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The bare biographical facts of Jimmy Mesene' s life are set out in our biography section. He became a very popular dance band singer and musician in the hey-day period of the British dance bands and yet reading through this website a number of questions come to mind. By 1933 (at the age of 25) he was singing and recording with the becoming renowned Joe Loss band but was replaced in 1934 by Chick Hendersen. Shortly after he joined the Nat Gonella Georgians, another prominent band, as singer and guitarist where he remained until mid 1939 when Nat Gonella disbanded the Georgians. When the New Georgians were formed in 1940 Jimmy Mesene was not included and he disappeared from the band scene. He re-appeared in 1940 with Al Bowlly, whose own career was in the doldrums, to form a singing and guitar playing duo that worked the music halls. They recorded a number of records that are detailed in the discography. The act ended with Bowlly's untimely death in a war time air raid on London in 1941. The war killed off the band scene although Jimmy did make one more record in 1942, with Billy Thorburn's Organ Dance Band. What he did in the war period is also unknown. Most of his songs were written in the war years but would not have provided a living, and we know he did not serve in the forces. What were the reasons for him quitting his musical career in the UK in 1946 after the war ended? He left with his second wife who he had been married to for three years, but without his son from his first marriage who was then thirteen. It appears that the US was his first choice of country but unable to work there he ended up in Canada - why? It is interesting that Teddy Joyce, one of the bandleaders he recorded with, was in fact a Canadian. Once he reached Canada he seems to disappear. He died in Montreal on 28th August 1969, his last known address was Ontario Avenue, Quebec. It is not known what Jimmy did for his 23 years in Canada. Did he for some reason that we will never know change his name, he had used several names during his music career in the UK? | Can you give answers to any of the questions in the notes on the left? Do you know of any other records not listed in out discographies or of any other songs written by him? Did you know Jimmy or do you know of anybody who knew him or played in a band with him? Were you related to, or do you know of, his first wife Emily Isobel Gilbert or his second wife Hilda Noel Martin (born c1911) Do you know what he did with his life in Canada? Do you know why he quit the UK in 1946? Front page... Biographical notes and recollections... Book excerpts... Memory Lane excerpts... Known pen names... Songs written by... Discography - alphabetically... Discography - chronologically... What Jimmy means to me... Gallery... |
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