Two ‘Tornados’ hit Notts TV’s 6:30 Show sofa to talk about their upcoming Nottingham based band tour and what it’s like to work with a rock legend.
Original Fury’s Tornados lead guitarist Chris Raynor and lead singer Colin Gold visited Notts TV this week to reveal how they are keeping Billy Fury’s legacy alive with their nationwide UK tour.
The band is to appear at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall on Thursday, March 5 with their show “Halfway to Paradise – the Billy Fury Story“.
Picked by Billy to perform with him throughout the 70’s, the Fury’s Tornados spotted singer Colin Gold on TV’s ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ back in 1996 and chose him to replace the rock legend.
Colin told The 6:30 Show that when he received the call from Chris he immediately thought it was a hoax.
He said:
Chris phoned me and I thought someone is winding me up here so I casually put the phone down.
“He rang back and 18 years later, I’m still doing it!”
Chris, named the “next best thing” to Billy by Colin, talked about the hey days of Billy Fury and his Tornados.
![Billy Fury & Furys Tornados - Billy,Charlie Elston,Chris Raynor & [seated] John Raynor 1974](http://news.nottstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Billy-Fury-Furys-Tornados-BillyCharlie-ElstonChris-Raynor-seated-John-Raynor-1974.jpg)
Image: Billy Fury and Fury’s Tornados in 1974, Credit: (TREVOR SIMPSON, ELVIS: THE BEST OF BRITISH)
“He was such a big star of his generation, even 4 of 5 years from his last hit record he would still pack venues in and the audience would go crazy.
Billy was a real British treasure.
Chris Raynor, Fury’s Tornados
Not unfamiliar with being on the road, Chris says there has been a resurgence with interest in Billy and touring is still as great as it used to be.
Video: Colin and Chris talk about their changed audiences at shows.A History Lesson: Billy Fury and his Tornados
Billy Fury was described as Britain’s own Elvis.
He stormed the charts with 29 hit singles including “Last Night Was Made For Love” and “Halfway to Paradise” which both spent over half a year in the charts.
He scored more hit 45’s in the 1960’s than The Beatles and he sold more singles for his label, Decca, than the Rolling Stones during the 60’s.
The Fury’s Tornados split up when Billy died in 1983 at the age of 42.
Colin said he originally thought he had no chance pulling off performing as Billy Fury.
“His build was totally different to mine so I thought there was no chance.
“I never actually studied Billy and he had some obscure and unusual movements- unbeknown to me I’d be doing them on the stage and people would say Billy used to do that.
I fell into it ,quite lucky really
Colin Gold plays Billy Fury
All original members of the band will be performing in the show together with Colin Gold playing Billy.
Pictures of Billy Fury will be projected onto a giant film screen behind the band whilst they play.
Watch below to see Colin Gold and Fury’s Tornados performing ‘Wondrous Place’ from the show.
To catch the full Fury’s Tornados interview you can watch more on Notts TV On Demand.
