About us
Billy Daniels
First of the modern-era pop stars, a hip-swivelling finger clicking sensation, described by many as the best night club entertainer of all time. Billy Daniels 50 year career began as a teenager in a Jacksonville gospel quartet ‘The Radio Four’. Moving on to New York in 1935 he firstly became a singing waiter at ‘Dickie Wells’ in Harlem, then vocalist touring with The Erskine Hawkins Band. With the decline of the 1930s swing bands, he was one of the first singers to enjoy a successful solo career. A headliner on the fabled 52nd Street he appeared with Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins and the Nat King Cole trio. “I was the only singer the jazzmen would listen to” he remarked. Famously he sang every day of 1938 on New York radio, “It was me or the horse racing” his signature song at the time was ‘Diane’.
After serving in the Merchant Marine he teamed with Benny Payne, a pianist from the legendary Cab Calloway’s Cotton Club Orchestra. Nationwide night-club performances formed the foundation of their rise in popularity; Billy Daniels became a favourite ‘hold-over’ attraction at ‘The Copacabana’ in New York and ‘The Mocambo’ in Hollywood. He was quick to recognise performing opportunities in the new resort of Las Vegas where he first appeared in 1949 at ‘The El Rancho Vegas’ later becoming the first to sign a residency contract at ‘The Stardust’ on its opening in 1958, although he never owned a ‘percentage’ of a casino. In 1952 Billy Daniels first of many UK tours opened at ‘The London Palladium’, billed as ‘America’s Most Exciting Singer’ the press described him as ‘the biggest hit since Judy Garland’. Two years later he performed in front of what was at the time the largest audience in history; 100,000 in Melbourne, Australia.
Remembered chiefly as a live act, Billy Daniels’ recorded work should not be underestimated. ‘That Old Black Magic’ his signature song sold in the millions on both sides of the Atlantic. “There was the most sensational popularity reaction from one playing. More than from any other of the thousands of records I have ever played on the air” raved BBC disc-jockey Jack Jackson. It sold over 12 million copies.
Having starred in movie musicals for Columbia, Billy Daniels foresaw the power of the new medium of television. 1951 saw him become one of the first entertainers to host his own national TV show, establishing the Sunday night slot later occupied by Ed Sullivan.
The first black artist to become successful in the mainstream of popular culture, Billy Daniels faced new challenges, at times demonised in the tabloid press, his determination to succeed gained him huge respect. The sometimes rocky road he travelled paved the way for a host new performers, a debt is still owed by many to ‘Mr Black Magic’. An exceptional voice and a master of lyrical interpretation, qualities that defined him as a charismatic entertainer. Billy Daniels’ star endures today on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognising his pioneering contribution as one of the all-time great entertainers.
William Boone Daniels (12 September 1915 – 7 October 1988)
Jack Pearce Daniels
Born in Brighton in 1954 Jack attended Barnoldswick Secondary Modern School then left Barnoldswick at 16 for Bradford Art College. Headhunted at his Diploma Show he spent five years as Interior Designer for Bradford Metropolitan District Council and worked on the first purpose built school for the hearing impaired and the gigantic ‘Richard Dunn Sports Centre’; Jack’s stylised ‘sport’ sign that’s faced Bradford’s ring road since 1978 is now on a listed building.
Jack joined Barratts Shoes in 1980 as Store Designer and began to travel nationwide managing store fit outs and property maintenance. He formed his shop fitting contractor business in 1989 which traded nationally to a 2002 voluntary closure after which he joined Mackays Stores and spent five years managing new store fit-outs and the installation of Elevators (Lifts) a hazardous operation successfully completed in 55 trading stores from Lerwick in Shetland to Liskeard in Cornwall.
Jack joined Claremont Interiors in Birchwood, Warrington in 2008 and project managed the centennial modernisation of the famous Royal Liver Building in Liverpool. In recent years a consultant locally as a ‘Finish Manager’ and handed-over Harrogate Borough Council’s new headquarters and a manufacturing extension to Rolls-Royce’s factory in Barnoldswick.
With retirement from construction management co-incidental to the Covid shutdown of 2020 Jack found the time to complete ‘That Old Black Magic’ “This book has been 30 years in the making. I began writing following my mother’s revelation in 1994 and went through various versions until Billy Jr’s essays I’d sparked prompted me to distill the story to the tale of the three Daniels brothers, evolving through various titles ‘Soul Pursuit’ ‘Blood Brothers’ and ‘In A Spin’ until it became inevitably ‘That Old Black Magic’ It’s been a wonderful journey that continues with my new brother Billy; there’s plenty more stories to come!”
‘Knowledge of self, builds a person’s self determination for life, liberty, sense of worth and purpose’ Malcolm X
Bruce Virgil Daniels
(1945 – 2002)
Born in New York in 1945 Bruce was educated in NYC public school and Catholic Military Boarding Schools. He was sent to Switzerland to study but his stay was brief. On return to Los Angeles he was enrolled at the Boys Republic as a truant and then began living in Hollywood with the celebrity children of the time. His longtime relationship was with Madi Comfort, a protege of Duke Ellington about whom he wrote ‘Satin Doll’ . Bruce worked various jobs as a short order cook and bartender but eventually fell into a life of petty crime to support his addictions and was finally sentenced to life in prison as a repeat offender in 1991. He passed away aged 57 as an inmate of Vacaville Prison California in 2002.
“ Love the hand that fate deals you; and play it as your own “
– Marcus Aurelius.
William Boone Daniels II
aka Billy Daniels Jr.
Born New York in 1942 Billy attended elementary in Manhattan then to Mount St. Joseph in Newburgh, NY where he spent his schooldays in a Catholic Military Boarding School. He learned to play the trumpet and marched in the school band and transferred to St John’s military academy in Los Angeles. Billy attended the Institut Schmidt in Lutry pres Lausanne on the Lake of Geneva in Switzerland as a French speaking expat student for four years. Then Billy went to George Washington University in Washington DC and worked for Senator Ernest Gruening as a law clerk and started law school at Georgetown and graduated from Loyola in Los Angeles.
Billy has been a trial lawyer, law professor and judge pro tem for over 50 years and has lived and worked worldwide. He now lives between residences in Las Vegas, Honolulu, Manilla, and New York.
‘Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow’
TS Elliott