Adam Faith

The origins of his name

None of the obituaries of Adam Faith [10 March] seems to have noted the correct origin of his stage name, replacing Terry Nelhams, the name he was born with, writes Nicholas Faith. The story is very simple.

The young Nelhams was discovered in a Wardour Street cutting rooms sometime in 1957-58 by Nick Dewey, then a producer of advertising films. He was a Balliol friend of Jack Good, the inventor of pop TV, responsible for pioneering efforts like Six-Five Special, Oh Boy! etc. Good auditioned the young Nelhams, and took him on, but obviously felt the name had to be changed. At the time Jack was living near me – and another Oxford friend, Adam Freemantle, later a distinguished international lawyer – in the Goldhawk Road. Hence the new name.

Oddly the star never recognised his origins as it were, though I saw Jack Good recently and he confirmed the story, as does Nick Dewey.