The incomparable Ron Wooding!

[fleetwood]

Ron Woodin or Wooding, don't know for sure, but for the sake of this exercise we will use the latter or 'Woody' as he was affectionately known. On an earlier thread I brought up the subject of Woody, while there was some knowledge of him I feel someone must have more definitive information on, 'whatever happened' to him? *** The time frame I am talking about is, or to be more precise my knowledge of him was around the 1950's, but i'm sure his fame exceeded this period. Every generation of young people coming up seem to bring with them their own sense of style in dress and their own taste in music and this exciting time was no exception. Ron Wooding was an 'icon' or at the very least a 'trend setter' to the people that knew him or knew of him. *** Jazz was the music if you did'nt like the silly pop stuff of the day and jazz concerts and the City Hall dances were where it was all happening. *** A person could speak for hours on Woody's clothing and sense of style, but more than this, he was also a fantastic dancer with partners galore lining for the next jive, everybody stopped what they were doing to watch Woody. *** He had an entourage of male and female friends that seemed to follow him wherever he went, maybe they were all a little aloof but certainly not trouble makers and kept themselves to themselves. *** He was conspicuous by his absence, if he did'nt show up at an event like a dance or concert where he and his followers were usually sitting in the best seats in the house. *** I could go on about Ron and would hope that interested friends of the 'Forum' might want to click on the 'City Hall' thread and the 'posts' relating to Ron 'Woody' Wooding for more info. *** In his day Ron was living the life that we all wished we could, putting together my limited knowledge of him was, he was born approx 1930 he seemed to come from a somewhat wealthy family that lived in a better area of Sheffield, where they might have only been a single mom at home; the last few facts being little speculative on my part. *** Wealth is a purely relative term really, in this day and age of multi million mega stars, this seems a rather trivial little story indeed, but for the time in question it meant the world!

Edited April 11, 2010 by fleetwood

[Texas]

Seems like you and me are the only two people left who remember him, fleets. And you've already seen the extent of my memories on the subject. All his close cohorts might be jiving in the great dance hall in the sky now. I'll give you a whopping 10 for persistence on trying to find someone else who remembers him though.

[hillsbro]

Well, I never knew Ron Wooding but from what I've read I wish I had! For what it's worth, I've found possible entries in the birth/marriage/death indexes:

 

Ronald Wooding, born Chesterfield 7 December 1928, parents Ralph and Mary, née Woods. Evidently married Doreen R. Robinson Jul-Sep 1963, died Sheffield Jan-Mar 1975.

 

It might not be the right person, but it seems possible.

[fleetwood]

To hillsboro and Texas - Thanks for replying, it seems you both might be right. I'm betting the dates are correct for the right person, they certainly 'jive' with what we already know about him. *** I was'nt that far off the birth year and he evidently married when he was 35, now that sounds like a 'Woody' thing. *** If it's the same person and I am betting it is, he died relatively young at approx 47. *** hillsboro, with what you already know are there anymore statistics that you can find out? *** In our younger days he was already older than us and more sophisticated and I always got the impression he had private means or maybe a family business, I mentioned this before, I seem to think he might have organised 'coach trips'. *** His passing at 47 could be due to anything really. Thanks once again hillsboro and Texas for taking the time.

[hillsbro]

*** hillsboro, with what you already know are there anymore statistics that you can find out? ...

Hi fleetwood - the indexes only give bare details; naturally the birth/marriage/death certificates are more informative. They can be applied for online here and paid for by credit/debit card after registering on the site. The fee increased last week to £9.25 per certificate. PM me if you'd like the details for any certificate (volume/page number etc) and/or if you'd like the address of a Doreen R. Wooding whom I found on the 2003 electoral roll living near Chesterfield.

[Gerry]

Seems like you and me are the only two people left who remember him, fleets. And you've already seen the extent of my memories on the subject. All his close cohorts might be jiving in the great dance hall in the sky now. I'll give you a whopping 10 for persistence on trying to find someone else who remembers him though.

 

Not quite Texas. I remember him and could he jive? Him and a guy called Curly had all the moves and were fantastic, everybody used to stop dancing to watch them.

[Texas]

Yeah, I remember Curly. It was like Wooding at the top, then Curly and perhaps some other guy, then Ron Revel, Billy Fearn, and then all the rest. I came in at the end of the rest, nowhere. All my mates at that time (late 40's) were full of it. Wooding this, and Wooding that, Curly this, and Curly that. Oh, for five minutes of fame such as they had. I knew Curly, well, we were on nodding terms, but that was mid 50's. He was selling insurance then, so perhaps he saw me as a potential punter. I had a mate, Brian Davison, he used to really admire Curly, walked like him (with the feet at ten to two) the dipping, nodding style, and of course, tried to jive like him. Of course, you old boppers will recognise the influence of Dizzy Gillespie in all this.

When I came out of the Army in '53, man, I was ready! And everything had changed, no Wooding, not a lot of Curly, no Ron Revel, not a lot of Billy Fearn either, cool was coming in, no leaping about when jiving, more a smoother, sedate style.

Some 'Traditional' jazz fans carried on jiving using the leaping, thumping style though, I mean if you were close by when one of 'em got the urge, you got out pretty damn fast.

When I think back and remember guys like Wooding, Curly, Fearn and Revel, doing the splits when jiving, I think, what kind of material did they have their suits made from. Could only have been Gabardine or Hopsack.

[fleetwood]

Ah! Texas, you have a way with words and once again, you have that old scenario down absolutely correct! Curly is the only one I remember, the 'ten to two' aspect comes right back to me Texas, one outfit I recall he wore, a Royal blue drape overcoat over his Royal blue drape suit with a pork pie hat (Dizzy to a T) and 'Granny Glasses', the glasses preceded the Beatles and the musicians that were to follow.

Edited April 13, 2010 by fleetwood

[Texas]

OK, let's talk about 'Curly'. Anyone know or remember his proper name, or perhaps his surname? I remember him like I said, he seemed to have an endless supply of suits and a sense of style, sharp as a tack. How the hell he sold any insurance beats me. I mean, who would want this guy in peg top pants with 16'' bottoms and the 'drape shape' trying to sell anything, never mind insurance? Like fleets said, he was a decade in front with the glasses, rimless, small, and sooooo hip.

But what about 'jiving'? Remember how the styles of jiving changed from about mid 50's onward? The cool came in, and it was like 'let the chick do all the work'. The finest exponent of this style was a guy called Noel Leclare,(bet Gerry remembers him) he was a slim kid, smart, and the style suited him. One memory of the late 50's, I'd wandered toward the top end, on the prowl, and there were two chicks dancing, I've never seen anyone dance like that before or since. A minimum of movement generally, but some unique arm movements like I've never seen, above and half over the 'girl partner's' head. It was fascinating to watch. I moved in on the end of the number, and one of them told me they'd been working in London and picked the routine up in a London club. Never saw it again though.

[Gerry]

When you think about it those day's during the fifties were, without exaggeration, really great times. I wouldn't have wanted to spend my youth at any other time or period and the City Hall was an important part of peoples lives. We probably went to the City four or five times a week with the occasional night out at the Locarno. Very rarely did we go to the Cutlers Hall since it was too long haired and the Glossop Road Bath tended to get a little violent on a Saturday night. I remember Noel and have a really funny story that I won't relate on the SF but wasn't it Noel who yelled out "Play Jazz" during a Lional Hampton concert upstairs in the City. There was also another cool guy called Barney whose last name I don't remember. So many real characters, such a great time

I also remember the cool jive you mentioned Texas, there were quite a few exponents of it but I could never get the hang of it myself unless I was dancing with a girl who really new how to do it. Ah well.

I almost forgot to mention the Roxy where it all started for me at the age of 15. I probably went there for about six months before I dare ask a girl for a dance. This, after taking dancing lessons at Burngreave School, (night school), where I learned to do the waltz.

Edited April 13, 2010 by Gerry