Lee Lawrence was a British traditional pop singer born Julius Leon Sirota on September 1, 1920, in Chorlton, Lancashire. At age 16, he studied opera in Italy for three years. During World War II, Lawrence served in the Royal Tank Regiment and performed with the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). He appeared on the radio program Beginners Please and began recording for Decca Records in the late 1940s. His recordings include “How Can You Buy Killarney” and “The World Is Mine Tonight”. In 1953, the single “Crying in the Chapel” reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart, and “Suddenly There's a Valley” reached number 14 in 1955. Lawrence moved to the United States in 1957 to perform cabaret in the “Borscht Belt”. He died of a heart attack on February 25, 1961.
