Francis Bayetz, born on December 17, 1914, in Rijkevorsel, Belgium, was a Belgian musician, big band leader, and director. He began his musical career in the 1930s with the orchestra of Paul Godwin and later worked with the Ramblers. In 1948, Bay formed his own orchestra and gained prominence as the leader of the entertainment orchestra for the Belgian radio station Nationaal Instituut voor de Radio-omroep (later BRT) from 1956 onwards. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he accompanied numerous Belgian participants at the Eurovision Song Contest. Bay released several albums including Meet Francis Bay (1957) and My Big Band's Showing (1962). He also composed for gaming and entertainment programs for BRT and directed the Bob Benny Show for Belgian television in 1962. Bay passed away on April 25, 2005, in Bonheiden, Belgium.
