The Life of Denny Vaughan

Denny Vaughan 1921 – 1972 (information updated September 1999)

Denny Vaughan was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 21 December 1921, the fourth child of Joseph McCarthy Vaughan and Margaret Bryan Stewart Vaughan. He was christened Charles Stewart Dennis Vaughan after Charles Stewart, his maternal grandfather, and Dennis comes from his paternal grandmother's side after Dennis McCarthy. To his family and friends, he has always been addressed as Denny Vaughan.

Vaughan was born into a non-musical family. His father was an electrical and civil engineer, and later, a building contractor. Denny Vaughan's eldest brother J. Bryan Vaughan, was a journalist, and later a public relations and advertising executive, and currently lives in Toronto. His second brother, Dr. Alan M. Vaughan, was a surgeon who was killed in action on 1 April 1945 aboard the H.M.S. Indefatigable near Okinawa in the Pacific seas. His sister, Charmian Vaughan Manchee, is involved in real estate and currently lives in Toronto.

Denny Vaughan grew up at first at Summerhill Gardens, then at 195 Poplar Plains Road in Toronto. He attended Brown Grammar School, and then North Toronto Collegiate. His closest boyhood and lifelong friend was Bill Trimble. He also had close boyhood friendships with Charlie Manchee and Kenny McClaren, and adult friendships with Robert Farnon, J. Lyman Potts and Jim Soden.

Vaughan's first experience with music began with a toy saxophone given to him by his parents. He learned to play "Home Sweet Home" and "God Save the King". Vaughan gave his first concert, in 1927 at Moore Park in Toronto, - when he was just 6 years old. Vaughan once recounted that he remembered having played "God Save the King", not knowing what a King was, "so, when everybody stood up, I thought they were leaving and I was heartbroken". He later learned that they had stood up for the national anthem.

In the years to come, he learned the button accordion, and then his mother bought him an upright piano when he was 12. After several months, he had mastered music theory and chord structure. His friend Bill Trimble said his playing was a blend of Fats Waller and Teddy Wilson. Soon, among his other musical activities, he was playing organ each Sunday at the Timothy Eaton Memorial Church.

In 1932, at age 13, he won an amateur contest playing the accordion at the Loew's Theatre in downtown Toronto. In 1936, at just age 15, Denny was playing piano during his school's summer recess with the orchestra at the exclusive Royal Muskoka Hotel. When a singer was needed, Vaughan was 'volunteered', after it was discovered that he could carry a tune, and this was the start of his propitious career as a singer. During the following school years, he formed a small dance band which he directed 3 nights a week at a local club in Toronto, where he also sang because he couldn't afford a vocalist. His band also played for teas and 'prom' dances.

During the summers of the late 1930's, his band was engaged to play at Beaumaris, another swank Muskoka club. During the fall and winter months, he rented a studio, over a store at Yonge and St. Clair Streets in Toronto, which only had two chairs and an old piano. Here Vaughan would practice by the hour. He also had a leading part in the 'Pirates of Penzance' (directed by Geoffrey Eideout). In high school at North Toronto Collegiate, he was a track star, a school cheerleader and managed to make good grades according to his close friend Bill Trimble.

In 1940, Vaughan entered Varsity College at the University of Toronto, studying toward a Bachelor of Music degree. While at school, he had four or five solo vocal and piano spots on the CBC network and the local Toronto affiliate, CFRB. In early 1941, Denny was the pianist with the Richard Avonde Band that played at the Brandt Inn in Burlington, Ontario. Later that year, he appeared nightly as a pianist and featured vocalist with the Horace Lapp orchestra at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. He also took part in the 1941 U.C. Follies.

In 1942, during his second year at the University of Toronto, at 21, Vaughan enlisted for active service in WW2. He was very intent on qualifying for the air force, and flying spitfires with the RCAF. During his enlistment interview, it became apparent that his musical contribution to the forces would outweigh his infantry contribution. The commanding officer suggested that it would take about six months to train a good combat soldier, while it would take 10 to 15 years to train a good musician who would entertain some very weary troops and boost their morale. As a result, Vaughan joined the army and was soon transferred to the Canadian Army Show in 1942, and trained and performed at military bases across Canada. In 1943, Vaughan went to England with the Canadian Army Show, along with other Varsity grads, Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster.

Murray Ginsberg was also part of the Canadian Army Show. In his book, "They Loved to Play: Memories of the Golden Age in Canadian Music", Ginsberg described the training period. "The war finally caught up with me on September 20, 1942. I joined the band of the Royal Canadian Ordinance Corps and was shipped off to Barriefield, near Kingston, Ontario.

We marched about the base and played stirring military music (which, because of the peculiar physiography of the area, could be heard for miles around). Then on December 4, 1942, I was transferred to the Royal Canadian Army Show. At first we were in Montreal, and then we moved to Toronto to rehearse for a tour of military camps and bases across Canada. For most of 1943 we travelled around the country with a Broadway-type production, featuring the then quite young comics Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster, and assorted other entertainers, accompanied by a forty piece orchestra."

"Rather late in 1943, after the Army Show tour had played the west coast and returned to Toronto, we had a couple of weeks leave. Then we met again to rehearse a new show (or so we thought). Quite unexpectedly, however, our commander, Colonel Victor George, walked out on stage one morning in the middle of rehearsal at the Victoria Theatre in Toronto, in late November 1943, and announced: 'An order from Ottawa: This new show you have all been working on is cancelled. The Army Show will be broken into five concert parties and will be moving to England within weeks'. The five units were: A and B (orchestra shows); C (the tall girls, I think); D (short girls – if I am right about C); and E (Wayne and Shuster). We began writing and rehearsing new material immediately. Everyone pitched in. We had to be ready as soon as we landed in England.

We arrived in Liverpool on December 21, 1943, and boarded a train to Aldershot the same day. Our Unit A band show included: trumpeters Art Oakley and Denny Farnon; myself and Jack Madden on trombones; saxophonists Brian Farnon (later replaced by Eddie Graf), Bob Kinsman, and George Leech; pianist Denny Vaughan; drummer Fred Powell; and bassist Murray Lauder. Our strings were: violinists Jack Groob and Leonard Hershenhorn; viola player Steve Kondaks; and cellist Tadeus Konjalava. May Mends sang, Betty Mason, Stan Tasker, and Frank Cassidy danced, contortionist Penny Brandy contorted, and Don Hudson was our magician. Sgt.-Maj. Bill Charles conducted and drank all of our booze.

We played jazz, and we featured a very funny Tramp Band (four musicians who wore silly costumes and clowned around), and we entertained the Canadian and British troops in Southern England and on the continent. Before the June 6, 1944 invasion of France, we performed throughout Surrey, Sussex, Kent and the rest of the south, all beautiful English countryside. The soldiers (and the few civilians who were able to see a performance) loved the show. We met many nice Brits who showed their gratitude by inviting us in for tea and cakes. We sometimes played as many as ten shows a week – generally Monday to Friday, with the odd show on the weekend."

"Meanwhile, the war continued. On August 15, 1944 a corvette took Unit A of the Canadian Army Show across the channel, delivering us onto the beach of an apple orchard in La Deliverande, Normandy. A sign there declared, 'Allied Troops, you are entering France as liberators. You are expected to behave as liberators.'

For the next six months, we performed through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. When we crossed the borders in each country, the same sign greeted us: '…..you are entering as liberators'…. But when we crossed into Germany, the sign changed: 'Allied troops, you are entering into Germany as conquerors. You are expected to behave as conquerors.

From time to time, Unit A found itself in areas that came under fire (as did the other shows), either from German artillery, buzz bombs, or V2 rockets. To write at all seriously about our experiences, however, would fill volumes. While in England and on the continent we ate together, slept together (a few times on rat infested floors in a thousand-year-old castle on the Isle of Wight), drank together, and laughed together. Despite the ravages of war and the constant threat of catching the shell or bomb with your name on it, we did have a lot of laughs."

Denny Vaughan once related a story to Mayfair magazine in which the band and two dozen weary soldiers made their way through mud and fields toward a bomb battered barn in Holland. One can imagine that the constant thunder of guns and falling bombs in the distance was a chilling contrast to what was to ensue.

"The troops were weary, sick and weary bunch" Vaughan related, "but they weren't half as I was". "We set up the piano, hauled out the instruments, and started giving out with the mid-forties jive". As Vaughan looked up from the piano and started to sing, he came face to face with an underfed and disenchanted cow. Startled and on edge already, Vaughan jumped out of his seat at the sight of this large forlorn beast. Everyone had an uproarious laugh at Vaughan's expense.

A special broadcasting contingent of the Canadian Army Show landed in England in July of 1944, and Vaughan joined it in 1945 when he returned from his tour of duty in Europe. The Canadian Band of the A.E.F. (Allied Expeditionary Forces) was under the direction of Robert Farnon, who was later to be the best man at Vaughan's wedding. The US Army Band was under the direction of Maj. Glenn Miller, and the UK Army band was under the direction of British Sgt.-Maj. George Melanchrino.

According to Ginsberg, "The three orchestras, at the behest of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower of Supreme Headquarters, AEF, broadcast morale-lifting entertainment to the Allied Forces around the world, via the BBC's armed forces network.

The present-day Toronto broadcaster and big band enthusiast Glenn Woodcock has recently master minded a CD of the Canadian parts of these old wartime BBC broadcasts, entitled The Lost Recordings: Captain Bob Farnon and the Canadian Band of the AEF."

After the war, Farnon would remain in England and would continue his radio relationship with the BBC with the program "Journey in Melody". He became an acclaimed composer, arranger and film scorer, winning several Ivor Novello and Grammy Awards. He was named to the Order of Canada in 1997.

Through the many AEF broadcasts with Farnon, Vaughan managed to make numerous business connections in London, and so in April 1946, when his unit was returning to Canada, Vaughan obtained his discharge in England. He immediately joined Carroll Gibbons and his Savoy Orpheans at the Savoy Hotel in London, with whom he did vocal, piano and orchestral arranging work (on the Columbia label). His voice was heard on such songs as "If I had a Wishing Ring", "Marylou", "It's a Beautiful Day", "As Long as I Live", "To Bed Early" and "Prisoner of Love".

In early 1947 through the end of 1948, Vaughan was singer/arranger for Geraldo and his Orchestra (Parlophone), becoming one of England's leading singing idols with songs like "I do, I do, I do" and "I Never Loved Anyone". The publicists were calling him 'the English Sinatra'. Denny Vaughan fan clubs began forming throughout England, and even in Australia, Germany and the British West Indies.

Vaughan also appeared with several other top line European musical organizations, including Stephan Grappeli of the famous Hot Club de France. A lesser known fact was that he was one of the original "Johnston Brothers" along with Alan Dean and Johnny Johnston. According to the obituary on Johnston written by Denis Gifford in the 12 June 98 issue of the London Independent, the Johnston Brothers' first disc (in 1949) was the theme from the Hollywood movie "A Portrait of Jenny". This was followed by a parade of hits which included "That Lucky Old Sun", "Tennessee Waltz", and "Blowing Wind". They were also backing major singing stars such as Reggie Goff ("Sparrow in the Treetop"), Lita Roza ("Seven Lonely Days"), Suzi Miller ("Bimbo") and Lorrae Desmond ("I Can't Tell a Waltz from a Tango").

In 1949 and 1950, Vaughan had also done some instrumental and vocal work on his own (Parlophone and Regal), as well as some vocal and instrumental work with Victor Sylvester, Cyril Stapleton, George Melanchino, Paul Whiteman, and Robert Farnon's 'Journey into Melody' on the BBC. Vaughan also provided the 'voiceover' in Herbert Wilcox motion picture 'Maytime in Mayfair' which starred Dame Anna Neagle, and for which Farnon wrote the score.

While singing with Geraldo, one of his co-singers, Eve Beck (Caneva), introduced Vaughan to her niece, Helene de Grandprey. Helene was the daughter of Pierre Clement de Grandprey (of Paris), and Giuglia Caneva di Rivarola (of Rome). Sent to London in early 1949 to visit with her aunt Eve (who had been married to Eugenio Caneva, Guilia's brother), Helene met Denny Vaughan and began a courtship. They were married on 28 Dec 1949 at St. Marylebone Parish Church in London (near Baker Street tube station). Robert Farnon was the best man.

Denny began to feel that his career could be much better advanced in the USA. In September of 1950, Vaughan signed an exclusive recording contract with Coral records in New York. He released an instrumental album "Moonlight and Roses", as well as some vocal renditions such as "Autumn Leaves" and "Patricia".

His work in America included being a featured singer on the Peter Lind Hayes TV show. He also played piano under such conductors as Percy Faith and Hugo Winterhalter. In addition, he provided arrangements for several artists including Eddie Fisher and Ezio Pinza, and scored ballet sequences for the Kate Smith show.

Vaughan also began to develop his reputation as a society bandleader, playing for private parties held by such social lions as the Rockefellers and other well known families. Ironically, as his talents were being separately developed and employed, even associate musicians did not connect "conductor" Vaughan with "singer" Vaughan.

There is an interesting personal note here. When Denny and Helene decided to go to New York, there were currency controls and they could not take money from Canada or England. But Denny could not start work until he became a member of the American musician's union, which required a certain period of residency in the U.S. To tie them over, Helene sold magazines door to door and modelled shoes for ads in up-scale magazines. Helene modeled shoes until she contracted polio, a condition which she successfully battled and, in time, went on to walk normally.

In 1952, Denny and Helene returned to Canada, remaining there until 1967. During this time, two children were born to the Vaughans; first a girl, Corinne Diana Vaughan on 26 Feb 1954, and then a boy, Kimithy Stewart Vaughan, on 14 April 1955.

On the professional front in 1952, according to J. Lyman Potts "he became the host and conductor of a 15 minute program which was transcribed in Toronto for 'Player' Cigarettes and broadcast on radio five nights a week, coast to coast on CBC radio", through 1953. These radio shows featured a theme of songs to each show on topics such as Dreams, Cities, as well as genres of music such as Country, Dixie, and Hawaii. Subsequently, Vaughan appeared on television shows in Toronto from October 1954 to June 1957, including appearances twice a month on the 'Wayne and Shuster show'.

Vaughan was also the host of 'On Stage with Denny Vaughan' and 'the Denny Vaughan Show in the summer seasons of 1955, 1956 and 1957'.

The producers of the Denny Vaughan Show put Vaughan's orchestra on camera for the first time. The shows featured Vaughan and Joan Fairfax, as well as numbers by the Don Wright singers, the BoBolinks and dancers under the choreography of Glenna Jones. Two groups, the Diamonds and the Add-Fours took turns as the featured quartet. By the end of the summer of 1957, the sponsor, Lever Brothers, wanted to promote a different type of format, so the show was cancelled by the CBC.

In 1958, Vaughan was recruited to open the swank Salle Bonaventure supper club at the newly constructed Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. Radio programs for both CBC and CBS originated weekly from this venue. From approximately 1964 to 1966, he was also the musical director for British American Oil Co. Musical Showcase which was seen on Canadian TV.

During his return to Canada from 1952 through 1967, Vaughan continued to make several vocal and instrumental recordings for both commercial distribution and for Muzak. His most well known vocal recordings were in 1956, with Johnny Cowell's "Walk Hand in Hand" (Spiral) and "Forever". Vaughan also made four albums for the Canadian Talent Library, an organization started by J. Lyman Potts which was dedicated to bringing Canadian content to Canadian radio in 1962, and Vaughan also contributed to other CTL albums as composer and arranger.

Vaughan moved to California, from 1967 to 1971. He was the choral director for the Smothers Brothers Show which was produced by Saul Ilson, a former writer for the Denny Vaughan show in Toronto. In 1969, Vaughan was the musical director for the Glen Campbell Show, the Sonny and Cher Show, Tom Jones, Pat Paulsen Show and a few others. In 1971, he made his first attempt at a musical score for a film called 'Love Minus One'; the film was never released, although a few copies of the soundtrack were printed.

When Moxie Whitney left the 'Imperial Showroom' in 1971, it was expected that Vaughan would take his place. However, due to the type of content in the show for which Vaughan was given no artistic control, Vaughan elected, in the Spring of 1972, to return to Montreal. There, Vaughan looked after his music publishing business, Clarendon House Ltd., and his Canadian and USA real estate assets within D.C. Vaughan Ltd.

Denny Vaughan's many achievements would be ended in Montreal on 2 Oct 72. After a year long bout, he succumbed to cancer at the early age of 50.