Vic Lewis

Victor Lewis was a British jazz guitarist and bandleader born in 1919. He began playing guitar at age three and toured the United States in 1938. During World War II, Lewis served in the Royal Air Force. He collaborated with Stéphane Grappelli and formed the "Vic Lewis/Jack Parnell Jazzmen" sextet. In 1946, Lewis formed his first big band. He toured the US between 1956 and 1959. Albums included Mulligan's Music (1954) and Vic Lewis Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away (1963). In the early 1960s, Lewis turned to artist management, overseeing the careers of Cilla Black and Robin Gibb. He was awarded the MBE in 2007 and died in 2009.