Ken Morris (5)

Ken was born on 29th July 1921 in the Rhonda Valley, the youngest of seven brothers and sisters. In 1934, at the tender age of thirteen, his life changed for ever when he entered show business as one of Steffani’s Sixteen Singing Scholars. By July 1935 Ken was a member of Steffani's Silver Songsters. In 1936 he became one of Steffani’s Ten Harmonichords and was also in Steffani’s Melody Makers for a while during the same year. He must surely hold the record for being included in more of Steffani’s groups than any other boy! When Ken left Steffani’s employ he got a job with Steffani’s friend Philip Green who ran a Youth Orchestra. However, it wasn’t long before war was declared and Ken joined the Army where his show business skills were soon recognised and he was sent to entertain the troops on the Front Line in “Stars in Battledress”. It was while he was in the Army that he met Charlie Chester and Arthur Haynes. After the war Ken and Arthur became members of Charlie’s “Stand Easy Gang”, making regular broadcasts on radio as well as numerous theatre appearances. The Summer seasons of 1948 and 1949 saw Charlie and his Gang at the prestigious Blackpool Opera House, and they were also requested to appear in The Royal Variety Show of 1948 at The London Palladium. Meanwhile Charlie and Ken had teamed up as recording artists and songwriters, with their most famous song being “The Old Bazaar In Cairo”. (Ken wrote the music while Charlie Chester and Clinton Ford wrote the lyrics). Ken eventually made a name for himself as a solo artist with records such as “Copper Knob” and “Ken’s Party Pieces”, both recorded in 1959. In the early 1950’s Ken met his wife-to-be, the singer Joan Savage. They teamed up and developed a musical comedy double act before marrying in Blackpool in 1955. After the launch of ITV in 1956 Ken’s old friend Arthur Haynes was given a comedy series written by Johnny Speight and instantly became a television star, with Ken and Joan appearing regularly alongside him in “The Arthur Haynes Show”.