My grandfather Don Shearman, who has died aged 92, spent a few years in present enterprise as a pianist and labored with numerous prime artists, together with Norman Knowledge, Russ Conway and Roy Hudd as their private musical director.
After giving up his preliminary profession in engineering, Don began at Butlin’s in Skegness earlier than working as a pianist in varied golf equipment in London, the place he got here into the orbit of numerous high-profile performers on the planet of sunshine leisure. He started working with Hudd in 1972, grew to become musical director to Knowledge two years later, and likewise labored in the identical position for, amongst others, Billy Dainty and Dickie Henderson.
As well as Don labored as musical director on numerous tv programmes within the Seventies and 80s, together with Halls of Fame, Comedian Roots and It Ain’t Half Sizzling Mum.
Don was born in Manchester, the one youngster of Claude, a financial institution clerk, and Eva (nee Jackson), a housewife. His love of music started on the age of seven, when he began taking part in on a piano belonging to a household pal, who noticed his pure expertise and inspired his dad and mom to rearrange classes.
After attending William Hulme’s grammar college, Don studied civil engineering at Manchester College, the place he performed the piano within the college jazz band. At a college dance he met Janet Paterson, a fellow scholar, whom he married in 1958.
After college he joined the plane producer Handley Web page as a stress engineer, engaged on the Victor Bomber and Blackburn Buccaneer planes. However his ardour for music finally trumped his curiosity in engineering , and in 1958 he and Janet moved to London in order that he might swap careers.
Initially he labored on the River Membership, then took on a six-month contract to play piano on a world cruise with P&O, later working at L’Hirondelle in Piccadilly and on the Embassy Membership with the comedy actor and entertainer Davy Kaye, which led to his link-up with Hudd and started his transfer into musical path.
In theatre Don carried out the British Music Corridor Society’s Silver Jubilee Present in 1988 on the London Palladium. In 1989 he was elected into the Grand Order of Water Rats, the present enterprise charity and held the workplace of Musical Rat till retiring in 2012.
He additionally served on the manager committee of the Leisure Artistes’ Benevolent Fund and supported the Not Forgotten Affiliation, which gives leisure for ex-servicemen. He additionally performed with the Greenwich College Large Band and in 2018 was made its patron and music adviser.
He and Janet had 4 youngsters, Sarah, Bob, Joanna and Charlotte. Music was very a lot a household affair, with Christmas carols across the piano and household evenings at Grand Order of Water Rats balls. Don even performed me down the aisle on my wedding ceremony day, and he wrote songs for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Janet died in 2010. Don is survived by his youngsters, 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
