SPIKE HORNETT (click to enlarge)
Following the death of my aunt Lily, and my administration of her estate as executor, I came across a small amount of material that had belonged to her husband Spike, who had pre-deceased her. Amongst this was a glossy of the Stardusters band (reproduced below) where we have Spike playing tenor sax at the left of the seated line-up.
Also interesting, from an historical perspective, was a newspaper cutting that had been pasted to the photograph. This apparently dates from the late 1940s or early 1950s and I imagine had been printed in the Melody Maker. It reads:
"I heard a Heath session, and from it I think the band is playing even better – I only hope the personnel changes being made will not upset it at all, because Ted’s band has set a standard that is a treat to hear in this country. Incidentally, for the benefit of the BBC, isn’t it about time Ted Heath and his Music had a broadcast during the evening – how about at peak hour, when all his fans are home from work? – do you know how long it is since this band broadcast later than 5.30 pm, with the exception of outside broadcasts? These I do not count as they do not do the band justice, anyway! How about it BBC?
"The Stardusters played one of the best Music While You Work programmes there’s been for a long, long time, and I hear there is a very good chance they will be given further airings. I hope so – this is another outfit we can well do with over the radio.
"I wonder if ever we shall get the BBC to give us small band sessions, similar to those so popular in the States? There are so many excellent little groups – such as Jack Parnell’s, Kenny Baker’s, Harry Gold’s, Billy Munn’s, to start the list, as well as some very good little jazz outfits that play pretty regularly together. I suppose the “one man, one band” ruling makes it difficult here, but if these little groups were fixed up on a strictly co-operative . . . "
The Stardusters complete line-up (click to enlarge)