Joe Longthorne

Who is Joe Longthorne?

Joseph Patrick Longthorne MBE is an English singer of Romani ethnicity, who has performed in several Royal Variety Performances.

Longthorne was born into a show business family;he has a son named Ricky who was named after an early friend and manager of Joes's, Ricky Hamilton. His parents were both travelling show people. Joe is from a very famous street in Hull, Hessle Road, known for it's fishing community. Joe considers himself as a "Hessle roader", local term in Hull. When he was six, he came first in a talent show and his prize was a toy motor car. At fourteen he landed a part in Yorkshire Television's series Junior Showtime, and remained with the show for over two years. He then turned professional and earned a living in Northern working men's clubs. It was through the London Weekend Television series Search For a Star in 1981 that Longthorne was first launched onto the British televiewing public as a singer and impressionist, and his success on the show led to appearances at the London Palladium and a month long season at London's Talk of the Town.

The following year Longthorne received the Variety Club's award for most promising artiste. In 1985 he was invited to headline a season at the Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. He made a further breakthrough on British television in 1987, starring in Live From The Palladium and Des O'Connor Tonight. Longthorne also released three platinum albums for Telstar, The Joe Longthorne Songbook, Especially For You and The Joe Longthorne Christmas Album. He has even sold out at hotels in Las Vegas. He is well known for his rendition of Dame Shirley Bassey, which is astonishing to hear in person. When Joe mimics a singer, for example Dame Shirley Bassey, his facial expressions change into the character of the artist he is impersonating. It was around the time of his appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in 1989, that he was diagnosed with lymphoma.