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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBOWLLY, Al(b 7 Jan. 1898, Lourenço Marques, now Maputo, Mozambique; d 17 April '41, London) Singer. He had a Greek father and a Lebanese mother; he was brought up in Johannesburg, became barber and learned to play ukulele. He toured Africa, India and Java as banjo/guitarist; became resident vocalist with Jimmy Laquime band at Raffles in Singapore. Made first records in Berlin '27, then freelance in London, making 678 sides '30-33, mainly with Roy Fox, Lew Stone and Ray Noble. His best-known records are Noble compositions: 'The Very Thought Of You' ('34) and others also did well in USA; Noble took Bowlly with him to NYC '34, where Glenn Miller was Noble's arranger; Bowlly sang an early lyric to a Miller tune that later became 'Moonlight Serenade'. He worked at New York's Rainbow Room asnd sang on NBC radio with Al Goodman. He returned to England Jan. '37; headed own Radio City Rhythm Makers on four-week tour; made more records; teamed with Maltese singer Jimmy Messini in Radio Stars with Two Guitars; worked with West Indian bandleader Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson at Café de Paris '40-41. A famous bomb hit the club killing Johnson and many others, 8 March; Bowlly was killed by another a few weeks later. Still a much-loved voice, in the UK top ten LP chart '78 as predominant singer on the Pennies From Heaven soundtrack LP. Biography was Al Bowlly by Sid Colin and Tony Stavacre. CD anthologies on Pearl, ASV, EMI etc. |