THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER

961-Eddie Holman-Hey There Lonely Girl.

1974-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 0.17. If the work ever drys up, he could always form a Bee Gees tribute act.

‘Hey There Lonely Girl’ was written in 1963 by Leon Carr, (1910-1976) and Earl Shuman, (1923-2013) with the original version of the song being recorded by the American R&B group ‘Ruby & the Romantics, as ‘Hey There Lonely Boy,’ which reached Number 27 on the American Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, although it failed to chart in the UK. The song became a hit for a second time on Billboard in 1970, when the version I have chosen by Eddie Holman reached Number 2, the song also became a hit for a third time on Billboard, when in 1980 the American singer/songwriter Robert John took his recording to Number 31.

Leon Carr one of the songs co-writers was born on June 10th, 1910, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he died on March 27th, 1976, at the age of 65. Carr’s other big success on the Pop charts was co-writing the 1949 Billboard Number 2 hit single ‘There’s No Tomorrow,’ recorded by the American singer Tony Martin, (1913-2012) that songs melody was based on the Italian song ‘O Sole Mio,’ (1898) which would be popularised again in 1960 when Elvis Presley (1935-1977) recorded ‘It’s Now or Never.’ Leon Carr found his greatest success as a writer of marketing jingles used in advertisements, which include, ‘Mounds Candy’ (‘Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut,’), ‘Chevrolet’ (‘See the U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet,’), and the ‘Bert the Turtle’ theme song, for the nuclear public education awareness film ‘Duck and Cover.’ The other writer of ‘Hey There Lonely Girl’ was Earl Shuman who was born on August 2nd, 1923, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, he died on February 13th, 2019, at the age of 95. Other songs that Shuman co-wrote include ‘Starry Eyed’ for Michael Holliday, (UK Number 1-1960) and ‘The Young Mexican Puppeteer’ for Tom Jones, (UK Number 6-1972) which was another song which Shuman co-wrote with Leon Carr.

Eddie Holman was born on June 3rd, 1946, in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, during his career he has covered the genres of ‘R&B,’ ‘Soul,’ ‘Gospel,’ and ‘Pop.’ The discography of Eddie Holman includes four studio Albums released between 1969-2007, and four official compilations issued between 1989-2014. Holman recorded his first single ‘What You Don’t Know Won’t Hurt You,’ on the ‘Leopard Records’ label in 1962, and over the next few years his singles would find limited success on differing Billboard charts. His big breakthrough came in 1970 when his cover version of ‘Hey There Lonely Girl’ reached Number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, the song would also make Number 4 in the UK in 1974. ‘Hey There Lonely Girl’ has sold in excess of one million copies worldwide for Eddie Holman, but the song remains his only hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

Eddie Holman has a striking falsetto voice, which the British music journalist Tony Cummings has written about,’Eddie Holman’s voice, an astonishing precision instrument which can leap octaves with the speed of mercury and bend notes into shapes unimagined by lesser singers, has assured its possessor a place in Soul history.’ Holman went on to become an ordained Baptist minister, who believes that his talent is a gift from God, and therefore it must be used to glorify his maker. Holman has said,’That those who are blessed with creative talent have a responsibility to encourage personal accountability, and to set the best example possible because of the powerful influence that they have on the lives of so many young ones.’

‘In 2008 ‘Hey There Lonely Girl’ was brought to the attention of a whole new generation when it was used in the second series of the British television sitcom ‘Benidorm.’ In a very memorable scene the character ‘Mel,’ who was portrayed by Geoffrey Hutchings, (1939-2010) attempts to sing in the style of Eddie Holman, while performing on the karaoke machine, to his fiancee Madge Harvey.

‘Ever since he broke your heart you seem so lost each time you pass my way. Oh, how I long to take your hand, and say don’t cry, I’ll kiss your tears away.’