Jo Marney is a professional singer who also sang with the Billy Ternent Orchestra, so who better to be President of our Society. Jo has a loyal band of fans and as a popular artist on my BBC Radio Nostalgia show, barely a week goes by without a request to hear her sing. I decided to ask Jo to tell me a bit about herself.
Jo was baptised into the Roman Catholic faith and was educated at a Convent School from which she attended Arts Educational Stage School to follow her love of dancing. When she decided to leave the Convent the Nuns there thought she’d be lead astray – so it was decided that every Saturday she would return the Convent for Religious Instruction. Jo felt this was unfair and that she possibly had more religious instruction that the pupils attending the school. At 14 she made her debut stage appearance in the pantomime Dick Whittington.
Her real love was singing, having from being a toddler regularly sang at family functions and for friends. By seventeen she had decided that this is what she wanted to pursue and gave up dancing all-together.
Her first singing job was with a London Palaise Band at the Locarno in Streatham. She had been there a year when was approached by Johnny Howard to join his Band. Johnny had been given a contract at the Lyceum Mecca, the No 1 Ballroom in the area. He had always hired male vocalists, so Jo was naturally surprised to be approached by him. In fact she often felt she’d “been wished on him” by the management of the ballroom who told him in no uncertain terms that he must also have a girl singer for their prestigious venue!
After about 3 months she realised she wasn’t getting enough opportunity to sing with the band, so she left and took a job singing at the Jack O Clubs with the Ted Taylor Four. This group were well known having already released a record called M1 – after she joined them, her career “just took off”.
Ted Taylor had a Studio at the back of his home where she regularly recorded, and by this time she was also doing radio broadcasts with the band.
Broadcasts in her own right were to follow, together with regular sessions for Music Publishers.
During a long spell as freelance - not linked directly to any band, Jo was asked to sing at a function in the Connaught Rooms, Holborn. It was a Ladies Night and the Band there was George Fierstone (ex The Sky Rockets)
Several months after this function she received a call from a BBC Producer called John Bussell, he offered Jo the job of vocalist with the Billy Ternent Orchestra. Jo wasn’t keen on the idea. It was the mid to early 70’s and at that time she was singing Carpenters and Bacharach Songs. She thought Billy’s music was from the Thirties, so she said “No I don’t want to”.
The next night she was appearing at La Bussola (an Italian Restaurant in St Martins Lane) John Bussell arrived with Dennis Walton (Lead Alto with the Billy Ternent Orchestra). They’d come to try to get her to change her mind and to press her further on joining the Orchestra. They pleaded with Jo saying “Don’t dismiss it straight away, have a think about it”.
Jo asked them “why would Billy Ternent want me to sing with his Orchestra when he hasn’t even heard me sing”. She was reminded of the function several months previous at the Connaught Rooms in Holborn. Billy Ternent and his wife Eileen were present as guests, although they had not made their attendance known at the time.
Billy had been told by the BBC that it was time for a change of Singer with the orchestra. He had arranged for Jo to be approached about the job - She agreed and the rest is history.
Jo didn’t actually meet Billy Ternent until she was in the Studio at the start of the broadcast on the first series. She recalls Bill tapping on the bandstand and saying in his broad Geordie dialect, “Now then lads, we’ve got a new lass joined us, so lets give her a fair crack of the whip”
After that she was offered ‘gigs’ with the Orchestra. She felt the wonderful thing that set them apart from any other Band or Orchestra was that “What you heard was what you saw”. The musicians were fiercely loyal to Billy, and what you heard on a broadcast was the same band and personnel that you heard when they appeared at functions.
Jo first impressions of Billy Ternent were that he was short, charming, and a musical genius.
In character, he had a short fuse and like her dad there was no flannel. What he had to say might offend you, but he would tell you the truth. He could be crusty but he was nothing but charming to her.
She beca
me a friend to both Billy and his wife Eileen.
She remembers the orchestra were booked to appear at The Savoy Hotel at the time of the Great Gatsby with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. They all appeared in authentic costumes of the era. From that there was an LP released and on the day of the photo shoot they all turned up in their costumes. Jo had been ill with an ear infection on on that day didn’t feel her best. Billy rang her to tell her the photographs were back and she said “How’d they look”. “Well they’re Ok bonnie lass, but you don’t look fastidious” – that was Bill.
They recorded their last broadcast about a week before Billy died. He was in hospital but listened to the broadcast from his hospital bed. Harry Roach conducted the band.
Then she received a call from “Band Manager” John Powell to tell her that Billy had died. It was expected but still a shock – Jo has a cherished telegram he sent to her just before the last broadcast –
“I know you will sing your heart out, I wish I could be with you- Bill”
Frank Wappat
Jo Marney never sang for a number of years having taken a break to concentrate on looking after h
er mother. One night whilst at a Memory Lane Party Night she was asked up onto the Stage to sing - she did. Here she is on that come-back night.
