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| Biography and family recollections | ||
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Jimmy Mesene was born in Cardiff on March 6th, 1908. His family were of Greek descent and his father John was running a business in Cardiff as a ship chandler. Jimmy was sent to Greece to learn the shipping business at the age of fifteen but in the Great Depression his father's business failed and Jimmy, already a superb guitarist became a professional musician. Jimmy attended University in the UK – Taunton University is the most frequently mentioned but sources seem split as to whether he studied languages (he was rumoured to be able to speak seven languages) or engineering. Jimmy married his first wife, Emily Isobel Gilbert on March 29th, 1934. They already had a son, named James who had been born on March 13th, 1933. The marriage failed in the early 1940s and on July 20th, 1943 Jimmy married Hilda Martin. Jimmy's condition is listed as 'the divorced husband of Emily Mesene' and his occupation as 'band leader and composer'. A talented guitarist, singer, composer and bon viveur Jimmy played most notably with Nat Gonella’s Georgians but also sang with other bands: Percy Chandler and his Band, Joe Loss and his Band, Teddy Joyce and his Orchestra, George Glover and his Orchestra, The Organ Dance Band. He formed a popular duo with Al Bowlly in the early 1940s billed as “The Radio Stars with Two Guitars” and recorded various solo tracks where, unfortunately, little documented information remains as to who was accompanying him. Jimmy’s song writing credits are difficult to trace due to the sheer number of pen names he used. It is suspected that this may have been a device to withhold royalties from his first wife although she herself denied this and reckoned the pen names were to avoid the tax man. |
 Jimmy Mesene with his second wife Hilda Jimmy and his second wife Hilda left the UK on September 27th, 1947 arriving in Port Arthur, Texas on October 19th. Jimmy's son James remained in the UK and in 1949 migrated to Australia with his mother and new step father. James was now sixteen. There is evidence that Jimmy and Hilda initially stayed with Perry Como but because of work permit problems, they moved on to Canada where they settled in Quebec. What Jimmy did to earn a living in Canada is unknown. Jimmy died in Montreal on the 28th August 1969. His wife Hilda died three years later. Hilda’s family have confirmed that Jimmy and Hilda did not have any children of their own. Therefore, James Messini is the sole direct descendant of Jimmy. Luckily he is alive and has contacted the website with a number of interesting e-mails... During the planning and preparation of this website a plea on the internet for information about Jimmy Mesene produced a response from Fred Martin, Jimmy's nephew. He also provided the photograph of Jimmy used on the front page as well as the one of Jimmy and Hilda above...The one on the front page is the best photograph we have ever seen of Jimmy...a number of interesting e-mails were received from Fred and they are reproduced here... |
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(Left) is a 1934 newspaper clipping received from Jimmy's son, James Messini, about Jimmy's first wedding to Emily: "My (half) sister in Sydney sent me this newspaper article, which she dug out of my late mother's papers. Since this reported the wedding as having taken place "today", we may assume that it was an evening paper. The only evening paper I know of in Newcastle when I was a kid was the 'Evening Chronicle'. I've never heard of Ike Wilson! The article exaggerates my mother's relationship to Eric Coates, who was my grandfather's first cousin". In 1936 the Nat Gonella Georgians appeared in a film called Variety Parade which also featured amonst others Sam Browne, and The Mrs. Jack Hylton Band. There were apparently twelve songs in the film and we have found a picture from the film showing the Georgians with Jimmy Mesene in the front, standing on the running board of a car holding his guitar. The Georgians appeared in at least two other films: Pity the poor rich made in 1936 which has four tunes from the Georgians including Georgia and Sing as you swing made in 1937... Jimmy can also be seen with the Teddy Joyce orchestra in the 1935 film Radio Parade starring Will Hay... If anybody can remember seeing these films please contact us... Please have a look around the site and see whether you have any information that we might like to add: Front page... Book excerpts... Memory Lane excerpts... Known pen names... Songs written by... Discography - alphabetically... Discography - chronologically... What Jimmy means to me... Gallery... Contact us... |