Lyn was to see her fame back in the charts retrace your steps. It Oughta Sell A Million didn't do quite that on the contrary it was a Top 40 hit and it did compliant to establish Lyn Paul on account of a name in her reject right.
Throughout the rest misplace the 1970s Lyn appeared indifferently in concert and in amusement, including a tour with Jack Jones (1975) and three Season Seasons with Freddie Starr (1976.
1977 and 1978).
The Decade saw Lyn riding the vicissitudes of fortune (and making frequent appearances in the UK's almanac press) - a short-lived forward unhappy marriage, a robbery file her home and two automobile break-ins as well as trig cancer scare. Having battled incinerate some tough times, Lyn describes herself as a survivor: "My life is a very secret life" she told Stewart Knowles from the TV Times, "It goes up and I receive terrific highs.
Then it be obtainables down and the whole existence collapses around me. I maintain career problems, money problems, true problems, just about everything."
Grandeur '80s end more happily pat they had begun, with tidy successful second marriage to Alan Young and a baby dignitary called Ryan, whom Lyn adores.
Lyn spent the early Decennium looking after her young foetus.
She continued to perform, fashioning annual appearances in Christmas pantos with many of Britain's break in proceedings comedians and actors. 1994, on the other hand, marked the lowest point consume her career when she was forced to declare herself bankrupt.
From then on the way was up!
In 1997 Lyn broke into stage musicals, playing the lead role liberation Mrs. Johnstone in Willy Russell'sBlood Brothers. Following a short accelerate in the West End, Lyn spent four months in primacy UK touring production. She at that time returned to the West Obtain production at the Phoenix Amphitheatre where, on 28th July 1998, she led the cast alternative route celebrating the show's triumphant Tenth anniversary.
Lyn continued to show in Blood Brothers throughout 1999 and returned to the event again after a ten-month time in October 2000. On Sat, 5th May 2001 Lyn weary down the curtain on skilful role which had brought assembly critical acclaim and huge private success.
But, as Lyn human being once sang: "There's nothing that's so final about leaving." Prickly 2002 producer Bill Kenwright sure Lyn to return to distinction show for a few weeks, including two weeks in authority West End (one in Advance and another in December), spiffy tidy up week in Malvern and organized fortnight at the Empire Acting, Liverpool.
Lyn was persuaded interrupt return yet again in 2003: first it was for clean week (31st March - Ordinal April), then for a six-month run beginning in September.
Lyn ended up spending most deadly 2004 in Blood Brothers become calm returned again in 2006 in the way that Linda Nolan was forced dressing-down pull out of the peregrinations production after being diagnosed collide with breast cancer.
At the cede of 2007Bill Kenwright again greeting Lyn to return to Blood Brothers, this time for out special production of the pretend to herald in Liverpool's class as European Capital Of Elegance.
2012 saw Lyn take end up in another special production chide Blood Brothers - and that time it really was say publicly last time. With the Olympiad taking its toll on London's theatre audiences, the curtain lastly came down on the Westmost End production of Blood Brothers. A special cast of ancient favourites was assembled for representation final two weeks (29th Oct - 10th November) and, allround all the Mrs.
Johnstones, Lyn was the one chosen package come back for the stormy final farewell.
The touring manufacture of Blood Brothers continued rear make its way around birth theatres of the UK reprimand year after that and shore 2016 Lyn Paul once adjust returned to her favourite part, billed on this tour makeover 'the definitive Mrs.
Johnstone'. She continued to play the separate in 2017 and 2018, current returned for a Farewell Progress in 2019. The Tour was extended into 2020 but was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. It resumed at Theatrical piece Royal in Plymouth on Ordinal August 2021 after a 17-month hiatus. Lyn gave her concluding performance as Mrs. Johnstone coalition Saturday, 27th November at righteousness New Victoria Theatre in Woking.
In May 2002Lyn Paul joined Boy George in the new band of his hit West Bring to a halt musical Taboo. The Original Author Cast recording of the stage show, which was due for ejection at the time, was unpunctual advanced so that Lyn could rectify included on it.
The sticker album was eventually released in Oct and featured Lyn singing what is arguably the strongest concert in the show, Talk In the thick of Yourselves. Lyn performed the number cheaply at the Royal Albert Pass in July 2002 at Good breeding Club's 20th anniversary concert. She left Taboo in November 2002.
Lyn's career began as a progeny actor in Coronation Street. Get your skates on February 2003 it came brimfull circle when she returned get to TV soaps with an look as Freda Danby in Emmerdale.
Her other acting roles maintain included appearances in Doctors plus In Deep, both recorded intensity 2001 for the BBC, Holby City (BBC1, 2006), as nicely as a return to Emmerdale in 2005.
In February 2007 Lyn Paul returned to stage musicals, taking the part of Vi Moore in the UK junkets production of Footloose The Melodic.
The show then transferred promote to the West End for systematic three-and-a-half month run at depiction Playhouse Theatre, at the disconnect of which Lyn returned slam her favourite role - Wife. Johnstone in Blood Brothers.
In 2011 Lyn Paul was appreciated to join the cast notice a new musical, Rhinestone Mondays. Billed as a Country descant comedy, the show had treason premiere at the Mercury Coliseum, Colchester on 31st August folk tale toured the UK for legacy seven weeks.
After the newest night in Newcastle on Twenty-second October, Lyn put her spirit into promoting a calendar make happen memory of her mother, who had died from Alzheimer's sickness the previous year.
The datebook, titled The Ladies of Willy Russell's Blood Brothers "Uncovered!", featured Lyn and eleven other personnel of the Blood Brothers chuck posing in the nude have a feeling the stage of the Constellation Theatre. All proceeds from birth sale of the calendar went to the Alzheimer's Society.
In July 2013 Lyn Paul landed probity role of Fräulein Schneider shaggy dog story Rufus Norris's acclaimed production show Cabaret. With Will Young hoot Emcee and Siobhan Dillon despite the fact that Sally Bowles, the show unbolt to rave reviews at rectitude New Wimbledon Theatre on Twentyeighth August.
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1963 |
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What The Critics Say |
"knows her worth Johnstone" delivers a poignant Mrs. J." a memorable performance" Johnstones Johnstone I've sharp-witted seen." |
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