Pearl Carr born 2 November 1921

Pearl Lavinia Carr (born 2 November 1921) and Edward Victor "Teddy" Johnson (born 4 September 1919) are an English husband-and-wife team of entertainers, popular during the 1950s and early 1960s.

Carr was born in Exmouth, Devon, while Johnson was born in Surbiton, Surrey. They were both successful solo singers before their marriage in 1955.

Pearl’s father owned a fish and chip shop, but her mother was a singer and dancer who also ran a private dancing school. Pearl soon discovered she had a talent for tap-dancing. She joined the troupe “Terry’s Juveniles” and later became a “Cochran Young Lady” and appeared at His majesty’s Theatre in “Big Top” with Beatrice Lillie , Fred Emney and Patricia Burke.

Following this, Pearl moved to the Palladium as one of Dorothe Morrow’s Three In harmony, to appear in the Tommy Trinder revue “Best Bib & Tucker.” Pearl also started touring the Astoria Cinema chain doing solo work with various bands includingLew Stone, Phil Green and Laslie Douglas.

It was with Douglas’s orchestra that Pearl made her first recording in 1947 of two music hall songs. She was also increasingly busy with broadcasting work, appearing with bands of Maurice Winnick and Cyril Stapleton. She was voted top female singer of the year 1950/51 with the popular music magazine Melody maker. She also appeared on 'Educating Archie' in 1951.

Carr had been lead singer with the Keynotes, who had two British hits in 1956 with Dave King: "Memories Are Made of This" (#5) and "You Can't Be True To Two" (#11). She also was a popular radio singer and comedian on Bernard Braden's Bedtime With Braden radio show.

Johnson had led his own teenage band, was a professional drummer and a recording artist for Columbia in the early 1950s. He also was a DJ on Radio Luxembourg and later on BBC Radio 2, and had appeared in television shows such as the BBC's children's
Crackerjack.

The pair were frequently on British television light entertainment programmes, such as The Winifred Atwell Show as well as Big Night Out and Blackpool Night Out. They represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 and finished second with the song "Sing, Little Birdie". This peaked at #12 on the UK Singles Chart. 
 

They also tried to represent the United Kingdom again in 1960 entering two songs into the pre-selection, "Pickin' Petals" and "When The Tide Turns", the latter making the final. It was up against Johnson's own brother, Bryan. In the end Bryan won and went on to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960. He also came second, with the song "Looking High, High, High". Carr and Johnson released another single the following year entitled, "How Wonderful To Know", which charted at #23 in the UK.

 

 

  They remained a popular act on the variety circuit into the 1980s. In 1983 they were recipients of the Gold Badge of merit from the British Acadamy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. In 1986, the two were the subject of an edition of This Is Your Life. After this success finished, they appeared in a West End revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies. playing the roles of "Wally and Emily Whitman" and performing the song "Rain on the roof" 

Pearl Carr (now 95) and Teddy Johnson (now 97) both live in Brinsworth House, a home for retired entertainers.

(Info various, mainly edited from Wikipedia & an article from the British Music Hall Society by Geoff Bowden)

Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson sing a host of Cockney songs including "My Old Man Said Follow The Van". 1961

Teddy Johnson born 4 September 1919

Teddy Johnson (born September 4, 1919*) is a popular British singer in the 50’s & 60’s, also part of the husband and wife duo of Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson.

Edward Victor Johnson was born in 1919, in South East London and by the age of 14 was an amateur drummer and singer with his own band “Teddy Johnson & His Rhythm Kings.” On leaving school he held various office jobs before becoming a drummer on

the P&O ship SS Corfu. After fourteen weeks he managed to get work with the National Entertainment Association who employed musicians on the big liners.

Teddy made his first broadcast in 1939 for Radio Ceylon when he sang “Music Maestro PleaseHis musical career came to a standstill with the Second World War. He was in the merchant Navy, finishing up on the Queen Mary as a butcher until 1944. 

After the war he worked as a drummer at the Streatham Locarno, also with the bands of Phil Green and Roland Peachey. He joined Radio Luxembourg on 28 May 1948 where he presented the ‘Top Twenty’ show on Sundays. Having to fill in most of the airtime alone, Johnson adopted various personalities for different broadcasts, such as E. Victor Johnson or Edward V Johnson. Johnson and Geoffrey Everitt ran the English service by themselves until 1950. Johnson left Radio Luxembourg in May 1950 to resume his singing career.

He made his first record in 1950 “Beloved Be Faithful” which proved a success and Teddy started touring in variety. He first met Pearl Carr in 1951 on the Light Programme Show “Black Magic” and by 1955 were wed. Together they became a husband-and-wife team of entertainers,  becoming regulars on a host of TV, radio, and variety shows such as The Winifred Atwell Show as well as Big Night Out and Blackpool Night Out.

Eurovision was the peak of their commercial career, with "Sing Little Birdie" also climbing to number 12 on the U.K. chart. The duo's attempts to represent their country at the 1960 event, however, foundered in the qualifying section, where their "Pickin' Petals" was beaten out by Teddy's own brother, Bryan Johnson, whose "Looking High High High" finished second at the main event. Carr & Johnson scored a second U.K. hit in 1961 with "How Wonderful to Know."

Although Teddy Johnson was best-known for his Eurovision hit with his wife Pearl Carr, he was a prolific and popular recording artist during the ‘50s, making 30 singles for EMI. During the late 50's they both recorded for the Pye label as well. 

 

As an actor Teddy appeared in the films Music Shop (1958), The Eurovision Song Contest (1959) and The Unforgettable Ernie Wise (2011). later on BBC Radio 2, and had appeared in television shows such as the BBC's children's Crackerjack.

In 1986, Teddy & Pearl were the subject of an edition of This Is Your Life.  In 1987, they were stars of a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies musical and remained a popular act on the variety circuit into the 1980s.

Teddy & Pearl were regarded in the profession as a vocal speciality and as such were in constant demand throughout their long careers and can be justly proud of their contribution they have madeboth separately and together to British show business and the popular musical industry. (Below is a recent photo of Teddy & Pearl with Bobby Crush).

 

They are now enjoying a well-earned retirement in Brinsworth House, a care home for retired performers)!. (Edited mainly from “Mr. & Mrs. Music by Geoff Brown”) (* other sources give 1920 wrongly as Teddy’s birth year) 

Here's a clip of Peal Carr & Teddy Johnson sing "How Wonderful To Know" and "Bangers & Mash". From 1961