Tony Brent

b. Reginald Bretagne, 13 August 1926, Bombay, India, d. 19 June 1993, Sydney, Australia. Brent was a popular singer in the UK during the 50s, having moved there on Boxing Day 1947. Two years later he won a talent contest at the Kingston Regal Theatre singing ‘Some Enchanted Evening’, which led to work with Ambrose and Cyril Stapleton’s BBC Showband. Contrary to disinformation spread at the time by his agent, and subsequently repeated by his record company, he had not arrived in England from the USA, nor had he sang with former Glenn Miller accompanist Tex Beneke and his band. In 1952 he made his chart debut with a cover version of one of Sammy Kaye’s last hits, ‘Walkin’ To Missouri’, and began to tour the variety circuit and appear on television. His other chart entries through until 1959 included ‘Make It Soon’, ‘Got You On My Mind’, ‘Cindy, Oh Cindy’, ‘Dark Moon’, ‘The Clouds Will Soon Roll By’, ‘Girl Of My Dreams’ and ‘Why Should I Be Lonely?’. He additionally duetted with Billie Anthony on a recording of the similarly titled ‘I Get So Lonely’. Brent also released two sets of standards, Off Stage and Tony Takes Five. His EPs included Time For Tony and Tony Calls The Tune. He was subsequently overwhelmed by the 60s beat group scene and retreated to the clubs. Eventually, he resumed his travels, and left the UK for Australia, where he died of a heart attack in 1993.