All the papers reported the death yesterday of 70s glam star Alvin Stardust. But “Alvin” was just a joke name under which songwriter Peter Shelley had recorded “My Coo Ca Choo”. To Shelley’s astonishment, it entered the charts and the call came to appear on Top of The Pops. Shelley didn’t want to so he needed someone to dress up and go on as “Alvin”. He got hold of a Northern club singer called Bernard Jewry who’d had a minor hit years earlier under the name Shane Fenton. He went on Top of the Pops and mimed to this record. It shot to No.2 and Alvin was suddenly a star. Bernard then took on the Alvin persona and sang on all subsequent hits. Bernard Jewry died yesterday aged 72 but Alvin Stardust didn’t. How can he die when he never really existed?
