Wayne Fontana (born Glynn Ellis on 28 October 1945, Manchester, Lancashire), was a popular mid sixties pop singer. In 1962, he formed his group Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders and got a recording contract. Hit tracks with The Mindbenders included 1964’s UK top 5 single “Um Um Um Um Um Um”, and 1965’s “Game of Love” which hit US #1.
He was still under contract to Fontana Records after parting with The Mindbenders. He soldiered on alone, using musicians under the name of the Opposition. Notably, Frank Renshaw (now in the Canary Islands), Bernie Burns (drums), Roy ‘Rossi’ Henshall (bass) (also now Canary Islands), Rod Gerrard (guitar, ex Herman’s Hermits - now in America) and Phil Keane (drums) amongst others. Sometimes they were billed as the Mindbenders, or just as the Wayne Fontana band. Fontana’s most successful solo single release was also his last big hit, “Pamela, Pamela”, which reached Number 11 in the UK Singles Chart early in 1967. He soldiered on, releasing several more singles including “The Impossible Years” and “24 Sycamore” in 1967 which were both hits in Australia. His last known 7” 45 rpm was released in 1976, but he continued to perform on the oldies circuit.
In 2005, long past his hit making prime, he fought off bankruptcy, but was arrested after police were called by bailiffs who went to his home in Glossop, Derbyshire. In a protest against a 570 pound London congestion fine, he poured petrol on to the bonnet of the collection baliff’s car, and set it alight. After his arrest, Fontana 61, then appeared at Derby Crown Court dressed as the lady of justice, with a sword, scales, crown, cape and dark glasses, claiming he was a victim of an “establishment conspiracy” and that “justice is blind”. He dismissed his lawyers On 10 November 2007, he was sentenced to 11 months for setting fire to the car but was released because he had already served the equivalent of the term, held under the UK’s Mental Health Act of 1983.
Fontana told the media he would be moving to Spain after settling the legal matters.
|
