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Jeannie Dee - Vocal Photo Album "I joined a group in the Sixties and my fee was ten shillings (50p). We enjoyed it so much that we would have done it for nothing. The Bill Sowerby Orchestra was the first Dance Band I sang with in Sunderland. When the new Mecca Ballroom opened there, I joined the Gene Mayo Orchestra. After a while, the bright lights of London called and I joined the Phil Tate Orchestra at the Streatham Locarno. I also did the odd gig with the Johnny Howard Band and got into the session side of the business, singing and making LPs (long playing records - now superceded by the compact disc). I often see these LPs in car boot sales today. During 1967 I married. I started making my own records first as a duo called John and Jeannie and then a couple of singles... but no hits, I’m afraid. I did live performances with the Simon Dee show, which was great fun. I left the Phil Tate Orchestra to join the Mike Morton Singers at the Orchid, Purley, and then I had an invitation to audition for the Joe Loss Orchestra. This required three auditions, one in a studio as Joe did a lot of broadcasting, one with the band and a third at Joe’s home to meet his wife Mildred. I got the job and started at the Empire, Leicester Square. Of all the band work I had done, the Joe Loss Orchestra offered the most variety. We did a lot of touring all over the country, two tours of Ireland and two wonderful summer seasons at the Stardust, Blackpool. Regular broadcasts and appearances on the Diddie David Hamilton show, plus appearances at such prestigious venues as the Albert Hall and the Palladium, but two venues I’ll never forget were performing at Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family and for the Queen Mother’s birthday at Windsor Castle. In April 1973 I left the Joe Loss Orchestra when my daughter Venessa was born. When she was six months old, I joined The Mervyn Wright Orchestra. This was to be my last professional job for when my husband’s firm took him to Milton Keynes didn’t sing again for ten years until a wonderful friend and musician, Joan Cunningham got me back on stage with a small jazz group. Then James Goff invited me to sing with his band. As I had not sung with a big band for such a long time, I was a little nervous at turning up for a rehearsal, but I’m glad I did. The band’s great and the guys are lovely. Jeannie Dee |