Nick Noble (June 21, 1926 – March 24, 2012) was an American pop singer, who was best known for his recordings of "The Tip of My Fingers" and "Moonlight Swim".
Born Nicholas Valkan in Chicago, Illinois, Noble was a graduate of Hirsch Metropolitan High School and a navy veteran in the later days of World War II. He then enrolled in Loyola University while also launching his singing career in clubs around Chicago.
After graduating from Loyola, Nick entered an executive training program at the Armour & Co. meatpacking plant. It was at this time that he was discovered by Lew Douglas, head arranger and producer for Mercury Records, who recorded Nick’s first single “Right or Wrong” in 1954.When the song became a local hit Mr. Valkan was offered a contract with the label which suggested his stage name Nick Noble. His next record”The Bible Tell’s Me So” was released on the Mercury subsidiary Wing Records and became his biggest hit.
Noble was popular in the mid-1950s, and he scored four hits on the newly created Billboard pop charts between 1955 and 1957. His singles remained popular in Chicago and nationwide in the early 1960s, with his 1962 cover of Carl Belew's "Hello Out There" reaching the WLS Top 15.
He regained national chart status in 1978 with the country and easy listening hit "Stay With Me". He also recorded for Coral, and Columbia and during his career recorded 109 singles and four albums.
According to long-time record executive Ron Alexenburg, Noble kept index cards with the names of radio programme directors and their phone numbers, wedding anniversaries, children’s birthdays and other information so he could send flowers as a gift at a moment’s notice.
He retired in the 80’s after 35 years in the music business and joined the family business with his uncle at Lew Mitchell’s restaurant in downtown Chicago. He eventually became proprietor after Mitchell retired. Comedian Tom Dreesen, who knew Nick for more than 40 years, said to the Chicago Tribune, “When you walked into Nick’s showroom you were welcome and he was going to make you feel real good about being there. When you walked into Nick’s restaurant you got the same feeling.” The business continued until the family sold the restaurant in 1993.
Noble died from heart failure at his daughter’s home in Chicago on March 24, 2012, aged 85.
(Scarce information edited from Wikipedia & The Chicago Tribune)