Ivy
Benson (11 November, 1913 – 6 May, 1993) was the bandleader of a renowned
all-girl band (Ivy Benson and her All Girls Orchestra) for over forty years.
Ivy
Benson was born in 1913, in Holbeck, a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire. She was
a very accomplished musician on electric organ, piano, saxophone and clarinet,
and led a renowned all girls band for over 40 years. The interest in music came
from her father, who played various instruments in the Leeds Symphony Orchestra
and other smaller ensembles as diverse as theatre pit bands and a musical
comedy group "The Ten Loonies".
Under
his careful tuition Ivy learnt to play the piano from the age of five; by the
time she was nine she was performing on the BBC's "Children's Hour",
and in local working men's clubs under the name of "Baby Benson". Her
father had greater ambitions for his daughter, wanting her to become a concert
pianist; however preferred the more popular music and progressed to the
clarinet and alto saxophone. In her early teens she won a scholarship to the
Leeds College of Art, but then moved on to work in the Montague Burton
tailoring factory, continuing to play at social and dance events in her spare
time.
After
spending 3 years with Edna Croudson's Rhythm Girls she toured with Teddy Joyce
and the Girlfriends, and in the late 1930's moved to London where she soon
formed her own small groups. In 1940 the nine piece "Ivy Benson and her
Rhythm Girls" was formed for an all girl revue "Meet the Girls"
starring the comedienne Hylda Baker.
During
the second world war she fronted a number of various sized bands, from 12 to 23
piece, sometimes with a string section. She recruited most of her brass players
with the help of Harry Mortimer, a leading figure, a cornetist and conductor in
brass band music in the UK. Many of the existing male band personnel were then
involved in the war leaving many opportunities for Ivy and her girls to become
establish; she played leading ballrooms and theaters all over the country, a
high point being a 22 week stint at the London Palladium with top acts such as
comedian Max Miller and Jimmy James, and piano duo Rawicz and Landauer.
Here's Ivy Benson & her Girls Band with vocals by Kay Yorston and "Homecoming Waltz" recorded 14th October 1943
In
1943 the band was appointed the BBC Resident Dance Band, which created great
anger and outrage among other leading male band leaders, notably Billy Ternent.
However, she had one great supporter in Joe Loss who stood by her throughout
her career. The war created another difficulty for Ivy which became a major
problem to her during the war years - the influx of American GI's. Ivy was to
lose many of her girls to romance and marriage, and on some occasions had been
known to lose a complete section overnight. (Photo of Ivy with Jimmy Dorsey)
Over
250 girls played with the band during it's 40 year life, some starting from the
age of 15 years of age, with Ivy being employer, musical trainer and, as one of
the girls reported "the mother hen looking after her young". She was
a strict but fair boss, but with such a large group of young girls to control
and take responsibility for, she would sometimes need to use the strict side of
her nature, keeping the girls in line with her signature tune - "Lady be
good".
In
1946 Ivy Benson and her Ladies Dance Orchestra were booked for the first post
war broadcasts on BBC Television, but was forced to withdraw after the Stoll Theater group, fearful of the repercussions of this All Girl phenomenon,
threatened to cancel her contracts. Not to be out done, she began her first
tour of Europe, taking the girls to Berlin with ENSA, shortly after the Allied
Forces had liberated the city. This was the start of extensive tours ofthe
American bases in Germany. One of the high spots was a concert with Josephine
Baker in Bavaria and in 1960, Ivy was playing at the Lido, Hamburg, during the
time the Beatles were at the Indra Club, just across the road.
The
band survived the radical changes which were to affect all large bands from the
1950's; increasing costs and changes in the publics demand for modern popular
music altered the music industry for good. Ivy adapted her style, focusing on
the nostalgic sounds of the war years. She began to do summer seasons, and the
Isle of Man proved to be one of her most popular locations, with up to 6000 in
heroutdoor audiences in the Villa Marina Gardens. The Sex Discrimination Act
of 1975 caused Ivy to change the name of the band to Ivy Benson and her Show
band. She had, on occasions, to field the odd application from male players,
but would say they could have the job if they could get into a dress size
10-16! By this time the great days of live big band music was gone. The variety theaters had closed and dance hall were now Discotheques.
Ivy
continued to front her band for another couple of decades, eventually reducing
to a ten-piece as big bands lost out in popularity to the guitar-based groups.
She finally called it a day in 1982, the final gig was at London's prestigious
Savoy Hotel, although she celebrated her 70th birthday by re-forming her band
for Russell Harty's television show.
During
her retirement in Clacton-on-Sea she entertained the holidaymakers at local
hotels by playing the electronic organ. In May, 1993 Ivy Benson passed away
after a heart attack, aged 79 years, in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. It was the end
of an era.
Five
years earlier she had been awarded an honorary fellowship by Leeds Polytechnic,
formerly the Leeds College of Art, the only honour to be bestowed on one of the
most popular stars of the 1940s.(info mainly from ivybenson-online.com)
Here’s a clip from the film “The Dummy Talks” (1943)
including “The World Belongs To me” (uncredited) and a saxophone solo by Ivy.
6 comments:
For Ivy Benson - and Her All Girl Band (2000) go here:
http://uptobox.com/lh92vfghu2s8
1. The Home Coming Waltz
2. We Mustn't Say Goodbye
3. Stardust
4. I'm Getting Sentimental over You
5. If I Had My Way
6. Tell Me the Truth
7. How Sweet You Are
8. It Can't Be Wrong
9. By the River of the Roses
10. I Dream in the Arms of My Darling
11. There's a Ship Rolling Home
12. I'm Sending My Blessings
13. A Tree in the Meadow
14. I'm in the Mood for Love
15. Turn Over a New Leaf
16. I Cover the Waterfront
17. Once Upon a Wintertime
18. I Never Knew
19. Jealousy
20. Not So Quiet, Please
21. Lemon Drop
22. Lover
23. Lady Bird
Recorded in England and Germany between 1943 and 1949
I cannot use uptobox. Could you post to oneof your old hosters. Zippy, Mediafire etc.
Sorry to hear that 1ram, will try to use other means when time allows.
Thank You! Great Site!
Luckily I did not delete file, have now reposted it at
http://www37.zippyshare.com/v/12789812/file.html
You have 30 days before it has gone for good!
Regards,Bob
You're a good man!
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