Reggie Goff - Biography

British baritone singer who became a popular performer on record and radio in the late 1940s despite a severe disability that confined him to a wheelchair for much of his life.

Born 19 September 1915 at Gosport, Hampshire, Goff played clarinet and saxophone by the age of 12. At age 15, he led his own professional band in Luton, building up a large following around North London.

During the war years, when Billy Ternent formed his BBC orchestra, Reggie joined as lead alto and stayed on when Stanley Black took over. In 1945, he joined George Crow's Blue Mariners, but left in June 1947 to form his own band again.

The first airing of the new quintet, which included Johnny Douglas as pianist-arranger and singer Dick James, was on Whit Saturday 1947. Many of Goff's bookings were at U.S.A.F. service camps, and it was here he began to expand his vocal work, finding the Americans liked his style, so similar to their own Vaughn Monroe.

Decca offered of a recording contract in 1948, and over the next few years, they issued over twenty of his discs in the UK (note: at time of writing we appear to have 17). There were several others that only appeared on the London label in the United States. One of these, 'I Love You So Much It Hurts', with a backing from Cyril Stapleton, reached No.13 on the U.S charts in May 1949. This was Reggie’s second appearance on the American record hit parade for a year earlier he had added a vocal to the Paul Fenoulhet Orchestra’s M.G.M recording of 'A Tree in the Meadow', that reached No.21 (not issued in Britain). On the label the orchestra leader was credited as Paul Fennelly.

Reggie’s broadcast work included programmes like 'Sing It Again' where his vocal talents were to the fore, plus others like the strictly instrumental 'Music While You Work.'

From May 1948, Reg on alto sax led a quartet (later extended to a sextet) at London's Bray House Club, replacing the Johnny Denis Ranchers. Personnel included Ronnie Martin (piano), Frankie Burton (drums), and Ken Morris (bass).

The following year, 1949, a change of style saw him fronting a vocal group, known as Reggie Goff and his Glee Girls. The act formed for radio and variety work consisted of Reggie with four girl singers plus a rhythm section of celeste, guitar, bass, and drums. The girls were Joyce Berry, Helen Mack, Linda Russell, and Sylvia Lorraine. They made several broadcasts, including a regular Friday evening show with the Carroll Gibbons Orchestra. They are said to have cut at least four records for Decca, possibly those labelled as Reggie Goff and the Velvetones.

Over Christmas 1949 Reggie appeared in cabaret at Southampton's Royal Court Hotel, supported by one of his Glee Girls, Helen Mack, on piano (plus her own solo spot). Reggie also broadcasted with Geraldo’s Orchestra.

During 1950, he toured mainly on one-night stands with a sextet, plus led a larger outfit at Torquay's 400 Ballroom for a six week summer season. Reggie was also a solo guest at concerts with the Cyril Stapleton Orchestra and appeared regularly on Cyril's 'Let's Make Music' radio show. Other radio work at that time included his own Radio Luxembourg series 'Quiet Interlude,' on which he was backed by Don Lorusso on organ.

The early months of 1951 found Reggie leading the resident group at Long's Restaurant, Bishops Stortford, often using vocalist Dinah Kaye. This he followed with a two month summer season at Leamington Spa's Jephson Gardens Dance Pavilion that included concerts from a bandstand constructed on an island in the garden's lake. Musicians with him during the early fifties included Tony Osborne on piano and trumpet, Tommy Watt on piano and Jimmy Skidmore on tenor sax.

The frequent bookings in small hotels and cabarets and touring of U.S. service camps all took their toll on Reggie's poor health.

In May 1952, Reggie narrowly escaped injury when his car was hit by a lorry. In August 1952, he played his first broadcast in over 18 months on 'Up and Coming', followed two days later with another on Henry Hall’s Guest Night.

In 1953, since Decca did not renew his recording contract, he switched to Polygon. The Polygon releases tended to feature his vocal talents, and on the first one in January 1950, 'Moon above Malaya', he was backed by the Roland Peachey Orchestra. The next, 'Bridge of Sighs', an excellent recording, had the benefit of Jackie Brown on organ.

During the mid-fifties, despite his serious heart trouble, Reggie continued to work as much as he could. Reg was a keen follower of motor cycle speedway racing and in May 1953 had become vice-president of the West Ham Club.

Reggie Goff died during a summer residency with his sextet at Brighton on Sunday, 16 September 1956. He would have been 41 on the following Wednesday (other internet sources state that Reggie died in Middlesex).

Note: This bio draws heavily on the Biography of Reggie Goff in Don Wicks "The Ballad Years", which I (pridesale) have edited to take out some of the "opinion" so that in the main we can attempt to trace more disc entries that may be missing at present. Disc references where Goff is a vocalist on other main artist listings will be a little tricky to find here, and editing Discogs, dear reader, is a pain (opinion !).

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