Billy Cotton

Billy Cotton was born on 6th May, 1899 in Smith Square, Westminster. He started his career at the age of 15, playing drums with the Royal Fusiliers. He joined the Royal Flying Corps when he was 18, played football for Brentford and in the early 1920s he played with a trio for 5 shillings a night. The other members of the trio were Arthur Rosebery who later become a major bandleader and Laurie Johnson who was also an impresario. Laurie later led the band at the Ealing Palais, with Bill on drums. The band, called 'Al Johnson and the San Prado Band' also broadcast on 2LO.

Bill next worked for Jack Howard at the Olympia Ballroom and then decided to form his own band. He auditioned for Gaumont-British and was given the resident position at the Regent Ballroom in Brighton in 1925. The band was called 'Billy Cotton and his London Savannah Band'. The band moved to Southport Palais on May 29th and stayed there until 1927. During this time the band began to include stage acts in their performances. The band moved to the Astoria, Charing Cross Road and then on to the Locarno, Streatham. His big break came on moving to Ciro's Club in about 1929, where he stayed until the spring of 1931. Bill started to make records for Metropole and Piccadilly, plus a single disc for Decca. He made many records for Columbia, Regal, Regal Zonophone and Rex. He returned to Decca for his later records. His best selling record was 'South Of The Border'.

For most of his career his band did stage shows. He is remembered today for the long-running 'Billy Cotton Band Show' which was broadcast on radio and television in the 1950s & 1960s. The show always started with his famous call of 'Wakey Wakey' and his signature tune was 'Somebody Stole My Gal'.

Bill was also a racing driver and drove the famous Blue Bird car, achieving a speed of 121 m.p.h. He also had a Gipsy Moth aeroplane. He married Mabel Gregory in 1921 and they had two sons, Ted and Bill junior. Bill junior became head of entertainment at the BBC. 

Bill died at Wembley on 25th March, 1969.