If Ewell, Surrey, England doesn’t ring a bell for you, maybe this will: Petula Clark was born there in 1932. She started singing while she was still a youngster and became a staple performer entertaining British troops during WWII.

Her 1964 release of Tony Hatch’s “Downtown” quickly hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and made her the first female UK singer to have a No. 1 hit in the U.S. Petula Clark became an instant American favorite, and “Downtown” is a song that still, occasionally, rings in my mind during the twilight hours.

“When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown. When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry seem to help, I know, downtown. Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city, linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs

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