Albert Allick Bowlly (7 January 1899[1] – 17 April 1941) was a South African-British vocalist, crooner and dance band guitarist who was Britain's most popular singer for most of the 1930s.

His most popular songs include "Midnight, the Stars and You", "Goodnight, Sweetheart", "Close Your Eyes", "The Very Thought of You", "Guilty", "Heartaches" and "Love Is the Sweetest Thing".

[6] The family's original surname was Pauli, which was misspelt as Bowlly; Alick was only able to speak and read Greek, so the mistake went unnoticed and the name became permanent .

[6] He moved to Britain, where in July 1928 he joined Fred Elizalde's band that played at the Savoy Hotel, London until 1929.

His absence from the UK in the mid-1930s damaged his popularity with British audiences, and his career began to suffer as a result of problems with his voice, which affected the frequency of his recordings.

[6] But by early 1937, the band had broken up when vocal problems were traced to a wart in his throat, briefly causing him to lose his voice.

In 1940, there was a revival of interest in his career when he worked in a duo with Jimmy Mesene in Radio Stars with Two Guitars on the London stage.

"[15] Dennis Potter's television play Moonlight on the Highway, first broadcast in the UK on 12 April 1969, focused on a young Al Bowlly fanatic attempting to blot out memories of sexual abuse via his fixation with the singer.

Bowlly's rendition of "Midnight, the Stars and You" has been particularly used and referenced throughout varied films, appearing in The Shining, Toy Story 4, and Ready Player One.

[16][17][18] Some commentators specifically highlight its use in The Shining's ending scene, with HeadStuff's Luka Vukos calling it "haunting" and Screen Rant praising it as "one of the most unforgettable final shots in film history.

"[13][14] The song has also been used in the 2013 video game BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea and sampled by musician Leyland Kirby on the Caretaker's Shining-inspired album Selected Memories from the Haunted Ballroom.

[19] Bowlly's 1931 recording of "Hang Out the Stars in Indiana" with Ray Noble & The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, featured in Bruce Robinson's 1987 British comedy film, Withnail and I.

[20] Richard Thompson wrote a song called "Al Bowlly's In Heaven", about a homeless veteran reminiscing of his time as a soldier and contrasting it with his poverty since, included on his album Daring Adventures.