Jennifer Moss

Although best remembered for her role as the rebellious teen Lucille Hewitt on the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street, Jennifer Moss also enjoyed a brief career as a pop singer, most notably recording under the auspices of visionary producer Joe Meek. Born January 10, 1945, in Wigan, England, Moss was the daughter of a drama teacher, and by the age of 12 was a regular on the BBC Light Programme's Children's Hour. She also co-starred in the BBC television plays June Evening and Magnolia before joining the fledgling Granada Television soap Coronation Street two episodes after its December 9, 1960, premiere. Cast as wild child Lucille Hewitt, for years the program's lone teen character of any distinction, Moss served as a surrogate for the youth rebellion sweeping through Britain at the dawn of the rock & roll era. In one memorable 1961 story line, Lucille even earned the wrath of father Harry Hewitt for having the name of a local rocker tattooed across her forearm. Moss' popularity among Coronation Street's younger viewers made her a natural for crossover fame, and in 1963 she left the series to pursue a career in pop music. Teamed with producer Meek, she issued the Columbia single "Hobbies," and performed Meek's "Please Let It Happen to Me" in the David Hemmings B-movie Live It Up. Moss' musical detour proved brief, however, and in 1964 she returned to Coronation Street, remaining with the series for close to a decade. Over time, the actress became more and more like her character, however, and her battle with alcoholism ultimately led to her dismissal from the show in 1974, after more than 1,000 episodes. From there Moss' life spun out of control, encompassing a miscarriage, a disabled child, menial jobs, petty crimes, and most tragically, the death of her infant son. Remarkably, she righted the ship and later served as a tour guide of the Coronation Street set. With her fifth husband, Moss later launched an Internet stamp-collecting business, which she operated until her death on October 5, 2006. Much sought-after by '60s pop collectors, her Meek sessions are now readily available via the RPM compilation Let's Go! Joe Meek's Girls.