- Blanche Coleman
Blanche Coleman (Born 28 February 1910 in
London ,U.K , died 22 April 2008) was the bandleader of the renowned Blanche Coleman And Her All Girls Band, one of the first women's bands of the 1940s.Biography
Blanche's family owned a fish&chip shop in Westbourne Park. After showing an early talent for violin, she won a scholarship for the Royal School of Music.
After playing in the orchestra of The Grange Cinema, Kilburn,she played in
Harold Ramsey’s Girl Friends , andTeddy Foster’s Band . She formed her own band in 1938 and won a contract,against great competition, in 1942, to provide a 12 piece girls’ band atThe Royal Opera House ,Covent Garden , which was converted into dance-hall for British and American service personnel.She featured in regular
radio broadcasts,including’Saturday night at the Palais’ ,Ocean Revue of 1946 and TheSandown Summer Show (1947)In 1947 her band was the resident band at ‘
Radio-Olympia ’ designed to stimulate interest in the newly-revivedBBC TV service. After this she lead the resident band in Beach Ballroom Aberdeen, between 1948-1950 withJohn Hanson a popular guest singer.In early 50’s, after much seaside work,she and her band were invited to entertain the
US army inGermany .Given the honorary rank ofMajor in the US Army she and the band were housed in the infamous ’Wannsee Villa’ for a time.She wanted to takeCleo Laine with the band as vocalist,but the US Army said the race issue was too sensitive.In later life appeared in several films,including
The World of Barry McKenzie and is frequently recognised as the old lady at a bus stop in ‘Four Weddings & A Funeral '.She is mentioned [ [http://books.guardian.co.uk/lrb/articles/0,6109,716769,00.html Gym slips and hockey sticks: Jenny Diski on Philip Larkin's schoolgirl stories | LRB essay | guardian.co.uk Books ] ] in
Andrew Motion ’s biography ofPhilip Larkin as being the inspiration for the pseudonym Brunette Coleman,under which Larkin wrote pornography, mainly to entertain his friendKingsley Amis .References
External links
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/may/02/3 Obituary from Guardian Newspaper 2/5/08 ]
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