Benny Lee (11 August 1916 – 9 December 1995) was a Scottish comedy actor and singer. He started his career in stage roles, and developed a television and film career. Early life Lee was born on 11 August 1916 to a Jewish family in The Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland. He began his singing career as tenor in the school choir. Leaving school at 14, he became a tailor's apprentice, but soon left to join an all-purpose act, which sang, danced and performed acrobatics all around one of the main variety circuits of Britain. Lee's acrobatic days lasted for only one evening on account of a nose injury. He was back in Glasgow, tailoring shirts and in his spare time playing drums for his own semi-professional dance-band. He also worked as a song-plugger for Essex Music Publishers. Wishing to return to the stage full-time he joined the Princess's Theatre (now the Citizens Theatre) in the Gorbals), where he gained experience in straight acting. This led to his first BBC radio audition in 1938. Music In 1941, Lee was heard singing by Johnny Claes, a trumpeter who had recently formed a swinging dance-band called the "Claepigeons". He liked the sound of Lee's voice and signed him on as a vocalist. Soon Lee was singing and recording with many bands of the day, including that of Sid Phillips. He was frequently heard on the radio, and not only as a band singer. He played the part of Eddie Cantor in a radio version of the film Show Business (1944). His other radio series included Top Ten (1944) and Music from the Movies (1946). Lee became sufficiently popular for him to be featured as a solo singer, rather than only fronting a band. As a crooner, he performed in over 2,000 broadcasts. In 1948, he was supported by the close-harmony group the Keynotes on "Rambling Rose". A 1948 review in Billboard for "You're in Kentucky" said, "Poor recording balance, bad song submerges the work of a fine English singer named Benny Lee." Next year he duetted with Joy Nichols, the star of Take It From Here, singing "On the 5.45". The Decca company came in with a contract and from 1950 he recorded such hits of the time as "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)", and "Down at the Ferry Boat Inn" with the Stargazers. Every type of pop song seemed to suit Lee,