VIVIENNE WALKER

Band timeline:

Jimmy Miller Band

The Riverside Jazzmen/Jazzband

The Brian South Jazzmen

The Trevor Copeman Band

"Some memories of my time in the 60's in Great Yarmouth and Norwich. I was born and spent the first seven years of my life in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. I moved to Suffolk, and then to Gorleston. My mother was a professional pianist and so I was raised singing. I remember when I was about 12 years old singing at a reception for the mayor (Cotton). In the 50's a family friend was drummer Bernie Weller; he was in the Hippodrome Circus band at one time.

I left school in 1956 and started singing with the Jimmy Miller Band who played in Great Yarmouth, maybe one gig a week. The only other name I can remember from the band is Jack Gillespie, who played Sax. I didn't stay with them for long. My name was Vivienne Walker, but I just sang as Vivienne.

In about 1959 1 was at a performance by The Riverside Jazz Band and started singing along. They offered me a full-time gig with them, by then I was living with my family in Norwich. I had a day job at the MacClaren handbag factory in Sprowston.

Anglia TV started a series called Rehearsal Room in about 1961, produced by an Australian called Anton Bowler. Just one season featuring local bands. Peter Fenn heard me with The Riverside Jazz Band and suggested that I also guest with The Trevor Copeman Orchestra. It went well, and I was asked to join him full time, so I left The Riverside Jazzband and joined Trevor in around 1962.

That was a life changer, the band played 6 US Airforce bases, plus RAF Trimmingham and gigs all over the county. When the Tower Ballroom opened in Gt. Yarmouth, we got a summer season and played 6 nights a week for 16 weeks. Also we played one Sunday night, a month, at Mildenhall RAF NCO Club our favourite crowd.

During the winter months there was always work. The Floral Hall and The Tower Ballroom got double booked one year and we rushed between the two venues. I did 3 seasons there. Danny McMillan was our male singer for a while and then a young man joined us who turned out to be Robin Weller (Bernies son)

As for other musicians, I knew Colin Burleigh and Pete Oxborough of the Collegians. Derek Cubitt and I keep in touch, he is 92 now, he used to do all the arrangement for the Copeman band, we covered everything that came out every week.

Great memories - my singing career ended in January 1967 when I "retired" to marry an Oklahoma man who was working on a drilling rig and had become a friend of Dave Buchan, one of our trumpet players. Hence the Vivienne Wright. I left the UK for many years, following him around the world. Finally settling back in Oklahoma City in 1979. I don't sing much anymore but have been known to do the odd Karaoke for fun with friends.

My husband is no longer with us, and I married a Brit in 1997, Now I am Vivienne Kendall, we are both dual citizens." VK08/10/21