Matt Monro Death
Matt passed away on February 7, 1985 at the age of 54 in London, England, UK. Matt's cause of death was liver cancer.
When did Matt Monro die?
February 7, 1985How did Matt Monro die? What was the cause of death?
Liver cancerHow old was Matt Monro when died?
54Where did Matt Monro die? What was the location of death?
London, England, UK
Matt Monro Birthday and Date of Death
Matt Monro was born on December 1, 1930 and died on February 7, 1985. Matt was 54 years old at the time of death.
Birthday: December 1, 1930
Date of Death: February 7, 1985
Age at Death: 54
Matt Monro - Biography
Matt Monro (1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985), known as The Man With The Golden Voice, was an English singer who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout his 30-year career, he filled cabarets, nightclubs, music halls, and stadiums in Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. AllMusic has described Monro as "one of the most underrated pop vocalists of the '60s", who "possessed the easiest, most perfect baritone in the business".
Prior to producing the Peter Sellers album Songs for Swingin' Sellers in 1960, George Martin asked Monro to record a satirical ditty to help the comedian imitate the song with a Frank Sinatra-type styling. When Sellers heard the recording he decided to use it to open the record rather than record his own version. However, Sellers billed Monro as "Fred Flange," and though it was a demoralising experience at the time, the incident developed into a lifelong friendship with Martin, who subsequently asked Monro to begin recording with him for EMI's Parlophone record label. Their second single and Monro's highest UK chart success, "Portrait of My Love", written by Cyril Ornadel and Norman Newell OBE (using the pseudonym "David West") reached number three in the UK Singles Chart.
Monro was a heavy smoker and battled alcoholism from the 1960s until 1981. He died from liver cancer on 7 February 1985 at the Cromwell Hospital, Kensington, London, aged 54, leaving a widow, Mickie, and three children: Mitchell, Michele, and Matthew. Mitchell, a professional pilot, also died of cancer, in 2004. Matt Monro was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. The ashes were removed by the family. A memorial service was also held in Harrow.
Monro never recorded a "live" concert album, preferring the technical purity of the recording studio and wanting his public performances to retain an element of uniqueness. However, in the past few years, commercially released concert albums have emerged following meticulous remastering of radio and television shows, private recordings he commissioned. These include an intimate 1967 cabaret performance from his first tour of Australia; a 1967 BBC concert with Nelson Riddle; a 1966 arena concert before 24,000 fans in Manila; and one of his final concerts, recorded on the last night of his fourteenth and final Australian tour in 1984.
