fame and death

[paddywoo]

Who is the oldest person still alive to have had a number one single?

And this is a bit more morbid, which person died the soonest after having a number one single?

[jenstar]

I think Frankie Laine is the oldest surviving person to have had a UK number one hit. He was born 30 March 1913, so he's 91.

Soonest to die after a number one hit might be Freddie Mercury. He died ten months after Queen had a number one hit with "Innuendo".

Songwriter Jerry Ross died in 1955 *while* The Johnston Brothers' version of one of his songs, "Hernando's Hideaway", was number one.

[paddywoo]

oh your good, where do you learn all this stuff?