Stanley Albert Watson

Stanley Albert Watson (September 20, 1926 - October 20, 1978) was a Canadian born guitarist and composer. In his early career he was active in the early London jazz and swing scene.

Biography

Early life and career (1926–1954)

Stanley Watson was born in Ottawa on September 20, 1926 to Stanley James Watson 1907 - 1983, born in Shepherd's Bush, and Catherine Watson (née Morris ) 1900 - 1973, born in Spitalfields, London.

His Parents, both English met and married in Ottawa. His mother having been sent to Canada as an orphan to be raised in a French convent and his father emigrating at the age of fifteen with his brother Thomas aged seventeen.

Watson senior played the banjo and ukulele and it was the latter that Stanley started playing at the age of three and then on to the guitar.

For reasons unknown the family, with the addition of his younger sister Gladys May, born 20 May 1928 returned to England in 1933 settling in Palmers Green, North London. Stanley and his sister attended Arnos Grove School.

He then went to Tottenham Technical College to study building and architecture with his fathers hope that he would enter the family business.

Here he met Denny Termer a pianist. Along with another friend whom he met when they were 13, drummer Laurie Morgan, they formed the 'Rhythm Racketeers' with Don Rendell on alto sax.

A relative of Denny’s, Hal Moss, Violinist and impresario had a show on the road called “Scandals and Scanties”. After the outbreak of WWII the boys being only 15-16yrs were drafted into the show to replace musicians who had been called up. Their first professional outing being at the Hackney Empire then other variety theatres round the country.

In the early forties Stan Laurie and Don were part of Marian McPartland's ENSA/USO group touring the American Bases in the UK. Stan and Don then joined Duncan Whytes orchestra playing at the Savoy Hotel in London.

At eighteen he became eligible for the call up. Being a conscientious objector he managed to avoid the call up for a few years until the authorities eventually caught up with him. He was incarcerated in a military mental hospital in Banstead, Surrey for six months among seriously disturbed people, until pressure on the authorities from his father secured his release whereupon he resumed his musical career.

At this time the nucleus of what was later to become the vanguard of British be-bop were meeting and jamming in small clubs and sometimes each others houses, influenced by the music the American servicemen were bringing over. After the war, the clubs and cafes in Archer Street in Soho, London, were becoming the meeting places for musicians to socialise and pick up work which Stan as a typical jobbing musician did, picking up work and deputising for other musicians. The area was also the breeding ground for the burgeoning interest in Jazz with musicians jamming in the clubs after hours and honing their be-bop skills.

In 1950 he met and married his first wife Sylvia Wadd a Cornish girl. A daughter, Lorraine was born in 1951. The marriage broke up after a few years.

He married a second time to Ruth Stone an American lady living in London and working in the advertising world. She coined the slogan 'Beanz Meanz Heinz'.

In 1954 Watson recorded four tracks on Esquire Records with Victor Feldman before Feldman emigrated to the US, with Stanley and Ruth going to live in Spain so he could expand his study of the guitar, feeling that jazz was not allowing him to take his playing to the levels he was striving for. Ruth returned to England after a few years as their relationship had broken down. He lived in Spain for six years studying under Segovia and other masters including Pablo Casals. He became musical director for one of the top Spanish female artistes. Before returning to England he had met Diane Haverlak who was to eventually become his third wife.

1960-1978

Watson returned to England in 1960 with Diane who was an American of Russian descent and heavily pregnant. They stayed in the family home in Palmers Green north London until the baby was born, who they named Heironymous after the Artist Bosch. In time it was shortened to Ron. Watson continued to work in London and after a few years they moved to Bristol where Stanley became active in the musical scene. They bought a house in the Clifton area where their Daughter Naomi was born. It was here that he composed the piece "Songs of the Valley of the Nightingale" dedicated to the place in the area where lutists and guitarists would go and play. This appeared on the LP Friends and Love with Chuck Mangione recorded in Rochester NY.

References

    External links

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