Roy Fox

Roy Fox

Source: R2OK

Born on 25 October 1901 in Denver, CO, cornetist and trumpeter, Roy Fox, was raised in Hollywood in a Salvation Army family together with his sister. Though beginning his career in America most of it would be and finish in England. He first performed in public at age thirteen, playing cornet in a newsboy band with the 'Los Angeles Examiner'. He next worked as a studio musician playing bugle for Cecille B. DeMille. At age sixteen he joined the Abe Lyman Orchestra. In 1920 he formed his first band.

Sources trace Fox's earliest recordings to radio transcriptions for Columbia from the Biltmore Hotel in New York City from 1919 to 1921. He recorded transcriptions with the Art Hickman Orchestra at the Biltmore for Columbia in 1924. His initial issued recordings were with Hickman in June of 1924 for Victor in Los Angeles, 'Patsy' among those titles. Hickman was on a national tour at the time which would take him to Miami, then NYC, where he would lead his own band at the Avalon and Beaux Arts nightclubs before returning to California in 1927 to work with Gus Arnheim at the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood.

'Patsy'   Art Hickman Orchestra

Possibly first recording to issue by Fox

10 June 1924   Matrix PB-5-4   Victor 19399

 Known personnel:

Cornet: Roy Fox   Piano: Earl Burnett

 Composition: Richard Winfree / Earl Butnett

'G'wan with It'   Art Hickman Orchestra

Possibly second recording to issue by Fox

10 June 1924   Matrix PB-6-4   Victor 19399

 Known personnel:

Cornet: Roy Fox   Piano: Earl Burnett

 Composition: Art Hickman / Earl Burnett

It was in Los Angeles that Fox formed his Montmartre (Cafe) Orchestra to record three titles for Brunswick in two sessions in the summer of 1929: 'Painting the Clouds with Sunshine', 'Tip-Toe Through the Tulips' and 'I've Waited a Lifetime for You'. 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips' charted at #18. He thereafter called his orchestra simply His Band, which he took on the first of multiple trips to London, first to perform at the Café de Paris in latter 1930, his ballroom style to become popular via BBC radio broadcasts.

'Tip Toe Through the Tulips with Me'   Roy Fox and His Montmartre Orchestra

Hickman's first session as a leader

28 May 1929   Brunswick 4419

Vocal: Art Cripper

 Music: Joe Burke   Lyrics: Al Dubin   For the film 'Gold Diggers of Broadway' 1929

Fox recorded 'A Peach of a Pair' in January of 1931 back in Los Angeles before another trip to London where he assumed a half-year residency at the Monseigneur Restaurant. Most of Fox' recordings as a leader would take place in London, first for Decca (1931-35), then HMV (1936-38), then Halcyon (1938).

'Sweet and Hot'   Roy Fox   Prob his Monseigneur band in London

Sometime London 1931   Film unidentified

This or another version recorded at the Cafe Anglais issued on Decca F. 3289 in 1932

Vocals: The Cubs: Les Lambert / Ivor Mairants / Harry Gold

 Music: Harold Arlen   Lyrics: Jack Yellen   For the Broadway musical 'You Said It' 1931

'Nobody's Sweetheart'   Roy Fox

Sometime 1933 in Scheveningen, Holland   Film unidentified

Earlier version recorded at the Monseigneur Restaurant issued on Decca F. 2716 in 1932

Piano: Peggy Dell

 Composition: Billy Meyers / Elmer Schoebel / Ernie Erdman / Gus Kahn

'Play to Me, Gypsy'   Roy Fox

Recorded 4 Feb 1934 at the Kit-Cat Restaurant in London

 Vocal: Denny Dennis

 Composition: Billy Meyers / Elmer Schoebel / Ernie Erdman / Gus Kahn

'You Oughta Be in Pictures'   Roy Fox

Recorded 26 March 1934   Cafe de Paris in London   Decca F. 3943

Vocal: Denny Dennis   Film unidentified

 Music: Dana Suesse   Lyrics: Edward Heyman   For the film 'New York Town' 1934

'True'   Roy Fox

Recorded 4 May 1934   Cafe de Paris in London   Decca F. 3987

Vocal: Peggy Dell

 Composition: Walter Samuels / Leonard Whitcup

Compilation of Roy Fox 1935

Vocals: Sid Buckman / Rex Owen / Denny Dennis

'Let's Face the Music and Dance'   Roy Fox

Recorded 6 April 1936   HMV BD5033

Vocal: Denny Dennis

 Composition: Irving Berlin   For the film 'Follow the Fleet' 1936

'Miracles Sometimes Happen'   Roy Fox

Recorded 16 Oct 1936   HMV BD5126

Vocal: Denny Dennis

 Composition: Ray Noble/Alan Murray

'Harbor Lights'   Roy Fox

Recorded before 19 May 1937   Victor 25593

Vocal: Barry Gray

 Composition: Hugh Williams / Jimmy Kennedy   1937

'On a Rainy Day'   Roy Fox

Radio broadcast sometime April-Aug 1938   Halcyon HAL 7 in 1972

Vocal: Sid Buckman

 Composition: Sid Buckman

In 1938 Fox traveled to Australia to lead the Jay Whidden Orchestra. From there he spent some time in New York City performing at La Martinique and the Riobamba. While there he recorded several titles on 20 January of 1939 like 'You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby' and 'Jeepers Creepers'. He was back in London in time for sessions in January and February of 1941 yielding 'Georgia On My Mind' and 'Oh M'ya' which are his latest that I've found.

'Georgia On My Mind'   Roy Fox

Recorded 21 Jan 1941 in London   Decca F. 2804

Vocal: Nat Gonella

 Composition: Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell

In 1952 Fox opened a booking agency which would pull him away performing. He published his autobiography, 'Hollywood, Mayfair, and All That Jazz', in 1975. Fox died on 20 March of 1982 in London.