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In Memoriam
Like the stars may you shine
Be faithful and true
'Til death takes you from us
Or us from you
Water Rat Register Number: 801. Initiated into the Order on 13 June 1997.
Proposer: Dr Jim Marshall. Seconder: Bert Weedon, OBE
John (Johnny) Dankworth was an iconic figure in British Jazz – he was also the first major jazz musician and the first British bebopper to be knighted. Together with his wife, the jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he became known far beyond the jazz fraternity as an international musical star – particularly in America.
He was born in Essex and grew up in Walthamstow, in a musical family. He began playing the clarinet after gaining a liking of the music of Benny Goodman. He later took up the saxophone which he studied at the Royal Academy of Music. After his National Service he rapidly became well-known on the British jazz scene. In 1949 he was voted Musician of the year and played with Charlie Parker at the Paris Jazz Festival. This was followed with a tour of Sweden with Sidney Bechet. At this period of his life he was usually credited as “Johnny Dankworth”.
In 1950 he formed a small group known as the Dankworth Seven. This group lasted for three years when Dankworth wound it up to form his Big Band. The band was an immediate success and in 1959 they were invited to the Newport Jazz Festival. The band went on to perform at the Birdland Jazz club in New York and then shared the stage with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Dankworth’s friendship with Ellington continued until the latter’s death. It was whilst performing at New York’s Lewisohn Stadium that the band were joined by Louis Armstrong for a set. By this time Cleo Laine was a regular singer with the band. In 1958 she and Dankworth were married. After their marriage she gave up as the band’s regular singer. Among his other compositions were African Walt which became a hit on both side of the Atlantic and was covered by many artists particularly Cannonball Adderly who hat a minor hit in the U.S. During this very busy period of recording, the band made frequent live appearances, including tours with Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Gerry Mulligan, Lionel Hampton and Ella Fitzgerald.
Dankworth has always had a great interest in the education of jazz music and has held many seminars and master classes and concerts at The Stables, the theatre, created by him and his wife in the grounds of their home. In 2008 the violin concerto he composed for Christian Garrick was given its premier on 1st March 2008 in partnership with the Nottingham Youth Orchestra. From 1984 to 1986 he was professor of music at Gresham College, London, where he gave free lectures. He also ran, for many years, the Allmusic summer schools at the Stables.
Sir John and Dame Cleo’s two children are both jazz musicians: Alex is a bassist who is also a member of his father’s band and Jacqui is a singer.
In 1997 John Dankworth was initiated into the Grand Order of Water Rats and in the New Year’s Honours List for 2006 he was made a Knight Bachelor of Music.
On Saturday 6th February a concert, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the opening of their theatre, The Stables, took place – it was not until the end of the concert that Dame Cleo informed the audience that John had died that afternoon. What finer tribute could be paid to a great musician.
Secretary to the Trustees, John-Adrian
Water Rat Register Number: 578. Initiated into the Order on 15 October 1961
Proposer: Johnnie Riscoe. Seconder: Harry Ristori.
One of Britain’s earliest pop stars, Malcolm Vaughan, had a string of chart hits in the 1950s during a career he kept in parallel with a comedy act he had formed with Kenneth Earle a few years previously. The BBC banned one of his chart successes, St Therese of the Roses, because of its religious overtones, but it still reached number three in the Top Twenty. The rock ‘n’ roll era swept Vaughan to one side in the early 1960s, but he still managed to find work in clubs, the occasional pantomime and summer show until his retirement in 1982.
Malcolm Vaughan, born Malcolm Thomas in a mining village near Merthyr Tydfil in 1929, began his career in the theatre in 1944. In response to a newspaper advertisement for a Welsh boy aged about 14, he was cast in Emlyn Williams’ comedy, The Druid’s Rest, at the St Martin’s Theatre in the West End of London. His singing abilities were noted in his next part in a musical comedy, Jenny Jones, at the London Hippodrome. Indeed, the eminent critic, James Agate, said he was “allowed to talk too much and sing too little.” There followed a variety show, which the bandleader-cum-impresario, Jack Hylton, took over; a role in a Thornton Wilder play, directed by Laurence Olivier at the Piccadilly Theatre; and the first stage version of the adventures of Larry Lamb, which had become immensely popular on BBC Radio’s Children’s Hour.
After National Service, Vaughan appeared in the pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, at the Empire Theatre, Bristol, where he got to know Ken Macey, one half of a double act, Macey and Mayne. Ken Macey and Malcolm Thomas began talking about forming a double act themselves, fusing comedy with Vaughan’s singing. Macey was re-named Kenneth Earle and Thomas became Malcolm Vaughn [sic]. The act lasted for 18 years. A turning point came in 1955 when they shared a bill at the Chiswick Empire with the bandleader/disc jockey, Jack Jackson. So impressed was Jackson that he contacted Wally Ridley of HMV, who went to see them. Ridley was similarly impressed – not by the act, but by Vaughn’s singing. He signed him up and Malcolm’s first record, Ev’ry Day of My Life, reached number five in what was then known as the Hit Parade. The Daily Mirror added to the hype: “This boy’s terrific. He’s new. He’s sensational.” But, sensing that this new career may not last, Malcolm insisted on continuing to work with Earle. In fact, for every pound that Malcolm earned in royalties, he gave ten shillings [5OP] to Earle.
On that first record label, ‘Vaughn’ was printed ‘Vaughan’ and the new name stuck. Other hits followed, including My Special Angel [1957] and More Than Ever [1958]. Appearing in the Channel Islands in 1955, Earle and Vaughan were asked to judge a beauty show. The winner they chose was a buyer with a national newspaper Gaye Hands. Several months elapsed before Vaughan phoned her, by which time she had forgotten who he was. But they started seeing each other and, when they married in 1956, huge numbers of Vaughan’s fans thronged the church.
Earle and Vaughan made their first appearance at the London Palladium in The British Record Show in 1956; they were back there in January 1957 to take part in Independent Television’s first major success, Sunday Night at the London Palladium; and in November 1957 Vaughan returned on his own to join other 1950s stars, including Dickie Valentine, David Whitfield and Ronnie Hilton, in the Royal Variety Show.
Earle and Vaughan dissolved their partnership in 1972 and Vaughan’s last professional work was in a summer show in Morecambe ten years later.
Malcolm Vaughan, singer, was born on 22 March, 1929. He died on 9 February, 2009, aged 79.
Richard Anthony Baker
Malcolm Vaughan's biography “The Reluctant Star” written by Edward Thomas was published in 2009. The book contains a CD of 10 of Malcolm’s recording from 1976 to 1984.
Secretary to the Trustees, John-Adrian
To hear Malcolm singing 'To Be loved' play the 'Youtube' video below.
Water Rat Register Number: 534. Initiated into the Order on 29 May 1955
Proposer: Tommy Trinder. Seconder: Fred Russell.
I have worked with many big names over the years but I don’t think any one was more loved by the public than Norman Wisdom. I remember going to pick him up at Heathrow Airport and being surprised, as we walked to my car, at just how many people wanted to shake his hand and thank him for all the joy he had given them. As one half of The Simmons Brothers I did nine tours with him. Then, in the last few years of his working life, I did lots of shows with him on my own and was privileged to actually appear with him as, together, we would tell his life story. He would often forget bits but when I tried to gently remind him he’d get a big laugh saying –‘I know – I know – it’s my life!’ We would often have a meal together and he’d go through the whole thing with me – word for word – and it lasted at least an hour! No one seemed disappointed that he wasn’t doing his actual act anymore – though he did still attempt to run at the piano and jump up onto it without using his hands. He was in his late eighties and it needed some control from me to stop him from trying! We used to do a lively question and answer session too and I was always amazed how he could remember all the lyrics of his songs – even one’s he hadn’t sung for ages that were suddenly requested by someone in the audience.
We were in Scotland on one of the tours and Norman got George the coach driver to stop at a pub for lunch (he was always trying to find ‘out of the way’ country pubs, making George drive down the narrowest of lanes). The publican began to telephone his regulars telling them who he had got in his establishment. Slowly the pub filled up with people just wanting to see Norman Wisdom! He always loved an audience and would sing ‘Don’t Laugh at Me’cos I’m a Fool’ at the drop of a hat. He came to my son Ben’s wedding to Hayley-jane in Essex in 2004 and got up at the reception and sang it there too!
Norman attended quite a few Rats functions back then and I was proud to organise a Water Rats Tribute Luncheon for him on the 18th February 2005 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.
He really was a lovely guy – fun to be with and brilliant on stage. I will remember Norm with great affection. He will be sadly missed.
Past King Rat, Preceptor Keith Simmons BM KRA RoY
To hear Norman singing ‘Don’t Laugh at Me’cos I’m a Fool’ play the 'Youtube' video below.
Water Rat Register Number: 753. Initiated into the Order on 11 January 1987
Proposer: Cardew Robinson. Seconder: Jan Harding.
Offices held: Bait Rat 1988; Scribe Rat 1990-1996 & 2001
Mike was born in Batley, Yorkshire (a fact he will tell you within minutes of meeting) and he was a very funny man. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of comedians. He knew their routines, their virtues and their triumphs.
Mike was introduced to laughter at the age of six when he saw the great Albert Modley on the stage of his home town theatre, the Dewsbury Empire. By the time of his retirement he had become recognised as an authority on the 'Golden Age of Comedy'.
Since 1964 he was responsible for writing or producing over 1,200 comedy shows for radio and television including series for Ken Dodd, Roy Castle, Rolf Harris, Tony Brandon, Harry Worth, Al Reid, "Selwyn Froggitt”, Mike Yarwood, Hinge & Bracket, Des O'Connor, Tom O’Connor, Jimmy Tarbuck, Bernie Clifton, Gorden Kaye and Morecambe & Wise (including their classic 1976 Christmas show when Angela Ripon bared her legs!!)
From 1983 he performed his 'ABC of Comedy' to tens of thousands of passengers on the P & O cruise ships – ‘Canberra’, ‘Victoria’, ‘Oriana’ ‘Arcadia’ and ‘Aurora; Fred Olsen’s ‘Black Watch’ and the ‘Black Prince, and Cunard’s ‘QE2’
In 1988 Mike was given a Tribute Lunch by the Variety Club of Great Britain to mark his twenty-five years contribution to comedy. .His first play – “The Day War Broke Out”, the story of Robb Wilton had its premiere in Mike’s home town in March 1998.
Mike was very proud of his membership of the Grand Order of Water Rats; he was also a Lord’s Taverner. He had two children, from his first marriage, Philip & Joanna, three step-children, Andrew, Eva & Dawn, and five grandchildren, Alex, Helen, Jenny, Lizzie-Dee and Mickey.
He is survived by his children and his devoted wife Susan.
Water Rat Register Number: 593. Initiated into the Order on 24 November 1962
Companion Willie was the Order's Honorary Solicitor for over fifty years. He began his career in partnership with David Naply (later to become Sir David). William Foux was for many years the solicitor for the Metropolitan Police Federation. He also supported many charitable organisations particularly JAMI the mental health charity.
Happily he retained all of his faculties until the end of his life.
