Biography

He was a vicar's son with the middle name of Marlborough who absconded from three private schools and lied his way into the army, claiming that he was 19, when he was actually 16. He became a private in the Argyll & Southerland Highlanders and took part in the Battle of Arras and served in five execution squads shooting deserters. When his true age was discovered, he was withdrawn from the front and transferred to the Ambulance unit in Italy. While there, he was injured during a heavy bombardment but refused treatment until other wounded had been seen to. For this, he was awarded the Bronze Medal for Military Valour. As a child, he had shown a talent as a pianist and after the war studied music at Trinity College, London. He developed a passion for dancing and won 1st World Ballroom Dancing Championships in 1922. Two years later, he was runner-up in the same competition. Fully immersed in dancing, he became the founding member of the Ballroom Committee of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. He wrote a book Embodying the Standards, published in 1927, which became a best seller through many editions, the last in 2005. He opened a Dance Academy in London which developed into a chain of 23. By early '30, his teaching had become so famous that the BBC offered him his own dancing club program. Opinions that recordings then were inadequate for dancing prompted him to form his own band, which became famous as Victor Sylvester and his Ballroom Orchestra with his first record 'You're Dancing on my Heart'. It sold 17,000 copies and became his signature tune. His distinctive sound became known as The Silver Strings, achieved by the usual rhythm section plus four saxophones four clarinets, fifteen violins/violas, an accordion and two pianos. By '58, his was the most successful dance band in British musical history..His dancing club on BBC TV lasted 17 years. He also presented a weekly request program on BBC Overseas Service and later World Service. He sold some 75 million records between the 30's and '80's. Other bands followed, the best of . which was Joe Loss who had an even longer career. Victor passed his baton to his son in '71 and took a back seat. He was awarded an OBE at 61 and was given four Carl Alan Awards for service to Dancing, a BBC Golden Microphone Award and Platinum and Silver discs for record sales.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5