Entertainment
Paul Vance, Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini songwriter, dies aged 92-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro
Singers who recorded his songs included Frank Sinatra and Shirley Bassey.
Vance had over 300 of his songs recorded (Picture: Bruce R. Bennett/Avalon)
Paul Vance, the songwriter behind worldwide 1960 hit song Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, has died at the age of 92.
The late producer’s daughter Paula confirmed that her father had died on May 30, surrounded by family, in a tribute to him she posted on Facebook on Tuesday.
Vance died at a nursing facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, with daughter Paula and son Joseph saying he had been declining in health for over a year, according to The Washington Post.
They did not share a cause of death.
Born Joseph Paul Florio in Brooklyn, New York, in November 1929, Vance saw over 300 of his songs recorded by chart-topping artists including Frank Sinatra and Shirley Bassey.
Other big songs of his include Catch a Falling Star, recorded by Perry Como, Tracy, and Run Joey Run, sung by David Geddes.
Vance’s worldwide hit Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini was released in 1960 (Picture: Thomas Cordy/Avalon)
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini was performed by then 16-year-old Brian Hyland and became Vance’s most enduring song.
It spent 13 weeks on the Billboard chart, including a week at number one, and sold a million copies alone in the US.
Later versions also saw success, with the 1990 recording by British pop band Bombalurina reaching number one in the UK and Ireland.
More to follow.
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