Shirley Matthews

For the US born singer, see Sherlie Matthews.

Shirley Matthews (October 8th,1942 – January 8th, 2013) was a Canadian pop singer.

Shirley Matthews
Born	(1942-10-08)October 8, 1942 Harrow, Ontario, Canada
Died	January 8, 2013(2013-01-08) (aged 70) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer CEO
Labels	Tamarac Amy Red Leaf

Matthews sang in a church choir and at high school dances prior to embarking on a career in music. She worked in a Bell Telephone office while singing nights at the Club Bluenote in Toronto.^[1] Her debut single, "Big Town Boy", was a major hit in Canada in 1964, selling over a million copies.^[2] She won the RPM Gold Leaf Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1964.^[1] Later singles failed to duplicate "Big Town Boy"'s success.

"Big Town Boy" debuted on 1050 CHUM in Toronto on 2 December 1963, the same day as the Beatles' "She Loves You".^[3]

In 1967, she married, taking the name Shirley Vedder, and quit the music industry, eventually becoming the president of a chain of tennis, squash and fitness clubs in Toronto and Markham, Mayfair Clubs.^[1]

On January 8, 2013, Matthews died in Toronto, Ontario.^[4]