Larry Parnes (full name Laurence Maurice Parnes) was born 1930, in Willesden, London; died 4th August, 1989, London. British pop group manager and impresario. He was amusingly known as "Parnes, shillings and pence", because of his known reticence in paying performers their worth.

Larry Parnes had a reputation for signing singers and giving them descriptive names, including Tommy Steele (Tommy Hicks), Marty Wilde (Reg Smith né Patterson), Billy Fury, (Ron Wycherly), Vince Eager (Roy Taylor), Dickie Pride (Richard Knellar), Duffy Power (Ray Howard), Johnny Gentle (John Askew), and Georgie Fame (Clive Powell).

Songwriters like Lionel Bart provided original material.

He auditioned and turned down The Silver Beatles, who were yet to change their name to The Beatles, as a backing band for Billy Fury, who also came from Liverpool, but did use them to back Johnny Gentle, which was one of many early breaks for the band.

In 1967 he announced that he had outgrown the world of pop and would be devoting himself to the theatre. In 1972 he bought a 12-year lease of the Cambridge Theatre. During the 1970s he administered the business affairs of the Olympic ice-skater John Currie.

Parnes was also a horse racing fan, owning horses, including "Cambridge Gold," named after his involvement in the Cambridge Theatre and John Currie.

References

• Then & Now Article
• Knitting Circle

English music managers | English theatre managers and producers | 1930 births | 1989 deaths | The Beatles