Dickie Valentine (4 November 1929- 6 May 1971) was an English pop singer in the 1950s. In addition to several other Top Ten hit singles, Valentine had two chart-toppers on the UK Singles Chart with "Finger of Suspicion (1954) and "Christmas Alphabet (1955)\r Valentine was born Richard Maxwell (his birth father was Dickie Maxwell) in Marylebone, London. He was known as Richard Bryce after his mother married Bryce.\r Valentine's first acting job was at age three when he appeared in the Jack Hulbert/Cicely Courtneidge film Jack's the Boy.\r He developed a flexible vocal style and skills as an impersonator of famous singers. Actor-singer Bill O'Connor overheard him singing as a call boy at Her Majesty's Theatre and paid for his voice lessons.\r He sang in clubs and learned stagecraft to help gain confidence and experience. While he was in his late teens, he was singing at the Panama Club one night when music publisher Sid Green saw him and brought him to the attention of Ted Heath.