Marion Keene
Encyclopedia
Marion Keene was a big band
singer in the early 1950s with British
bands such as the Jack Parnell
Orchestra and Oscar Rabin Band
.
She performed with big bands as Marion Davis beginning at the age of sixteen. She married saxophone player Ronnie Keene, and later performed as Marion Keene in the late 1950s. In 1960, she reached the finals of the United Kingdom Eurovision Song Contest
with her song "Unexpectedly".
"She was a beautiful person in every way" recalled Ron Simmonds, fellow band member and close friend. Keene later appeared on television and cabaret in London's West End. Her second marriage was to trombone player, Ken Goldie.
In a letter published by the Hartlepool Mail
on April 6, 1998, Marion Keene related her career memories starting with World War II
:
She also wrote:
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
singer in the early 1950s with British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
bands such as the Jack Parnell
Jack Parnell
John Russell Parnell was an English bandleader and musician.-Biography:Parnell was born into a theatrical family in London....
Orchestra and Oscar Rabin Band
Oscar Rabin Band
The Oscar Rabin Band was a British Jazz dance band that was one of the most successful bands of the 1950s. Band leader Oscar Rabin played bass saxophone, an unusual instrument then as now. His friend Harry Davis, tall, elegant and good-looking, acted as compère and conductor.-Formation:Oscar...
.
She performed with big bands as Marion Davis beginning at the age of sixteen. She married saxophone player Ronnie Keene, and later performed as Marion Keene in the late 1950s. In 1960, she reached the finals of the United Kingdom Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
with her song "Unexpectedly".
"She was a beautiful person in every way" recalled Ron Simmonds, fellow band member and close friend. Keene later appeared on television and cabaret in London's West End. Her second marriage was to trombone player, Ken Goldie.
In a letter published by the Hartlepool Mail
Hartlepool Mail
The Hartlepool Mail is a newspaper serving Hartlepool and the surrounding area. It has an average daily circulation of 14,198.The paper was founded in Hartlepool in 1877 as The Northern Daily Mail and continued to be printed in the town until August 2006, when the printing staff were told they...
on April 6, 1998, Marion Keene related her career memories starting with World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
:
"I remember coming out of the shelters and seeing Musgrove Street in complete devastation...I remember singing and tap dancingTap danceTap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
in the cellar. They used to shine a torch on me as though I was on stage.
She also wrote:
When I was 14 years I sang with Benny Nelson at the Queen's Rink, then joined Oscar RabinOscar RabinOscar Rabin was a Latvian born English bandleader and musician. He was notable for being the musical director of the Oscar Rabin Band....
when I was 16 years. I was offered a four year contract. From there I joined Eric WinstoneEric WinstoneEric Winstone was an English big band leader and composer.Playing piano in his spare time from a job as Westminster Gas and Coke Company led him to form his first band in 1935...
, then freelanced with "AmbroseAmbrose (bandleader)Benjamin Baruch Ambrose , known professionally as Ambrose or Bert Ambrose, was an English bandleader and violinist. Ambrose become the leader of a highly acclaimed English dance band, the Bert Ambrose & His Orchestra, in the 1930s.-Early life:Ambrose was born in the East End of London; his father...
", Paul Adams, Felix King and others, then joined Jack ParnellJack ParnellJohn Russell Parnell was an English bandleader and musician.-Biography:Parnell was born into a theatrical family in London....
for two years. I worked with Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
, Al MartinoAl MartinoAl Martino was an American singer and actor. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid 1970s, being described as "one of the great Italian American pop crooners", and also became well known as an actor, particularly for his role as singer Johnny Fontane in The...
, Billy HolidayBillie HolidayBillie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
[sic], Bob HopeBob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and others.
"I started my television career in 1956 with The Dave King Show, then Jimmy WheelerJimmy WheelerJimmy Wheeler was a British variety theatre comedian and pioneer of radio and television.Born Ernest Remnant in Battersea, he acquired the name Jimmy from George Formby , who introduced him on stage early in his career as 'Lucky Jim'...
, Ted RayTed Ray (comedian)Ted Ray was a popular English comedian of the 1940s, 50s and 60s....
, Norman WisdomNorman WisdomSir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin...
, Dickie HendersonDickie HendersonDickie Henderson, OBE was a London-born entertainer.-Early years:His father, Dick Henderson was a music hall comedian and singer famous for his short, rotund appearance, bowler hat and beautiful singing voice...
, Stanley BlackStanley BlackStanley Black OBE was an English Bandleader, Composer, conductor, arranger and pianist. He wrote and arranged many film scores and recorded prolifically for the Decca label...
, Bob Hope TV Special. All the shows I did were series so I was appearing to audiences of 20 million. They were live shows and so exciting. I also did commercials, Frys Turkish DelightFry's Turkish DelightFry's Turkish Delight is a chocolate sweet made by Cadbury, and formerly by J. S. Fry & Sons. It was launched in 1914 and consists of a rose-flavoured Turkish delight surrounded by milk chocolate....
, was very popular, also DreftDreftDreft is a popular laundry detergent in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and other markets. First produced by Procter & Gamble in 1933, it was one of the earliest synthetic detergents. Upon its inception, Dreft was touted as a significant improvement over the soap suds of...
, Dairy Box and Dove Soap."
Recordings
- HMV 78rpm. In The Middle Of An Island/It's Not For Me To Say - (TG 350 with orchestra cond. by Frank CordellFrank Cordell (musician)Frank Cordell was a British music composer, arranger and conductor, who was actively involved with the Institute of Contemporary Arts. He also wrote music under the name Frank Meilleur or Meillear .-Early life:He was born Frank Cordell in Kingston-upon-Thames...
) - HMV 78rpm (1956) "Fortune Teller/A Dangerous Age" (HMV 7M 395) Mono
- RCA LOP 1001 Rose-Marie (Julie AndrewsJulie AndrewsDame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
) Cast Member - RCA LOP 1001 (RD-27143 in England) 1958