Jack Buchanan

Once touted as England's "Fred Astaire", Jack Buchanan was a debonair song and dance man. He summed up the aspirations of many who desired escape from the drab reality of life in the 1930's.

Urbane, charming and generous, he had few enemies and many friends. He was successful and wealthy, and knew how to spend it. At the height of his success he commuted regularly to New York on the Aquitania, staying at the Algonquin and making sure that his dress shirts were laundered properly by sending them back to his London tailors. He owned a Rolls Royce, dozens of Hawes and Curtis suits and retained a butler to keep them in good condition. There was a raft of glamorous women who joined him for his routines, but by far the favourite was Elsie Randolph.

Jack Buchanan died on 21st October 1957. His recorded legacy is not great as much of it was committed to old shellac 78rpm records and sadly, the best CD, with a cleaned up audio track, is no longer available.