Brian Lawrance

Brian Vinrace Lawrance (13 August 1909 – 11 September 1983)^{[1] [2] [3]} was an Australian singer and violinist who led his own British dance band in the 1930s.^{[4] [5] [6]} Known for regular broadcasts with Fred Hartley and his Quintet, Lawrance was considered one of the leading dance band vocalists, and drew a large radio audience.^[7] Lawrance arrived in Britain in 1927, and returned to Australia in 1940, where he continued his career.^[8]

Brian Vinrace Lawrance was born on 13 August 1909 to English parents Frederick Ebenezer Lawrance and Kathleen Lilian Lawrance (née Collier) in Adelaide, Australia.^{[1] [9] [10]} Aged seven, Brian Lawrance's performing career began when he sang "Australia Will Be There" at St Peter's Town Hall in Adelaide.^[8] Whilst still a young boy, he appeared in The Woman Suffers , a 1918 melodrama film.^[11] Lawrance toured the country as a singer with Pat Hanna's Diggers, and subsequently in musical comedy and variety, appearing in the shows Maytime and Hullo Everybody.^[12] He also studied the violin in Sydney under Mowat Carter. After three and a half years working in revue, Lawrance's mother took him to England in 1927, when he was 17.^{[8] [9]}

After arriving in England, Lawrance performed in variety, singing and playing the violin.^[9] However, he also had a long period of unemployment, resulting in him investing money in a garage and working as a mechanic for 16 months.^[8]

Lawrance's first recording with a British dance band was "My Girl Don't Love Me Anymore", a duet with Jack Lorimer for Ray Noble and his New Mayfair Orchestra in March 1932, with Lawrance and Lorimer billed as "Eddie and Rex".^[13] In 1933, Lawrance joined Maurice Winnick's band as a violinist, and subsequently sang with Bertini's band in Blackpool.^[7] Lawrance contributed vocals to records by both bands, and it was with Bertini that he recorded his first solo vocal refrain with a British dance band in May 1933, singing "The Old Spinning Wheel" (released on the budget Eclipse label).^[13]

The entrepreneur T. L. Ahearn suggested that Lawrance form a dance band and audition for Clifford Whitley. Lawrance was advised by Whitley that there was a band at a Jermyn Street restaurant which he felt would suit him. Lawrance played with this band on a Thames showboat for three weeks. In 1934, he moved to Quaglino's restaurant, where he stayed for two and a half years.^[8]

At a party given at the Embassy Club by bandleader Ambrose, Lawrance sang, and was invited to make recordings.^[8] It was in March 1934 that he began recording with his own band, Quaglino's Quartet, at a session for Decca which featured himself on violin and vocals, with the first recording being "Dixie Lee". He largely provided his own vocals for the sessions he led as a bandleader.^[13]

His recordings led to radio appearances with Fred Hartley and his Sextet.^[8] Lawrance's band was resident at the Four Hundred Club, before moving to Lansdowne House in 1935.^[7] During this period, he appeared in five films: Marry Me (1932), She Shall Have Music (1935, in which he was the juvenile lead), Fame (1936), Variety Hour (1937) and Sing as You Swing (1937).^{[14] [15] [16]}

He also took part in a Jack Hylton show at the London Palladium.^[8] Lawrance featured on a 1936 set of Lambert & Butler cigarette cards profiling 25 dance band leaders.^{[17] [18]}

Lawrance broadcast and recorded as a singer with bands led by Fred Hartley, Jack Hylton, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Lew Stone, George Scott-Wood, Jay Wilbur, Debroy Somers, Arthur Young, Harry Hudson, Harry Leader, and Carroll Gibbons, the latter with the Savoy Hotel Orpheans.^[13] Lawrance also made a number of solo recordings on the Rex label.^[7]

In January 1940, Lawrance cut his last recordings as a bandleader in Britain, with his own vocals on all four titles: "Where or When", "Good Morning", "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" and "You Never Miss the Old Faces".^[13]

That year, he returned to Australia to lead the band at Romano's nightclub in Sydney, which he did for seven years.^{[19] [20]} He visited Britain for six months in 1950 to appear with Hartley on BBC Radio. By 1954, Lawrance was singing with Hartley on twice-weekly ABC radio broadcasts. With his wife, Lawrance also ran a dress design company.^[12]

During the 1930s, Lawrance was living in Kilburn, north west London,^[21] before moving to nearby Maida Vale in west London.^[1]

In 1940, he married Jill Clayton, a dancer.^[8] Lawrance had three sons and two daughters, and was latterly married to Bernadette.^[3] In his later years, he was resident in Kensington, Sydney.^[22] He died on 11 September 1983, aged 74.^[3]

• Discogs profile
• Brian Lawrance at IMDb
• AllMusic profile

• 1909 births
• 1983 deaths
• 20th-century Australian violinists
• 20th-century Australian male singers
• Musicians from Adelaide
• People from Maida Vale
• Dance band bandleaders
• People from Kilburn, London
• Singers from Sydney
• Decca Records artists
• Australian actors
• Australian emigrants to England
• Australian expatriates in England
• Australian male child actors

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards