Life and Career
Round was born and raised in Barrow-in-Furness (now in Cumbria but at that time part of Lancashire). On leaving school he started working as an apprentice joiner. In 1936 he joined the police force and was stationed in Lancaster. In 1938 he married Alice (d. 30 December 2010) at St Paul's Church, Barrow, and the couple had one son, Ellis.
During World War II, Round became a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force and was sent for flight training to the No. 1 British Flying Training School in Terrell, Texas. Later in the war, he served as a flying instructor for the United States Air Force. During this time he began his performing career, later recalling, "I was doing a lot of singing every Sunday in churches all over Texas. I had my own plane so I would fly down 300 miles to San Antonio for an 11 a.m. service, I would sing and then I would fly back home in the evening." He was offered the chance to appear as a guest in a college production in Dallas, playing Canio in I Pagliacci. "It was my first time in any type of production but I loved it." Round was offered a place at a music school in New York, but turned it down in order to return home to England.
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