Ronnie Carroll (born Ronald Cleghorn, 18 August 1934, Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a British singer and entertainer. Through work in Variety theatre he met his first wife, Millicent Martin. He scored his first hit in 1956 with "Walk Hand in Hand" on the Philips label. He was chosen as the singer for Britain's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1962, and with the song "Ring-A-Ding Girl" shared fourth place, the same placing he reached in 1963 with another British Eurovision Song Contest entry, "Say Wonderful Things". Carroll is the only singer to have represented the UK in the competition two years in succession. This success was followed by two Top 10 hits during 1962 and 1963, but a lack of good material meant that he could not sustain a chart presence. Although somehow never quite breaking through into the very top flight of British singers, Ronnie Carroll's output on disc was well enough received. Carroll subsequently worked on cruise ships, including the QE2, with John Marcangelo who was the drummer with the Ronnie Carroll Orchestra. He contested Hampstead and Highgate in the 1997 UK General Election, and the Uxbridge by-election in July 1997. In the 2005 British General Election, Carroll stood for the Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket Party, in Belfast. He is close friends with the party leader, Rainbow George. It has been superseded by the Make Politicians History banner. In the same year his released a comeback album, Back on Song. He currently resides in Hampstead, London and is a regular caller to phone-in shows on BBC London 94.9.
