by Eugene ChadbourneBilly Cotton, whose theme song was Somebody Stole My Gal, was one of the most famous British dance band leaders. As both a drummer and vocalist, he had the talents to either stand in front of a band or back it up. Cottons group was known not only for its dance numbers but a well-mounted comedy skits as well. He began his career as a drummer in the Royal Fusiliers at a mere 15 years old and by 18 had received a commission in the Royal Flying Corps. As might be expected, military music was only a part of the picture and by night he would be behind the drums in various camp combos. After the war his syncopation was at first limited to the activities of a bus conductor and he also worked at jobs such as a butchers roundsman and a millwrights assistant. Meanwhile a few gigs trickled in such as a spot with Gilbert Coombes and his Fifth Avenue Orchestra in Kilburn. In the early 20s he was hardly riding high in the music business; typical pay for a trio job of that period was a bit less than 10 bucks. Eventually Cotton set his sights on starting his own band, including his cousin Laurie Johnson whose talents included promotion as well as the violin. By 1925, Billy Cotton and his London Savannah Band was landing extended stints at venues such as the Southport Palais, with the fine players Syd Lipton and Joe Ferrie in the band on violin and trombone respectively. During the two year life of this job, Cotton evolved from presenting simply dance music to mounting more of a visual stage act.As Cottons group moved from job to job, a series of recordings began for the Metropole, Regal Zonaphone, Piccadilly and Decca labels. The group was mostly known for its stage shows, however. As the publics taste for vaudeville diminished, Cotton made a smooth transition to new mediums. The Billy Cotton Band Show became popular over both radio and television in the 50s and 60s, and is credited with introducing the obnoxious expression Wakey, wakey!, a sure-fire method of creating violence if whispered in the wrong sleepyheads ear. The bandleaders hobbies outside of music sometimes got him even more notoriety. He was racer and was reported as having driven an infamous car calle the Blue Bird at more than 120 miles per hour. Cotton was also an airplane pilot. (更多)
| 中文名 | billy cotton |
|---|---|
| 出生地 | 英国,英格兰,威斯敏斯特大教堂 |
| 出生日期 | 1899-05-05 |
| 名称 | billy cotton |
| 唱片公司 | 未确定 |
| 地区 | 欧美 |
| 外文名 | 演员1899-05-06 |
| 年龄 | 69 |
| 所属公司 | 未确定 |
| 星座 | 金牛 |
| 类似歌手 | 相似艺人 |
| 身份 | 演员 |
| 逝世日期 | 1969-03-25 |
英国舞蹈乐队 british dance bands