Eve Becke(1906-2001)

Born 15 December 1906, singer Eve Becke started her professional career in the late 1920s as a chorus girl before joining Jack Hulbert's organisation. She was in the chorus of "The House That Jack Built" and "Folly to be Wise". After a three-and-a-half year period as a cabaret artist, she joined Jack Hylton's organisation in variety and subsequently sang on a handful of his records. However, these weren't her first recordings; her debut was in 1932 singing "Was That The Human Thing To Do" with Roy Fox's band (at the time directed by Lew Stone). She subsequently made a number of recordings for the "Sterno" label, including some with Charlie Kunz' Casani Club Orchestra. She was in some demand on records, making some with Ray Noble, Jay Wilbur and Teddy Joyce, starring with the latter in the film "Radio Parade of 1935" as well as making other films at this period.

In 1936 she married an Italian Count Eugenio Ugo Caneva di Rivarolo, who fell in love with her voice after hearing her on the radio. They lived in London where Eve concentrated on broadcasting and occasional recordings with the Geraldo and Louis Levy orchestras. During the war, they moved to Italy, but the Count died from a virulent flu in 1944 and Eve returned to London soon after the war was over and resumed her career, broadcasting again with Geraldo and Louis Levy.

Thanks to Michael Thomas, Charles Hippisley-Cox and the late Tony Clarke for this information.