Inspired by the brand-new North American music called jazz, Syd Lipman and his big brother Harry formed their own five-piece band, the Original Crichton Lyrical Orchestra, also known as the Crichton Lyricals (or simply as the Lyricals) in 1921. They appear to have adopted the name "Roy" for their debut at the Palais de Danse in Hammersmith. This group presented hot dance music and comedic entertainments at restaurants and clubs throughout London and Paris. In 1927 the Roys signed a contract with the Vocalion record company and hammered out two dozen titles, which were issued on various subsidiary labels. They expanded their touring schedule to include South Africa in 1928, Sydney, Australia, in 1929, and Berlin, where the band fell apart, in 1930. Syd Roy assembled a big band in 1931 to perform at the newly opened RKO Theatre in Leicester Square. At first he called the group Syd Roy His RK Oleans, but soon decided that his talented brother Harry Roy should front the band instead. Aside from making a handful of recordings under his own name for the Eclipse label in 1933, Syd spent the next 20 years managing the Harry Roy Orchestra, attempted a comeback as a leader in 1946, and ultimately outlived his brother by 16 years, passing away in London on November 20, 1987, at the age of 86. ~ arwulf arwulf, Rovi