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Billy J. Kramer | |
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![]() Kramer, 1965 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | William Howard Ashton |
Born | Bootle, Lancashire, England | 19 August 1943
Origin | Liverpool, Lancashire, England |
Genres | Pop, Merseybeat, British rock and roll |
Occupation | Singer |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 1963–present |
Labels | Parlophone, Imperial |
Website | billyjkramermusic |
William Howard Ashton (born 19 August 1943), known professionally as Billy J. Kramer, is an English pop singer. With The Dakotas, Kramer was managed by Brian Epstein during the 1960s and scored hits with several Lennon–McCartney compositions never recorded by the Beatles, among them the UK number one "Bad to Me" (1963). Kramer and the Dakotas had a further UK chart-topper in 1964 with "Little Children" and achieved U.S. success as part of the British Invasion. Since the end of the beat boom, Kramer has continued to record and perform. His autobiography, Do You Want to Know a Secret, was published in 2016.