[3] Stapleton attended Trinity College of Music in London, and played in a dance band there led by Henry Hall.
World War II interrupted Stapleton's musical career, as he joined the Royal Air Force late in 1939.
[2] In 1947, he recreated his band, and quickly won back slots on the BBC; among the singers he accompanied were Dick James and Frank Sinatra.
[3] Players in the ensemble who went on to gain a profile in their own right included Bert Weedon, Bill McGuffie, Tommy Whittle, and Matt Monro.
He even managed two chart hits in the United States with the instrumental "The Italian Theme" (#25, 1956) and "The Children's Marching Song (Nick Nack Paddy Whack)" (#13, 1959).