Paper Lace, a British pop rock band, was formed in Nottingham, England, in 1967. The core members included Cliff Fish, Dave Manders, Roy White, and Phil Wright, who initially performed under the name Music Box before changing to Paper Lace in 1969. Paper Lace released their first studio album, First Edition, in March 1972. They achieved mainstream success after winning five consecutive weeks on the talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1973. This led to a collaboration with songwriters Mitch Murray and Peter Callander, resulting in the hit single "Billy Don't Be a Hero", which spent three weeks at Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. Their follow-up single, "The Night Chicago Died", topped the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in August 1974. In late 1974, Paper Lace released their second studio album, Paper Lace and Other Bits of Material. The band's lineup evolved over time, with notable members including Philip Wright, Mick Vaughan, Cliff Fish, Chris Morris. They performed at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen Mother but disbanded in 1984. Paper Lace reformed in 2009 under Phil Wright's leadership as Philip Wright's Original 70s Paper Lace. Their most recent album, It's Worth It, was released posthumously to honor original bassist Cliff Fish, who passed away on April 14, 2023.
