Obituary

In Loving Memory of my life long pal and confidant

TOMMY BRUCE

16th July 1937-10th July 2006

Forever in my thoughts

Dave Lodge

In Memory of Tommy Bruce

By Dave Lodge

Tommy Bruce the man with the gravel voice sadly passed away on Monday 10^th July 2006 he was 68. Had he lived until Sunday the 16^th July 2006 he would have been 69. He is survived by his wife Ida and his son Thom and daughter Lorraine from his first marriage to Sheila, daughter in law Lisa and grandson Bailey

Tommy had career in show business that spanned nearly fifty years. It all began for Tommy when the then aspiring songwriter Barry Mason liked the look of him and thought he could make in the music business, without even hearing him sing. Barry took Tommy into the recording studio and made an acetate of ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, then he took it to Norrie Paramour A&R man at EMI who liked the sound of Tommy’s voice and gave him a contract. Norrie put a rock cha cha arrangement to the song and it sold a million. This meant that Tommy had a career and popularity with the fans that remained right till the end of his life.

He made many other recordings including ‘Broken Doll’, ‘Lavender Blue’, ‘Babbette’, ‘Buttons and Bows’ and ‘Boom Boom’. They all made the charts but ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ was by far the most successful. Tommy appeared in the hit TV show Stars and Garters along with Vince Hill, Kathy Kirby and Clinton Ford. He appeared on many other TV shows through seventies, although there is no doubt that Stars and Garters made him a household name.

Some people maybe surprised to know that he appeared in films the most notable of these being “The Man With The Yellow Hat” in which he took the lead role supported by Eleanor Somerfield and John Slater.

Just before he died I wrote and published his Biography “Have Gravel Will Travel” I am proud that he enjoyed reading it. I am privileged to have spent more than thirty years as his friend and manager and we never had a contract. To me he was the most unique entertainer of his generation.

Rest in peace