Solved NIC#349 - Bill Cotton, band leader and racing driver

[nicanary]

Who is this man?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[Willie McCrum]

Billy Cotton ?

[nicanary]

Billy Cotton ?

Spot on. You're going to like my puzzles, Willie.

He won't be known to many AP members, but Bill Cotton was a dance-band leader of some renown in the UK before and after WW2. He had a regular slot on prime-time Saturday night TV, long before Simon Cowell came on the scene.

He was a very able driver, although not really one of the top aces. He had an ERA in which he had some success, although he's not in that car in this image. Possibly an MG.       

[nicanary]

Just to show that Billy Cotton knew how to drive, here's a photo of him at Donington in 1938, being rapidly overtaken by Richard Seaman in a Mercedes-Benz W154. Bill is in his ERA.

[Willie McCrum]

Hmmmm. I wonder was it a 'wakey wakeyyyyy! moment when Seaman went past ?

[nicanary]

Hmmmm. I wonder was it a 'wakey wakeyyyyy! moment when Seaman went past ?

That'll mean nothing to non-UK members of AP. 

His theme tune was "Somebody stole my gal" if I recall correctly. Lead vocalist was Alan Breeze, who my father knew (but then again my father claimed to know everyone within a 50 mile radius of Norwich). I think Breeze lived somewhere near Diss.

[Tom_I]

A regular feature of Saturday night television in the UK, the Billy Cotton Band Show lasted well into the 1960s, by which time it was looking rather old-fashioned. He had started as a bandleader in the 1920s. Regular vocalists were Alan Breeze and Kathie Kay, and pianist Russ Conway made regular appearances.

I must admit I didn't know that he raced cars, but apparently he and David Hampshire came fourth in the 1949 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

[Willie McCrum]

I can recall his arrival at Silverstone for the British GP in, I think, 1965. He walked across the track at Woodcote, escorted by BRDC bigwigs, and walked past the already formed-up grid on his way to the Clubhouse. As he walked in front of the stand he got a longer and louder ovation than whichever HRH was present that day !

[Carnut]

A regular feature of Saturday night television in the UK, the Billy Cotton Band Show lasted well into the 1960s, by which time it was looking rather old-fashioned. He had started as a bandleader in the 1920s. Regular vocalists were Alan Breeze and Kathie Kay, and pianist Russ Conway made regular appearances.

I must admit I didn't know that he raced cars, but apparently he and David Hampshire came fourth in the 1949 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Crikey, TV?  We didn't have one of those at the start of the 1960s but I do remember him on the old steam radio on Sundays.
Nowadays he is always referred to as Billy Cotton whilst his son, the former Director-General of the BBC, is referred to as Bill Cotton. That may well not have been the case back in the 50s or 60s mind you, when Bill must have still just been a lad in short pants..