{{Short description|English jazz and big band trombonist (1923–2006)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Use British English|date=September 2017}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Don Lusher <br /> <small>OBE</small> | image = | caption = | image_size = | birth_name = Gordon Douglas Lusher | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1923|11|6}} | birth_place = Peterborough, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2006|7|5|1923|11|6}} | death_place = Cheam, England | genre = Jazz | occupation = Musician<br>Bandleader | instrument = Trombone | years_active = 1945–2006 }} '''Gordon Douglas "Don" Lusher''' (6 November 1923<ref name="Larkin"/> – 5 July 2006) was an English jazz and big band trombonist best known for his association with the Ted Heath Big Band. In a career spanning more than 60 years, he played trombone with a number of jazz orchestras and bands and was twice president of the British Trombone Society.
==Early life and career== Lusher was born in Peterborough, England,<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=777}}</ref> and started playing the trombone aged six years old in his local Salvation Army band, the third generation of his family to do so. During World War II, he served as a gunner signaller in the Royal Artillery.<ref>[http://henrybebop.co.uk/lusher.htm Don Lusher Biography] ''www.allmusic.com''</ref>
After the war, he became a professional musician, playing with the bands of Joe Daniels (his first professional job on £12-a-week), Lou Preager, Maurice Winnick, the Squadronaires, Jack Parnell and, lastly, the Ted Heath Big Band.<ref name="Larkin"/><ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-lusher-mn0000021445/biography Don Lusher Biography] ''www.allmusic.com''</ref>
Lusher spent nine years as lead trombone with Ted Heath's Orchestra and toured the United States with him on five occasions.<ref name="Larkin"/> Ted Heath died in 1969. After several attempts to revive the band, Don took over the leadership in 1976 at the request of Ted Heath's widow, Moira. He led the 'Ted Heath Tribute Orchestra' throughout the 1980s and 1990s until its sold-out final concert at the Royal Festival Hall in December 2000. He also led the trombone section during many of Frank Sinatra's European tours.<ref name="Larkin"/> In 1975 he gave the first performance of Gordon Langford's Rhapsody for Trombone at London's Royal Albert Hall, and went on to perform it around the world. He also premiered works by Gareth Woods (Dance Sequence) and Gordon Carr's Concerto for Trombone.<ref name=Tracy2006>{{cite news |last1=Tracy |first1=Sheila |title=Obituary: Don Lusher |work=The Stage |date=28 September 2006}}</ref>
==Later years== Lusher formed his own ensemble, the Don Lusher Big Band. He also performed with the Manhattan Sound Big Band, with Alexis Korner and various session musicians in the big band-rock fusion group CCS, and was a founder member of the Best of British Jazz group from the 1970s onwards.<ref name=Kaufman>{{cite web |last1=Kaufman |first1=Paul |title=Don Lusher |url=https://nationaljazzarchive.org.uk/explore/interviews/1622004-don-lusher-interview-1? |website=National Jazz Archive|date=11 March 2020 }}</ref><ref name=Tracy2006/>
He spent some years as a professor of the Royal College of Music before becoming professor of trombone at the Royal Marines School of Music, Portsmouth in 1997, a post he retired from in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Read |first1=David |title=Marines remember Don Lusher |url=https://britishtrombonesociety.org/news/marines-remember-don-lusher/ |website=British Trombone Society}}</ref>
In 2001, he recorded an album on the Decca label featuring Kenny Ball, Acker Bilk, John Chilton and the Feetwarmers, John Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton, and George Melly. It was entitled ''British Jazz Legends Together''.<ref name=Kaufman/>
In 1993 he was awarded the status of Freeman of the City of London, and in 2002 Lusher received an OBE for services to the music industry. The Don Lusher Big Band played its final concert in 2007.<ref>[http://henrybebop.co.uk/lusher.htm Don Lusher Biography] ''www.henrybebop.co.uk''</ref>
==Personal life and death== Don Lusher's first marriage was to Eileen Orchard, a singer with Lou Preager's danceband. Lusher married his second wife, Diana, after Eileen's death. He died in Cheam in 2006, aged 82, survived by his two sons from his first marriage and a stepson from his second.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1524089/Don-Lusher.html# Don Lusher Obituary] ''www.telegraph.co.uk''</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.donlusher.com/ donlusher.com] * [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1524089/Don-Lusher.html# Obituary], The Daily Telegraph * {{AllMusic|artist|id=mn0000021445}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lusher, Don}} Category:1923 births Category:2006 deaths Category:English jazz trombonists Category:British male trombonists Category:English bandleaders Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Academics of the Royal College of Music Category:Musicians from Peterborough Category:CCS (band) members Category:20th-century British trombonists Category:20th-century English male musicians Category:British male jazz musicians Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Royal Artillery soldiers