Terry Lightfoot

{{Short description|British jazz clarinettist and bandleader (1935–2013)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Terry Lightfoot

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name = Terence Lightfoot

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1935|5|21}}

| birth_place = Potters Bar, Middlesex, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2013|3|15|1935|5|21}}

| death_place = Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England

| genre = Jazz
Trad Jazz

| occupation = Musician
Bandleader

| instruments = Clarinet

| years_active = 1950-2013

}}

Terence Lightfoot (21 May 1935 – 15 March 2013){{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2013-03-16/jazz-musician-terry-lightfoot-dies/ |title=Jazz musician Terry Lightfoot dies |website=Itv.com |accessdate=17 March 2013}} was a British jazz clarinettist and bandleader, and together with Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball was one of the leading members of the trad jazz generation of British jazzmen.

Early life

Lightfoot was born in Potters Bar, Middlesex, England.{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=1485}} He started his musical career as a vocalist during school life, singing popular songs with a small amateur variety group. In 1949, he came to jazz while at Enfield Grammar School{{cite book

| last = Chilton

| first = John

| title = Who's who of British Jazz

| year = 2004

| publisher = Continuum International Publishing Group

| url = https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofbritish00chil

| url-access = registration

| page = [https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofbritish00chil/page/280 280]

| isbn = 9780826472342

| accessdate =2 June 2008 }} in Enfield Town. He changed from playing the trumpet to clarinet to meet the needs of the traditional Dixieland jazz band of his friends. After leaving school, he formed his first jazz band, the Wood Green Stompers.

Trad jazz

In 1955, he formed his band, Terry Lightfoot's New Orleans Jazzmen. They had three minor hits in the UK Singles Chart in 1961 and 1962, "True Love", "King Kong" and "Tavern in the Town".

{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| page= 321}} The Jazzmen made regular appearances on Sunday nights at the Wood Green Jazz Club.