- Born
- Died
- Birth nameTerence Edward Parsons
- Nicknames
- The Cockney Sinatra
- The Singing Bus Driver
- Height5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- While doing his national service in the army in Hong Kong he fixed up his first radio show and ended up in the cells for returning late from leave the night before he was due to go on air, His C,O, was a fan and let him out under guard to go to the studios. Demobbed he worked as a long distance lorry driver between London and Glasgow, In Glasgow between runs he made a private disc. Later he switched to driving a number 27 London bus then Winifred Atwell heard his recording and got him started in show business, He took the name Matt from the first name of a Fleet Street journalist and Monro from the christian name of Winnie's father, Soon he won fame with Cyril Stapleton's Show Band, had a series on Radio Luxembourg, made records and commercials, the most famous being 'You'll Look a Little Lovelier Each Day' and did shows for the BBC and ITV then he slipped into obscurity and almost vanished from the music scene until Fred Flange came to the rescue, It was under that name that he did an impersonation of Frank Sinatra on the opening track of a Peter Sellars mickey taking LP of 'Songs For Swinging Sellars'. As a result of publicity the track got on both sides of the Atlantic, people began to remember that Matt was still around, Soon he was back on top with a new record contract, a trip to the States, West End night club dates, radio series and hit records such as Portrait of My Love and My Kind of Girl
]- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tonyman 5 - Matt was brought up in an orphanage and joined the army at 17 and it was there that he became interested in singing, When he was posted to Hong Kong he began entering talent contests but was barred as a racing cert when he won 6 on the trot so got fixed up in a radio show and ended up in the cells for returning late from leave the night before he was due to go on air, Fortunately his c.o. was a fan and let him out under armed guard to go to the studios, Back home he became a long distance lorry driver doing runs between London and Glasgow and at some point made a private record, which was heard by Winifred Atwell who got him started in show business. He took the name Matt from the first name of a Fleet Street journalist and Monro from the christian name of Winifred's father, Soon he won fame singing with Cyril Stapleton's Show Band which led to a series on Radio Luxemburg, made records and commercials, the most famous being 'You'll Look a Little Lovelier Each Day' for Camay soap but after a while he almost vanished again until under the name of Fred Flange he did an impersonation of Frank Sinatra on a Peter Sellers LP Songs for Swinging Sellers, A hit on both sides of the Atlantic and people realised that Matt was still around.He got a new recording contract,a trip to the States, West End dates, a radio series and hit records with Portrait of My Love and My Kind of Girl- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tonyman 5
- SpousesMickie Monro(April 15, 1959 - February 7, 1985) (his death, 2 children)Iris P. Jordan(January 15, 1955 - ?) (divorced, 1 child)
- Crooning Baritone Voice
- A former bus driver turned traditional pop singer, with a smooth baritone voice, he was a major star in his native England for years but only had a few hits in America, most notably "My Kind of Girl" (1961) and "Walk Away" (1965). He also guested on several U.S. variety shows during the balance of the 1960s, recording, in America, for Liberty and Capitol records.
- His son, Mitchell Terence Parsons, was with his first wife, Iris.
- His children with Mickie were Michele (b. 1959) and Matthew Frederick (b. 21 February 1964).
- Sang the theme song for the James Bond film From Russia with Love (1963). Pierce Brosnan who played Bond between 1995 and 2002, names this as one of his favourite films. Both Monro and Brosnan attended Elliott School in Putney, London, all be it 20 years apart.
- He was an alcoholic for most of his career until a stay at Galsworthy House in Surrey in 1981.
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