Don Lusher

Gordon Douglas "Don" Lusher (6 November 1923 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.

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.

Lusher spent nine years as lead trombone with Ted Heath's Orchestra and toured the United States with him on five occasions.

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.

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.

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.