Henry Hall (bandleader)
| Henry Hall | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Henry Robert Hall |
| Born |
2 May 1898 Peckham, England |
| Died | 28 October 1989 (aged 91) Eastbourne, Sussex, England |
| Genres | British dance band |
| Occupation(s) | Bandleader, composer, arranger, actor |
| Associated acts | The BBC Dance Orchestra, Henry Hall and His Orchestra, Henry Hall's Guest Night, Henry Hall's Rhythm Entertainment |
Henry Robert Hall, CBE (2 May 1898 – 28 October 1989) was an English bandleader who performed regularly on BBC Radio during the British dance band era of the 1920s and 1930s, through to the 1960s.
Henry Hall was born in Peckham, South London. He won a scholarship to Trinity College of Music where he studied trumpet, piano, harmony and counterpoint.
His first job was as copyist at the head office of the Salvation Army for which he wrote several marches. During World War I, Hall served with the Royal Field Artillery and played trumpet and piano in the regimental band.
Hall's musical career was slow to start but eventually he was engaged by the London Midland and Scottish Railway to take charge of music throughout their then large chain of hotels, including Gleneagles Hotel, where he had previously led the band.
Hall describes in his autobiography, Here's to the Next Time, that on a Thursday in October 1923 he met a young woman named Margery while traveling by rail to Dartmoor. Hall mentions that he and Margery were about the same age and had much in common after discussing the C.B. Cochran production of the musical, "Little Nellie Kelly" and Paul Whiteman's take on "Till My Luck comes Rolling Along", a tune from the play. The following day, Henry invited Margery to a dance and proposed to her at the end of the evening. By Saturday, just two days after meeting, the two were engaged and were married in January, 1924 at St. George's, Hanover Square, London. Henry and Margery had two children during their marriage, Mike and Betty.
In June 1924, on the opening night of the Gleneagles Hotel, Hall persuaded the BBC to broadcast the event on radio, which began his long association with BBC radio.
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