Ian Handford: Alma Cogan - the early years of a pop icon

Born at Golders Green London on May 19th 1932 Alma Angela Kogin was the older of two Jewish sisters and an older brother. The sisters were oddly sent to St Joseph's Roman Catholic Convent school which meant they daily waited outside until prayers had been given to the school's other five hundred Catholic girls. 

Mark Kogin was born in Vinitza Russia and had fled his homeland and settled at his grandparent's flat above their "Fashion" business home in London. He would eventually marry Fay Carp and having changed his surname from Kogin to Cogan they produced three children Ivor, Sandra and Alma who, being soon steeped in all things American, were allowed to watch adult films at home, unlike other youngsters of their age. They were even allowed to attend adult films at the Odeon Cinema during the evenings (often four times a week) while other children only went to matinees.

At Golders Green school Alma excelled as a singer, being an early sign that she was later to become Britain's most successful female singer in the 50s and 60s, using songs like Dreamboat, Bell Bottom Blues, Twenty Tiny Fingers and Ja-Dar etc. Family holidays were generally spent at Torquay in Devon or in Worthing Sussex and though the family were not really rich, they were seen as being "comfortably off". Mark was always a man of style and so booked the family into the Imperial at Torquay and then daily would drive them to the beach before going to his business in Reading and returning later in the evening to the hotel.         

It was on one such occasion in the War that the Cogan family witnessed a German plane crashing not far from their hotel and later a press report said “this incident was the talk of the town for weeks”. Alma when young could not know that twenty years on she would return to Torbay not on holiday but as lead singer at the Palladium Theatre Preston (later  -the Odeon Cinema on Torquay Road). 

Mark with his American Chrysler was snappily dressed, his shoes from Trickers of Jermyn Street and hats from Lock’s of St James in London. It was a style Alma would mirror becoming a "lady of fashion" as even in her mid-teens she adored pretty flowing voluminous sequin dresses and would often put on her mother's high heels. She dressed up when entertaining at home and had no inhibitions. Mark, Sandra and Ivor would also sing “Begin the Begin” with her to perfection and it was clear Alma with her natural style was destined for a career in entertainment. 

The Cogan's remained above the Reading business shop until the War ended and then moved to Worthing being an easy drive for Mark back to his business and now the West End theatres. In his inimitable style, he booked only the best shows in town, always reserving front-row seats if famous stars like Danny Kaye, Jack Benny or Sammy Davis Junior were staring at the Palladium. Fay as a competent pianist at home also ensured their children could play the piano, though neither were especially talented.  Alma had already been encouraged to take formal singing lessons at St Joseph's and now she sang regularly at Charity Concerts wearing those "notable" dresses. It all ensured that in time she advertised on Theatre Billboards as “the girl with laughter in her voice”.

Her mother meanwhile was forever approaching band-leaders including Van Straten and Ted Heath to try and get her tall young daughter to audition, with new songs like The Man I Love and Never Do a Tango. She even approached the famous Ted Heath when at the Tower Ballroom Theatre Blackpool and though he met mother and daughter his only comment was “Too young but come back in six years”.  (continued next week in part 2).