in ''
Let's Make Love'' (1960) Vaughan was born Frank Fruim Abelson on Devon Street in the
Islington district of
Liverpool on 3 February 1928, one of four children of Isaac and Leah Abelson. When he won a prize in a design contest, he left for London, where he won second prize on a radio talent show. This led to further bookings on the variety circuit, and he appeared with the veteran male impersonator
Hetty King on several occasions. Her guidance helped change Vaughan's style for the rest of his career. He became known as a fancy dresser, wearing
top hat,
bow tie,
tails, and
cane. He made his first records in 1950 for
Decca, but there was a gap of over two years before he resumed his recording career with
His Master's Voice. In August 1952, he joined the dance band of
Nat Temple for around a year, but the popularity of further recordings he made in 1953 encouraged him to return to the variety stage. He switched to the
Philips label and in 1955, he recorded what was to become his trademark song, "
Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl". The same year he was voted 'Showbusiness Personality of the Year'. He made several films with Herbert Wilcox and Anna Neagle. Managed at this time by former journalist and theatrical agent Paul Cave, Vaughan stayed in the United States for a time to make a film with
Marilyn Monroe, ''
Let's Make Love (1960), and was an actor in several other films, but his recordings did not achieve success in the US, with the exception of "Judy", which reached No. 100 on the Billboard'' Hot 100 in August 1958. In 1961, Vaughan was on the bill at the
Royal Variety Performance at the
Prince of Wales Theatre,
Coventry Street, London. That December, Vaughan hit No. 1 in the UK again, with "
Tower of Strength", written by
Burt Bacharach and
Bob Hilliard. The rise of
beat music eclipsed Vaughan's chart career, before he returned to the
Top 10 in 1967 with "There Must Be a Way". In 1985, Vaughan starred in a stage version of
42nd Street at
Drury Lane in London, His wife Stella donated archival materials, including scores and sheet music he had collected throughout his career, to Liverpool John Moores University in 2000. ==Awards and honours==