# Lou Preager

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British dance band leader (1906–1978)

Lou Preager Born Louis Jacob Preager (1906-01-12)12 January 1906 Poplar, London, England Died 14 November 1978(1978-11-14) (aged 72) Mallorca, Spain Genres Jazz Occupations Musician Dance band leader Disc jockey Businessman Instrument Piano Years active 1925-1962 (retired)

Musical artist

**Louis Jacob Preager** (12 January 1906 – 14 November 1978),[1] known as **Lou Preager**, was an English pianist, [dance band](/source/British_dance_band) leader, [disc jockey](/source/Disc_jockey) and businessman. He was active from the 1930s to the 1950s; with his band he made many recordings. They also appeared on radio and television.

## Early career

Louis Jacob Preager was born in [Poplar](/source/Poplar%2C_London), London, in 1906, and came from a Jewish background.[1][2][3] He was the son of Louis Preager, a tailor, and his wife Rebecca (née Cohen De Murcia).[4][5][6] While at school, the younger Louis he played the piano in dance bands, and from age 19 he was a full-time musician. He played in fashionable London clubs and restaurants; in 1931 he joined Eugene Pini and his Tango Orchestra at the Monseigneur, and later joined the [Billy Reid Accordion Band](/source/Billy_Reid_(British_songwriter)). In 1933, Preager led an 11-piece band, playing at Ciro's and later at Romano's in the [Strand](/source/Strand%2C_London). His first recordings were released in 1935.[1][7]

## Second World War and later

Preager joined the [Intelligence Corps](/source/Intelligence_Corps_(United_Kingdom)) in 1941. His right arm was seriously injured in a motor accident, and he received hospital treatment for eight months.[7]

He was invalided out of the army in 1942, and he formed a 14-piece orchestra to play at the [Hammersmith Palais](/source/Hammersmith_Palais) in London; it was the resident band there for 18 years. It made frequent radio broadcasts, including, from 1942, 96 editions of *[Music While You Work](/source/Music_While_You_Work)*. The band later appeared on television. A number of vocalists sang with the band, including [Paul Rich](/source/Paul_Rich), Edna Kaye, Rita Williams and [Elisabeth Welch](/source/Elisabeth_Welch).[1][7]

Preager's radio broadcasts, *Write a Tune for £1000*, a songwriting contest broadcast in 1945, 1947 and 1950, were very popular, and produced the hit song "[Cruising Down the River](/source/Cruising_Down_the_River)". During the 1950s, Preager presented *[Housewives' Choice](/source/Housewives'_Choice)* on the [BBC Light Programme](/source/BBC_Light_Programme) and, at the time was a well-known [disc jockey](/source/Disc_jockey). In 1959, his orchestra moved to the [Lyceum Ballroom](/source/Lyceum_Theatre%2C_London#Later_years), where he was often seen in the TV programme *[Come Dancing](/source/Come_Dancing)*.[7]

## Awards, recordings and other interests

During his career he made recordings for [Regal Zonophone Records](/source/Regal_Zonophone_Records) and the [Columbia Graphophone Company](/source/Columbia_Graphophone_Company). He won three [Carl Alan Awards](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carl_Alan_Awards&action=edit&redlink=1) for the best Palais Band.[7]

Preager had several business interests. He was owner of a book publishing company, founder of a record company, and also had interests in film and television.[1][7]

## Personal life and death

In 1958, Preager married Rose Sharp in [Marylebone](/source/Marylebone), where the couple lived.[8][9]

From the 1960s, Preager suffered from persistent ill health and retired from music, aged 56, in 1962. He moved to [Slough](/source/Slough) and bought the Carlton Ballroom in the town; it was sold after he suffered a heart attack in 1967.[7] He died on 14 November 1978 in [Mallorca](/source/Mallorca), aged 72.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-allmusic_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-allmusic_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-allmusic_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-allmusic_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-allmusic_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-allmusic_1-5) [Lou Preager](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lou-preager-mn0000830275) at [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic_(identifier)) Retrieved 26 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** *The Palgrave dictionary of Anglo-Jewish history*. W. D. Rubinstein, Michael Jolles, Hilary L. Rubinstein. Basingstoke: [Palgrave Macmillan](/source/Palgrave_Macmillan). 2011. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-230-30466-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-230-30466-6). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [793104984](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/793104984).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: others ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [FreeBMD](/source/FreeBMD). *England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915* [database on-line].

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [The National Archives of the UK](/source/The_National_Archives_(United_Kingdom)) (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; *[Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911](/source/1911_United_Kingdom_census)*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Index entry"](https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=Y6atf%2BU4sN2BSnnHGviICQ&scan=1). *[FreeBMD](/source/FreeBMD)*. [ONS](/source/Office_for_National_Statistics). Retrieved 17 August 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Index entry"](https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=tzuX4XQmr8B2CyibF1PgcA&scan=1). *[FreeBMD](/source/FreeBMD)*. [ONS](/source/Office_for_National_Statistics). Retrieved 17 August 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-melody_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-melody_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-melody_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-melody_7-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-melody_7-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-melody_7-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-melody_7-6) [Lou Preager](http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/loupreager.htm) Masters of Melody. Retrieved 26 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [General Register Office](/source/General_Register_Office); United Kingdom; Volume: *5d*; Page: *761*. *England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005* [database on-line].

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [London Metropolitan Archives](/source/London_Metropolitan_Archives); London, England; *Electoral Registers*

## External links

- [Lou Preager](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1864866/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [Lou Preager – 78RPM – discography](http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/artist/lou-preager-and-his-orchestra) at 45worlds.com

- [Lou Preager and His Orchestra](https://web.archive.org/web/20100406053535/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/e46c61ac-0761-47d1-a0ab-3bbdb7987a19) at BBC

Authority control databases International VIAF National France BnF data

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lou Preager](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Preager) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Preager?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.