Colin Anthony - Vocals

If paying your dues is the mark of the true professional, singer Colin Anthony can claim to be a real pro. From supporting, the Beatles on a UK tour, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Tom Jones, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and Duanne Eddy, etc and fronting his own band in German rock' n' roll clubs to the sophistication of the BBC Radio Big Band and the Glenn Miller Orchestra, he has covered it all and travelled the world to do it. When he's home he has a busy schedule of jazz and dance engagements with his own small combo and other bands, writing songs and recording. "I started as a rock 'n' roller", he says, "but as I get older I want to sing more sophisticated material. In my mind are the sounds of Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Ray Charles."

Born in Bath, Somerset, Colin left the West Country to perform in Cologne, Frankfurt and many other major cities in Germany, fronting his own five piece rock' n' pop band. After the release of a couple of singles and albums for Philips records he returned to and settled in London. He made his acting debut in the musical Rock-a-Bye-Becket at the Cockpit Theatre, London, where he played the lead role of 'fallen rock idol' Tom Becket.

After being seen on some TV shows there came a string of performances on daily BBC Radio 1 shows of Dave Lee Travis, Gloria Hunniford and David Hamilton.

Colin has recorded over 2000 radio broadcasts mainly for the BBC. He has sung with all the BBC orchestras in London and the regions and has performed on Night Owls, Radio 2 for which he formed his own band playing original material co-written with Shadows keyboard player Cliff Hall.He has also had several of his own songs published and has sung them on air.

Colin became well known in Europe through a series of concerts for the BBC in Norway, Finland, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. He is also known in Yugoslavia, Italy, Spain, Greece and Malta for his live concert and cabaret performances and has appeared all over the UK on jazz and dance gigs with outfits such as Barry Forgie and the Radio Big Band, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra and his own bands.

He has also recorded advertising jingles for radio and television. He has written, produced and performed albums, Empty Spaces and Live Colin Anthony, and to demonstrate a change of style - and his respect for another true professional - he recorded A Tribute to Neil Diamond (CD only released in America). Recent CDs have been Autumn in New York with the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra and the critically acclaimed This is All I Ask with his own band - John Pearce, piano, Terry Jenkins, drums, Andy Mackintosh, alto sax, Paul Morgan, double bass.

Jazz critic Chrissie Murray, editor of Jazzwise, said in Ronnie Scott's Magazine "Where's he been all our lives? The finest big-band singer the UK ever produced?!" Dave Gelly of The Observer said "Britain is not so well supplied with good male singers that we can afford to overlook one of Colin Anthony's stature". He has recorded an album of original songs by Tony Kinsey with his Big Band & Orchestra and has also been in the studio with Hal David (Burt Bacharach's song-writing partner) and John Cacavas recording new songs.

Colin knows the music business inside out and he knows everybody in it. But his hefty experience has not left him cynical: "I'm more enthusiastic now than I ever have been", he says. "I'm pleased with the way I'm singing and there are so many more good songs yet to sing".