Valerie Masters

Valerie Masters (born 24 April 1940) is a British former singer, television and radio presenter and actress, who recorded and performed in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Life and career

She was born in Stepney Green, East London, the daughter of Jacob Muster and Sarah "Sally" Sassienie. She started work as a typist and personal secretary for the mayor of Stepney before, at the age of 17, being introduced to Ray Ellington and shortly afterwards joining his band as featured vocalist, to replace Marion Ryan. She remained with Ellington's band until 1959, and also recorded as a solo singer. Her first record, "The Secret of Happiness", was released on the Fontana label in April 1958. She continued to record a series of singles for Fontana through to 1961; none made the official UK singles chart although her 1960 single "Banjo Boy" made the lower reaches of the New Musical Express's own chart. Between 1959 and 1961 she had her own show on Radio Luxembourg, Valerie and her Boyfriends, and in 1960 she represented Britain in the European Song Contest (unrelated to the Eurovision Song Contest), following which she became popular in Scandinavia, Germany and the Netherlands. She also appeared frequently on BBC radio and on television, as well as performing live in cabaret and clubs, often with Ellington's former pianist Dick Katz (1916-1981); they married in 1961.