Hedley Ward
Hedley Ward | |
|---|---|
Sheet music for "Mona Lisa", featuring a portrait photo of Hedley Ward | |
| Born | Hedley John Ward 6 February 1910 Kings Norton, England |
| Died | 14 December 1969 (aged 59) Birmingham, England |
| Occupations | Band leader; band manager |
| Years active | 1930s-1960s |
| Spouse | Beryl Margaret Ward |
| Children | 2 |
Hedley John Ward (6 February 1910 – 14 December 1969) was a leading British bandleader of the 1930s to 1960s, known for his Birmingham-based Hedley Ward Band (sometimes "...Big Band", "...Dance Band", "...Broadcasting Band" or "...Orchestra"), which made many appearances on BBC Radio programmes, including Music While You Work,[1][2] Shall We Dance?,[3] and regional programmes named for the band.[4][5]
Among the musicians to appear in the band were drummer Tony Levin.[6]
Ward also created and managed the Hedley Ward Trio in 1948, featuring John "Jack" McKechnie (1918-2002) on guitar, Derek Franklin (second husband of Beryl Reid) on bass and lead vocals, and Bob Carter on piano.[7] In 1953 George Taylor (1926/1927-2019[8]) replaced Carter. Listings in The Radio Times show that the trio appeared on the BBC Home Service and Light Programme many times from 1948 onwards.[9] They also featured in the programme Educating Archie, with Stella Tanner.[10] The trio released records on the Melodisc Records label.
Hedley John Ward was born on 6 February 1910 in Kings Norton, now part of Birmingham.[11][12] He played several seasons at The Spa Ballroom, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, in the late 1950s. Ward latterly lived in Kings Heath. He died in Birmingham on 14 December 1969, aged 59.[11][13]
References
- ^ "Music While You Work". Radio Times. No. 1325. 6 March 1949. p. 13.
- ^ Listener (21 February 1949). "Radio Review". Birmingham Daily Gazette. p. 2.
- ^ "Shall We Dance?". Radio Times. No. 1331. 17 April 1949. p. 20.
- ^ "Hedley Ward and his Dance Band". Radio Times. No. 1345. 24 July 1949. p. 34.
- ^ "The Hedley Ward Band Show". Radio Times. No. 1547. 5 July 1953. p. 32.
- ^ "Levin, Tony". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Lot 838: Hedley Ward Trio signed on reverse of small 3 x 3 b/w photo". Invaluable. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "George Taylor". Bromsgrove Advertiser. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Hedley Ward Trio". BBC Genome. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ Sheet music: The Ferry Boat Inn, Featuring The Tanner Sisters & Hedley Ward Trio
- ^ a b "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ^ Birmingham Archives; Birmingham, England; England and Wales Probate Calendar; Reference: 1970WXYZ
External links
- Blog post on McKechnie including material about Ward, and his trio