[ Sonny Farrar and his Band ]
Currently no information. Known to have appeared in some British films during including the 1937 film 'Talking Feet'

      [ Buddy Featherstonhaugh & his Sextet ]
Currently no information. Known to have appeared in some British films during 1946

      [ The Five Harmonica Rascals ]
Currently no information. Known to have appeared in some British films during 1938

      [ Michael Flome Orch. ]
b: ca. 1908. d: April 1944
English Bandleader, alto saxophonist, violonist.
Currently no information available.
In January 1938, Flome cut his first record (for Decca). Early on, he toured Germany, In April 1944 following a special services musical show in England ('Stars in Battledress'), he was involved in a truck accident.

      [ Ferrachini's Hawaiian Band ]
A pseudonym for the Len Fillis Band. (See below)/

      [ Len Fillis and His Novelty Orchestra ]
Fillis really deserves more recognition. All during the 1920's and '30's, Len Fillis was a much in demand guitarist, who played with many of the wonderful British bands of the era. However, he did lead on many records. (Discographers have found at least 600 records on which he may be heard, - usually playing a fine rhythm guitar.)

In addition, Fillis often recorded under such pseudonyms as "Linn Milford And His Hawaiian Singers" (1929), "Linn Milford and his Hawaiian Players" (1929) and "Ferrachini's Hawaiian Band" (1930). Among the players with Len Fillis and with "Linn Milford" at times was guitarist/vocalist Al Bowlly.

Fillis also recorded several solo recordings, which in addition to featuring his playing the usual dance band guitar (steel strings), also featured him playing tenor guitar, steel guitar, spanish guitar, banjo, and ukulele, - ofen accompanied by Sid Bright on piano.

      [ Reginald Foresythe Band ]
Currently no information. Known to have appeared in some British films during 1936
Listen now to the Reginald Forsythe Orchestra playing "Serenade For A Wealthy Widow", (541 kb)

      [ Teddy Foster's Band ]
Currently no information available.

Foster appeared in some British films during 1949. The band's drummer, Mr Frank Simpson, has recalled that:
      "Teddy Foster moved into the Mecca Dance Hall Circuit around 1941,
      where I met up with him in Birmingham (UK). I had just left Frank
      Chacksfield in Salisbury in 1946, and joined Hedley Ward, a local
      Birmingham Band. I also had the good fortune to meet up with Glenn
      Miller and the boys during his UK tour, at the American Officers
      Club in Salisbury -- great times -."

In private eMail, Mr. Ron Critchlow, has noted that the Teddy Foster Orchestra disbanded circa 1950. Mr Critchlow continued
      "I had a long conversation with Phil Seaman, who was leaving the Orchestra
      that night, and he told what a great band it was but not commercially viable.
      Foster came up through the Salvation army and later returned to Scotland to
      work locally, and I believe did some first class work with the Savation Army
      again. Someone has written a biography on the band and I believe there are
      one or two recordings available but I have not traced them as yet."
The Big Bands Database Plus thanks Mr. Ron Critchlow, and Mr. Frank Simpson (drums) for his memories of Teddy Forster's band.

      [ Hal Fox and his Band ]
Currently no information. Known to have appeared in some British films during 1936

      [ Bert Firman Orch. ]
aka: [ Sidney Firman and London Radio Band ]
aka: [ (Bert Firman and the ) Devonshire Restaurant Dance Band ]
Currently no information. Known to have appeared in some British films during the 1930s. Active same time as Hudson. Also worked the London Clubs. He was Zonophone's Musical Director same time as Hudson was Edison Bell's MD.

The 'Devonshire Restaurant Dance Band' was actually a group led by Bert Firman. Listen now to Bert Firman leading the Devonshire Restaurant Dance Band in the song "Red Lips, Kiss My Blues Away", followed by the song "Zulu Wail", both recorded 1927 in London.

      [ George Fisher and His Kit Kat Orch. ]
Currently no information available.
né: George Fishberg
Fisher was one of the original sidemen in the California Ramblers. During a Ramblers European tour, he chose to remain in England, and became the leader of a very popular orchestra.

      [ Roy Fox Orch ], (30's)
Cornet. b. Denver, CO, USA, Oct. 25, 1901 d.
Though born in Denver, Colorado, the family moved to Hollywood, CA, when Roy was just a few months old. At age 11, he started studying the Cornet. He had his first job with a small band in Santa Monica, CA, when he was just 16 years of age. Later, he joined the Abe Lyman orchestra. In time, he achieved a reputation as "The Whispering Cornetist".

His first band, in 1920, was booked into the Club Royale, in Culver City, CA, USA. They toured coast to coast, and then Roy was offered a position as music director for the Fox Film Studios (no relation), which later became the 20th Century Fox Studios. While working for Fox Studios, London's Cafe de Paris wired him an offer. Roy accepted and opened at the Cafe de Paris on Sept. 29, 1930 to a very luke warm reception.

Roy was able to get a British Dept of Labour Work Permit when Decca Records asked him to form a recording band. Recording started in Jan. 1931. In May 27, 1931, Roy's band opened at the new Monseigneur Restaurant. That band included Nat Gonella; Billy and Mickey Amstell; Syd Buckman; Joe Ferrie; Harry Berly; Lew Stone; Al Bowlly and Bill Harty.

At this time, Fox also started a series of weekly broadcasts over the BBC, but in October 1931, Fox became ill and had to enter a sanitorium. In his absence, Lew Stone fronted the band. Fox returned and again asssumed leadership. However, in Oct 1932, Fox and the Monseigneur management parted company. All of the musicians, except Syd Buckman, stayed at the restaurant with Lew Stone as Leader.

Fox formed a second band built around just 5 musicians who had been working in a club called the Spider's Web. Just a few days later, Aug. 14, 1932, they were booked into London's Cafe Anglais and where they enjoyed an instantaneous success. Not long after, Roy received an offer from the Kit-Cat Club. The Cafe Anglais released him from his contract and he opened on Jan. 1933, using the name of Roy Fox and his Kit Kat Orch. (This photo is by the kind courtesy of Mr. Art Christmas, son of Art Christmas who was in the band at this time, and who later went on to great fame in Britain and the Continent.)

He stayed until March 5 when he returned to the Cafe de Paris, and remained there until January 16, 1934. (It is believed that the band appeared in a 1934 British film too.) Roy's mid-'30's orchestra had such sidemen as: George Rowe and Freddie Welsh (trombones); Jack Nathan (piano); Syd Buckman and Les Lambert (trumpets); Maurice Burman (drums); Denny Dennis (Vocalist); George Gibbs (bass); Ivor Mairants (guitar); Reg Owen, Art Christmas, Hughie Tripp and Harry Gold (saxes) and Peggy Dell on piano. In the years following, Roy toured the theater circuit until disbanding in August 1938. They had also appeared in a film called Radio Pirates.

Listen now to the Roy Fox orchestra (mid-1930s) playing some tunes, all with Al Bowlly vocals, including this dreamy romantic ballad "Lazy Day", and a couple of uptempo tunes "My Baby Said Yes", and "Nobody's Sweetheart Now"

In 1938, Roy went to Australia, possibly due to health problems, where he rather unsuccessfully fronted Jay Whidden's Orchestra. Unable to return to Britain during the war years, he traveled to the U.S. where he led small combos in New York City. In 1946, he was again granted permission to work in Britain, and returned to form a new band with only Syd Buckman and Bobby Joy from the pre-war days.

This band worked one summer on the Isle of Man, and then was booked into London's Potomac Club. Bandleader Bert Quarmby's son, Kevin, has given me this wonderful photo of the Roy Fox Orch., appearing at the Isle of Man. (Bert Quarmby was with Roy, playing Trombone at the time.) But the big band era was effectively over, due to the war, economics and many other factors, and Roy decided to call it a career. He disbanded and opened a booking agency.

      [ Tommy Finnigan Band ]
Currently no information.
In private correspondence, Tommy's nephew, John Finnigan, has mentioned that his uncle Tommy had a dance band in the 1930's. He played at the Rialto Ballroom in Liverpool, with some season's at a large ballroom in Manchester, and the Hammersmith Palais in London. Tommy had a weekly article on dancing in the Liverpool Echo, and is mentioned in a book 'Let's go dancing' (Dance Band Memories of 1930's Liverpool).