[1] Cy McLean was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and relocated to Toronto, Ontario.
[2] He was a pianist, who supported himself as a musician through working as a messenger at the Toronto head office of Bell Canada.
[4] He and his band developed their music career through playing at non-union establishments, due to being unable to join the local musicians union.
[1] The band became quite popular, and during World War II was sponsored by Lifebouy Soap to tour southwestern Ontario.
[6] In his later career, McLean was performing five nights a week at Toronto's Warwick Hotel, prior to dance bands being replaced by other entertainment.