Adam Faith

Sitter in 19 portraits
Born Terence Nelhams, Adam Faith made his first public appearances at the 2i's Coffee Bar, Soho, where he came to the attention of producer Jack Good, who promoted him in the BBC music TV seriesDrumbeat in 1959. Faith’s first hit single 'What Do You Want?’ reached the top spot in November 1959 and was featured on the soundtrack of the film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960). This early success continued with the No. 1 'Poor Me' in January 1960 and a further four Top 5 singles, and a Top 10 album throughout 1960. A string of chart successes followed over the next few years. Faith's handful of early film appearances generally enhanced his musical image, most notably Beat Girl (1961). He turned increasingly to acting on the stage during this period, and by the 1970s had moved on to a career in business, with a successful finance company and a directorship of the Savoy Hotel. He returned to repertory theatre work in the 1970s and created the title role of the series Budgie, which he later brought to the stage. Faith also resumed his film career, most notably in the 1975 film Stardust.