Kathy Stobart

Florence Kathleen "Kathy" Stobart (1 April 1925 was an English jazz saxophonist primarily known for playing the tenor sax. She was a well-respected figure in the history of jazz in Britain and became an inspiration, through her tutoring of music, to a whole new generation of younger female musicians.

Early life Stobart was born in South Shields, County Durham (now Tyne and Wear), England, the third child of Matthew and Jessie Stobart, her mother was a pianist and her father was a police officer. She first learned piano as a child. After picking up the saxophone, she first played in Don Rico's all-female band at the age of 14, then locally in Newcastle.

Career In 1942, aged 17, she moved to London, playing with Denis Rose, Ted Heath and Jimmy Skidmore. Later that decade she played with Art Pepper

She toured with Vic Lewis in 1949 and led her own group in 1950-51;

In 1982, she was the top performer to headline Britain's first women's jazz festival.

From 1992-2004, she re-joined Humphrey Lyttelton Band for the third time and made occasional guest appearances with others. Lyttelton once referred to her "huge, booming sound, imbued with total originality and commanding presence". In 2001, Stobart appeared on stage with Radiohead, along with the Humphrey Lyttleton band, in front of 42,000 fans at the South Park concert in Oxford. During this period she also continued her ongoing teaching, including running her own jazz courses.

Personal life Stobart was married twice. First to Canadian pianist Art Thompson from 1943 to 1951. She and Thompson were married towards the end of the war and worked together, also visiting the US on holiday, where Stobart sat in at Eddie Condon's club in New York. The marriage ended in divorce, when Thompson elected to stay on in north America. She then went on to marry trumpeter Bert Courtley from 1951 until his death, caused by the effects of alcohol and the 'apparent stress caused' working with the Ted Heath Band, aged 40. He died in Croydon, Surrey on 13 September 1969.

Stobart suffered from a stroke in 2011 and died three years later on 6 July 2014, aged 89. She is survived by her three sons with Courtley: David, Peter (bass guitar player) and Paul (saxophone player).