P.J. Proby

For the last few years, Proby has continued theatre work. Less known is the fact that he was the writer of the song that later became famous as - Strangers in the Night. The single "Yesterday Has Gone" reaches Number 4 on the UK chart. His other international hits are Muli-Song (1960), Mit 17 fängt das Leben erst an (1960), Ein ganzes Leben lang (1962), Rot ist der Wein (1966), and Ich zeig' dir den Sonnenschein (1971). A year later Proby returns to a new production of Elvis as well as releasing the album Legend featuring contributions from Mark Almond, and Neal X from Sigue Sigue Sputnik. He performed and collaborated with well-known artists such as Kaempfert, Freddy Quinn, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra. In 1991 Proby suffered a heart attack which curtailed his activities until 1995 when he reappears on stage in the biographical musical Roy Orbison as Orbison. Robić was very active in recording for Germany's Polydor label, selling millions of albums and singles.

His career followed a similar path trod by Tom Jones in the 1980s, by covering contemporary songs beginning with a version of Joy Division's epic "Love Will Tear Us Apart" followed with Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" and The Sex Pistol's "Anarchy in the UK", he enjoyed minor success but unlike Jones, was largely neglected by the media. It has also been performed by many other artists. He then returned to singing in clubs before embarking on a change of direction. An English version, One More Sunrise, sung by Leslie Uggams, reached #98 on the same charts. In 1978, Proby recorded with Dutch rock group Focus releasing Focus con Proby. Following its success in Germany, the German-language version became a #13 hit on the popular charts in the United States and earned both artists a Gold Record. Signing with Good again in 1977, he portrayed Elvis Presley in a theatrical production of the singer, Elvis: on Stage with received rave reviews, winning a Best Musical of the Year award. That song was the first collaboration between Robić and Bert Kaempfert.

After Catch My Soul he continued to perform mostly in cabarets and nightclubs, singing 1960s ballads and rhythm 'n' blues material. Robić was nicknamed "Mister Morgen" following the success of his first international hit, Morgen, in 1959. It enjoyed a successful run in London's West End. When he began, he was the only artist from Yugoslavia whose records were available in the record shops of Europe and the rest of the world. In 1971, he appeared on stage as Iago in a rock musical version of Shakespeare's Othello, called Catch My Soul. A pioneer of popular Yugoslavian music from the early 1950s on, Robić was an artist who successfully pursued both domestic and international careers for almost half a century. A collection of country-style ballads mixed with blues, the album is noted more for its association with Led Zeppelin than its commercial success. In his own country, the most memorable of his many songs might be Vraćam se Zagrebe tebi (Coming Back to You, My Zagreb), Ta tvoja ruka mala (That Little Hand of Yours), and Tiho plove moje čežnje (Silent Sail of My Yearnings).

With the future members of Led Zeppelin, Proby recorded Three Week Hero in 1969. During his career, which started in 1948 in what was then Yugoslavia, he made more than one hundred records, mostly singles. He returned to the United States to rest and start a horse breeding business. He began his career as a soloist with the Radio Zagreb Orchestra, while studying at the same time in Zagreb. Poor investment decisions led Proby to briefly declare himself bankrupt. Robić was born in Bjelovar. He is then cast in the production of Finian's Rainbow, but is overshadowed by financial problems. Ivo Robić (January 29, 1923 - March 9, 2000) was a popular Croatian singer and songwritter.

In 1967 Proby scores a Top 30 hit "Niki Hoeky" in the United States. He also challenged Tom Jones to a singing contest but Jones did not respond. During a concert with Cilla Black in 1967, he asked to be paid in advance and was controversially dropped from the rest of her tour by theatre managers. Critics and the audience were divided on whether he was using a gimmick to promote his image or just being an eccentric rock star.

The trouser splitting happened again at the next venue. The females in the audience went wild. His career however was also affected by controversies. Wearing skin tight trousers on stage, during a concert in England in 1966, they split open. A royalty dispute with Liberty Records in 1966, breaks his run of success on the singles chart.

Under the production of Good, Proby's balladeer style and theatrical presentation scored a string of hits in 1964 with "Hold Me", "Together" (featuring session guitarist Jimmy Page), "Somewhere", "Maria", and "I Apologise". Proby, Good's deliberately created an overtly sexual image for Proby. Appearing on The Beatles 1964 television special, he received great media interest with his tight trousers, frilled shirts, and pony-tailed hairstyle. J. By then dropping Jett Powers in favour of using the name P.

He travels to London where he meets songwriter Jackie DeShannon in 1963, who introduces him to TV producer Jack Good who sees Proby as a future star. In 1962 he begins songwriting and recording demos, when he is spotted by the label Liberty Records. Two singles "Go Girl Go" and "Loud Perfume" are released on an independent label but are not noticed. Using the stage name Jett Powers, he takes acting and singing lessons and appears in movies with small roles.

His family moved to Los Angeles, California where he developed an interest in rockabilly and Elvis Presley. He grew up in a military family where he receives an education at a base school. Proby was born in Houston, Texas. Proby was suggested to him by a friend Sharon Sheeley, after a high school boyfriend.

His name P.J. Proby, born James Marcus Smith (November 6, 1938), is a singer, songwriter, and actor noted for his outstanding theatrical portrayal of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison and interpretations of modern standards, much in the vein of Tom Jones. P.J. Legend (1996).