Leslie Ronald Young, known professionally as Jimmy Young, was born on September 21, 1921, in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England. He began his career as a singer and later became a prominent disc jockey and radio personality. In the early 1950s, he signed with Polygon Records and released several singles, including "Too Young", a cover of Nat King Cole's original. His breakthrough came in 1952 when he signed with Decca Records, achieving Top 10 hits with songs like "Eternally" and "Chain Gang". In 1955, Jimmy Young reached Number 1 on the UK charts with two singles: "Unchained Melody" from the film Unchained and "The Man from Laramie" from the film of the same name. He continued to release successful albums such as Unchained Melody (1963), Miss You (1964), Sings For You (1968), The World Of Jimmy Young (1969), and T.T.T.J.Y.S. (1970). In 1973, Jimmy Young transitioned into radio broadcasting with BBC Radio 2's The JY Prog, which ran until 2002. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1979, promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993, and knighted in 2002 for his services to radio broadcasting. Jimmy Young died peacefully at home on November 7, 2016, aged 95.
