Joe Maycock Orchestra (Gayle Gordon)

1911 - 1999

Joe Maycock was born in Manchester in England on March 12, 1911 and came to Canada at the age of four where he took up residence in London Ontario.  He attended school in London and at an early age learnt to play the violin at Sacred Heart Conservatory Of Music..  He then played sax in London Collegiate and at the age of 18 played  first violin in the Symphony Orchestra of London.

This was the time of dance bands and their recordings and Joe turned to popular music to form his first band in the early 30s, playing the summer resorts of Southern Ontario. He then moved to Toronto to play at the Silver Slipper Club and at the same time changed his name to Gayle Gordon to make it sound more attractive and sophisticated. He was an instant hit and by 1934, was broadcasting regularly on radio station CFRB from Toronto.

Further engagements followed in Montréal at Stadium Ballroom where he broadcast nightly over CKSC, then back to Toronto and then to the famed Brant Inn in Burlington, where they gave nightly broadcasts over CHML Hamilton.

In the late 30s, Gayle Gordon disbanded his orchestra, moved back to London, took up a career of lithographer at Wright Lithographing Co., and joined Alf Tibbs Orchestra as vocalist, violinist and tenor sax player.  In World War II he reformed his band “Gayle Gordon and His Orchestra, 14 Men And A Girl” and played in a review organised by Alf Tibbs that entertained servicemen throughout southern Ontario. Alf Tibbs was MC of the show and Don Wright conducted the Tibbs band.

After the war he joined Neil Mackay’s CFPL Orchestra and was featured on CFPL’s “Invitation From Dominion” London's first coast-to-coast network show.  Gayle Gordon became very popular as a vocalist, and reviewers stated that he was fast challenging the popularity of Sinatra and Crosby in Canada. When he made records in Toronto one columnist stated “He's one of those rare crooners who started playing in the Symphony orchestra and can handle three or four instruments as well as he warbles.  He's wiry and muscular and puts everything he's got into a song, particularly a warm clean timbre and good texture free of schmaltz.”

He had joined the Masons and in 1949 organised the Oriental Band of Mocha Temple London. He was director of the band from its inception till the early eighties at which time he relinquished the position because of a heart condition. He spent the remaining years at the home of Alf Tibbs daughter Joan and died in November 1999

Joe Maycock Orchestra 1934

Audio

Gayle Gordon - Vocalist

1 - Mamselle - accompanied by Neil McKay Orchestra - January 6 1951

2 - My Girl - accompanied by Neil McKay Orchestra - January 6 1951

Gayle Gordon - Violinist

3 - Dark Eyes - Solo violin accompanied by Max McGee piano

Photographs

Click Here for Photographic Slideshow