- Born
- Died
- Birth nameFrank Abelson
- Nickname
- Mr. Moonlight
- Height5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
- His grandmother came to Britain from Russia with her son and daughter (Frank's mother) after her soldier husband deserted her. His parents married young and both worked, so he was brought up by his grandmother. His biggest disappointment was that she died before he became successful so that she never saw what she believed he could do..He became the the first British entertainer to top the bill in New York and Las Vegas, and, after making the film 'Let's Make Love' with Marilyn Monroe, big plans were being made for him, so his family joined him in America. After a while they discovered that the American way of life wasn't for them. He was always shy, didn't like show business parties and always got nervous before he went on stage, getting embarrassed if he knew any of his family were in the audience. He was married to Stella, had a son David born in 1954, who married Karen, a daughter, Susan, born 1958 and son Andrew born 1965.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5 - Born in Liverpool, he lived in one of the toughest areas with his Russian refugee mother and his upholster father. While he was as tough as the other boys he was always honest. During the war, the family's house was demolished and they moved to Lancaster where at the local boys club he learned to value boxing, seeing that it kept the boys out of trouble which is something he never forgot. He joined the army, trained as a medical orderly and was posted to a navy corvette spending three years at sea. On being demobbed, he went to the College of Art where he became a commercial artist. He was not very successful, so he tried getting work as a singer, having performed at troop concerts. On becoming successful, he remembered the boys clubs and donated some of his record earnings to them.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5
- SpouseStella Shock(1950 - September 17, 1999) (his death, 3 children)
- Devoted to his wife and children, he decided not to pursue a Hollywood career after his experiences on Let's Make Love (1960). He said he never regretted that decision. Son Andrew Ableson is an actor and son David was a record promoter.
- He was the son of a Russian-Jewish upholsterer who lived in a poor area of Liverpool.
- The story goes that his change of name from Frank Abelson to Frankie Vaughan came about when he announced to his Russian grandmother that he intended to be a singer, and she told him, "Vell," she said, "then you vill be the best von there ever vas."
- He was closely associated with the song "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl," an old song which he discovered in a Glasgow music shop in 1954. He first sang it on stage wearing a top hat hired from an undertaker, and it became his signature tune.
- Was a singer and dancer who performed in cabarets and legitimate theater.
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