Visiting Singer Has A Passion For Noddy

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 2

Visiting Singer Has A Passion For Noddy

Sheila Buxton, the singer with the Xic Oliver show, collects minks, teddy bears, shoes, and has a passion for Enid Blyton’s character. Noddy. She has named her two mink coats Noddy senior and Noddy junior, according to their respective lengths. Both are with her in New Zealand, but so far she has only been able to carry them hopefully over her arm. A vivacious blonde in her late twenties, Miss Buxton has many interests outside her career.

When she became attached to the fictional Noddy about two years ago, she started calling things she liked by that name. Besides her two minks, her Noddy* include a saloon car and a boyfriend A teddy bear once featured in one of Miss Buxton's television senes. It appeared

on the show as a personality and she would talk to it After the senes, th<

comedian. Kenneth Horn, presented her with a white teddy bear about 4ft high, which she added to a growing collection.

Another of Miss Buxton's collections is shoes. She owns about 100 pairs of assorted colours and styles, but her favourites are plain black suede courts Car Racing and Rugby Car racing and Rugby are included among her hobbies. She also loves to do the twist. One of her favourite 'twist haunts" is a club in London devoted entirely to the dance. "This is a lush and expensive place, wri; a fairly exclusive clientele." Miss Buxton said Miss Buxton has been in show business professionally for. about 12 years. Her repertoire of songs includes evergreen favourites such as Cole Porter and Gershwin numbers. She also sings pop music and songs from such shows as “Oklahoma.’’

A popularity poll conducted by a British national newspaper in 1960 rated her both top vocal personality and top television personality for the year.

Miss Buxton's work in England is mainly with radio and television, on both of which she has her own shows. Her former show on radio was “Made 'With Music” and on television “Little Miss Music.” Her television show currently running in England is “The Singing Years.’ Records and Touring

Recordings and touring are included in Miss Buxton’s busy life. At one time she made several 45 records for Columbia and Top Rank. She has toured extensively in Europe, and around British seaside resorts. On her return. she will appear for the

second time in a Biackpool revue, when she ' will be billed as the second artist in a programme of five top names.

The Sheila Buxton Fan Club, with a membership of 700 at its height, does not claim much of her attention. because, as she explained. she had so little spare time. Her musical training came from her father, a professional singer with a light baritone voice. Miss Buxton said yesterday she owed her success largely to her parents, who had always encouraged and helped her. Her sister. Miss Maureen Buxton, is her secretary, bu’ is not accompanying her on this tour. Miss Buxton has. however, brought her own pianist wi:<h her. He is Mr Brian Fitzgerald. who lives in her home town of Manchester. Mr Fitzgerald is musical director for the Vic Oliver show.