David Whitfield

Statue opposite New Theatre, Kingston Square, HU1 3HF Grid C1

David Whitfield was born in Hull 1926. He sung in his church choir and whilst in the Royal Navy, entertained his shipmates by singing solo and in groups. After leaving the Navy, David won Hughie Green’s “Opportunity Knocks” on Radio Luxembourg, but after touring with the show, returned to Hull to work as a coalman’s mate. In 1953 he made his first record, and during the next few years, went on to score many hits in the UK charts. David’s biggest hit was “Cara Mia”, with which in 1954, he became the first British male singer to earn a gold disc for one million record sales in the UK, and the first British artist to enter the US Top Ten. He continued to have Top Ten hits up to 1957, performing in variety and pantomime, and toured the world until 1980, when he died in Australia of a brain haemorrhage.