Heath led what is widely considered Britain's greatest post-war big band,[2] recording more than 100 albums,[3] which sold over 20 million copies.

[6][7] After playing tenor horn at the age of six, encouraged by his father Bert, a trumpeter and the leader of the Wandsworth Town Brass Band, Heath later switched to trombone.

It was here that Heath's professional career began as he was spotted on the street and asked to play with the Jack Hylton Band[3] who had a residence there.

In the late 1920s, Heath again joined Hylton's larger stage band (also being present on a number of 12-inch "concert" recordings), staying until 1930.

In September 1939 the outbreak of the Second World War caused the immediate disbandment of the Sydney Lipton Band, which was on tour in Scotland at the time.

In 1944, Heath talked Douglas Lawrence, the Dance Music Organiser for the BBC's Variety Department, into supporting a new band with a broadcasting contract.

[10] This band followed the American model, and featured five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, piano, guitar, double bass and drums.

In late 1945, American bandleader Toots (Tutti) Camarata[11] came to UK as musical director for the film London Town (1946) starring comedian Sid Field.

In addition to the Palladium Sunday night concerts the band appeared regularly at the Hammersmith Palais and toured the UK on a weekly basis.

There were so many encore calls at the Carnegie Hall performance that Nat King Cole (who was backstage, but not on the bill) had to come out on stage and ask people to leave.

During this period, Heath and his band appeared in several more films (following London Town) including Dance Hall (1950); It’s a Wonderful World (1956) and Jazz Boat (1960).

He performed continuously and successfully until his health faltered in 1964, suffering a cerebral thrombosis on his 62nd birthday, and collapsing on stage in Cardiff.

In addition to Cole, Heath established close personal and professional relationships with Woody Herman,[10] Count Basie,[10] Marlene Dietrich,[10] Johnny Mathis[10] and Tony Bennett.

[10] He worked with Sarah Vaughan,[16] Ella Fitzgerald[17] Lena Horne; June Christy; Mel Torme; The Four Freshmen; Donna Hightower and others.

His band members included Ronnie Scott, an early member of the band, the pianist Stan Tracey, trumpeters Kenny Baker, Eddie Blair, Duncan Campbell, sax players Don Rendell and Tommy Whittle, trombonists Don Lusher and Wally Smith, drummers Jack Parnell and Ronnie Verrell and double bass Johnny Hawksworth.

The addition of singers Dickie Valentine, Lita Roza and Dennis Lotis in the '50s gave the band more teenage appeal.

His second marriage was to Moira Tracey—a ballet dancer who appeared in one of the first television transmissions by John Logie Baird on the BBC, and became a prolific lyricist and songwriter.

[citation needed] He died in 1969 at the age of 67,[1] but the band reformed after a Thames Television tribute broadcast in 1976[6] with the approval of the Heath family, and went on performing concerts.