|
Debroy Somers Band
Debroy Somers (born William Henry Somers; 11 April 1890,1939 England and Wales Register in Dublin – 27 May 1952, in London) was a British twentieth-century big band bandleader. He had trained as a musician at the Duke of York's Royal Military School in Chelsea, and continued his studies in Dublin under Signor Michele Esposito at The Royal Irish Academy of Music in 1904. At the age of 15 he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment as a boy bandsman before retiring in 1913. He rejoined his old regiment in 1916 retiring as a sergeant musician in 1918; being demobilised in Wiltshire.British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 His period of celebrity stretched from the 1920s to the 1940s. He appeared in numerous films, including ''Second Choice'', ''Stars on Parade'' and ''Aunt Sally'', and founded the 11-piece dance band The Savoy Orpheans. On 15 June 1925, Somers conducted the first British performance of George Gershwin's ''Rhapsody in Blue'' from the Savoy Hotel wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and dominated jazz in the early 1940s when swing was most popular. The term "big band" is also used to describe a genre of music, although this was not the only style of music played by big bands. Big bands started as accompaniment for dancing. In contrast to the typical jazz emphasis on improvisation, big bands relied on written compositions and arrangements. They gave a greater role to bandleaders, arrangers, and sections of instruments rather than soloists. Instruments Big bands generally have four sections: trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and a rhythm section of guitar, piano, double bass, and drums. The division in early big bands, from the 1920s to 1930s, was typically two or three trumpets, one or two trombones, three or four saxo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ovaltiney's Concert Party
Ovaltiney's Concert Party was a weekly British radio show which ran on Radio Luxembourg between December 1934 and September 1939, sponsored by the manufacturer of ''Ovaltine''. A new version of the show was aired in 1952. Concept ''Ovaltiney's Concert Party'' featured British music hall comedian Harry Hemsley doing a variation on his popular stage show act, where he would imitate children's voices. The radio show was a combination of comedy sketches and music. He portrayed the family Fortune and played all parts himself, including the father, six-year old Johnny, five-year old Elsie, four-year old Winnie and six-months old Horace. Winnie was often portrayed as the cleverest child and an interpreter for baby Horace's gargling. This led to the familiar catchphrase: "What did Horace say, Winnie?", which became part of English popular culture. The show was broadcast on Sunday evenings between 17:30 and 18:00 over the powerful longwave transmitter and the show became well known throug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Band Bandleaders
Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show presented by Richard Hammond * ''Big'' (TV series), a 2012 South Korean TV series * '' Banana Island Ghost'', a 2017 fantasy action comedy film Music * '' Big: the musical'', a 1996 musical based on the film * Big Records, a record label * ''Big'' (album), a 2007 album by Macy Gray * "Big" (Dead Letter Circus song) * "Big" (Sneaky Sound System song) * "Big" (Rita Ora and Imanbek song) * "Big", a 1990 song by New Fast Automatic Daffodils * "Big", a 2021 song by Jade Eagleson from '' Honkytonk Revival'' *The Notorious B.I.G., an American rapper Places * Allen Army Airfield (IATA code), Alaska, US * BIG, a VOR navigational beacon at London Biggin Hill Airport * Big River (other), various rivers (and other things) * Big Island (disamb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Male Musicians
British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, the English language as spoken and written in the United Kingdom or, more broadly, throughout the British Isles * Celtic Britons, an ancient ethno-linguistic group * Brittonic languages, a branch of the Insular Celtic language family (formerly called British) ** Common Brittonic, an ancient language Other uses *''Brit(ish)'', a 2018 memoir by Afua Hirsch *People or things associated with: ** Great Britain, an island ** United Kingdom, a sovereign state ** Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800) ** United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922) See also * Terminology of the British Isles * Alternative names for the British * English (other) * Britannic (other) * British Isles * Brit (other) * Briton (d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1952 Deaths
Year 195 ( CXCV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Scrapula and Clemens (or, less frequently, year 948 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 195 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Emperor Septimius Severus has the Roman Senate deify the previous emperor Commodus, in an attempt to gain favor with the family of Marcus Aurelius. * King Vologases V and other eastern princes support the claims of Pescennius Niger. The Roman province of Mesopotamia rises in revolt with Parthian support. Severus marches to Mesopotamia to battle the Parthians. * The Roman province of Syria is divided and the role of Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókhei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1890 Births
Year 189 ( CLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silanus and Silanus (or, less frequently, year 942 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 189 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Plague (possibly smallpox) kills as many as 2,000 people per day in Rome. Farmers are unable to harvest their crops, and food shortages bring riots in the city. China * Liu Bian succeeds Emperor Ling, as Chinese emperor of the Han Dynasty. * Dong Zhuo has Liu Bian deposed, and installs Emperor Xian as emperor. * Two thousand eunuchs in the palace are slaughtered in a violent purge in Luoyang, the capital of Han. By topic Arts and sciences * Galen publishes his ''"Treatise on the various temperaments"'' (aka ''O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Montreal, Canada *Palace Theatre in Calgary, Alberta, opened in 1921. United Kingdom * Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock, Scotland * Palace Theatre, London, England * Palace Theatre, Manchester, England * Palace Theatre, Mansfield, England * Palace Theatre, Newark, England * Palace Theatre, Paignton, Devon, England * Palace Theatre, Plymouth, Devon, England * Palace Theatre, Redditch, England * Watford Palace Theatre, England * Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea, England * Palace Theatre, Swansea, Wales United States (by state then city) * Avalon Hollywood, formerly The Palace, Hollywood, California * Palace Theater (Los Angeles), California * Palace Theater (Bridgeport, Connecticut), 1922 * Palace Theater, part of the Stamford Center for the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zip Goes A Million
''Zip Goes a Million'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and music by George Posford, based on the 1902 novel '' Brewster's Millions''. It premiered in London in 1951, starring George Formby, and ran for 544 performances. Synopsis Percy Piggott, a window cleaner, stands to inherit a fortune. To receive the money, however, he is required to spend a million dollars in a hurry without letting anyone know what he is doing. He decides to invest in a musical comedy, ''The Garter Girl'', starring Lilac Delaney, which he thinks will be a failure. Other spendthrift ideas include putting money in the stock market and betting on the ponies. Each of these dubious investments is a success, even though a shady banker, Van Norden, and his daughter try to separate Percy from his money and from Sally Whittle, Percy's innocent girlfriend. In the second act, on a South Seas island, Percy succeeds in wrecking a yacht, which is hugely expensive to salvage. After various complica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Formby
George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961) was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he sang light, Novelty song, comic songs, usually playing the ukulele or banjolele, and became the UK's highest-paid entertainer. Born in Wigan, Lancashire, he was the son of George Formby Sr, from whom he later took his stage name. After an early career as a stable boy and jockey, Formby took to the music hall stage after the early death of his father in 1921. His early performances were taken exclusively from his father's act, including the same songs, jokes and characters. In 1923 he made two career-changing decisions – he purchased a ukulele, and married Beryl Ingham, a fellow performer who became his manager and transformed his act. She insisted that he appear on stage formally dressed, and introduced the ukulele to his performance. He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Edward Theatre
The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London. History The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Marc-Henri Levy and Gaston Laverdet.Earl and Sell (2000) pp. 132 Named after Prince Edward (at the time Prince of Wales, briefly Edward VIII and later Duke of Windsor), it opened on 3 April 1930 with a performance of the musical '' Rio Rita''. Other notable events in its opening years included the London debut of famed cabaret artiste Josephine Baker, who performed her famous 'Bananas Dance'. In 1935, Stone converted the theatre to a dance and cabaret hall, being renamed the "London Casino". As the London Casino, it was badly damaged and all its windows lost on 10 May 1941, in London's worst air raid of the Second World War. All neighbouring buildings directly across Greek Street were destroyed. Stage alterations were undertaken by Thomas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Nesbitt (theatre Director)
Robert Nesbitt (11 January 1906 - 3 January 1995) was a theatre director, theatrical producer and impresario, particularly known for staging 25 instances of the Royal Variety Show. Nesbitt was born on 11 January 1906 in London, England. He was the Royal Variety Show's stage director in 1945, 1946, 1958 and 1961; and its producer from 1962 until 1976 and again in 1978. He staged and co-wrote the 1952 hit musical ''The Glorious Days'' starring Anna Neagle. He once rejected an audition by Julie Andrews, but on the grounds of her age (she was only twelve at the time) rather than a deficiency of talent. He appeared as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme ''Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usu ...'' on 27 January 1973. He died on 3 January 1995. Refere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Arnold (theatre Impresario)
Tom Arnold, OBE (1897 – 2 February 1969) was a theatrical producer in the United Kingdom. Born in Yorkshire, Thomas Charles Arnold spent much of his life travelling, although he considered Brighton to be his second home. His business activities were extensive, and included opera, classical plays, films, revues, American rodeo and variety, ice spectaculars and circuses. He had interests in seaside piers and pleasure steamers and controlled the Ice Palace in Brighton. One of the most versatile and successful theatrical businessmen of his day, his empire extended to the continent and South Africa.Obituary, ''The Guardian'', 3 February 1969 He started in the theatre world shortly after the First World War, as a promoter and manager of touring revues seen mainly in provincial theatres and music halls. When Julian Wylie died suddenly in December 1934, he had several Pantomime productions ongoing, and they were taken over by Arnold. Arnold staged his first London pantomime in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
