Culley, Henry Francis

• Culley, Harry

Henry Francis "Harry" Culley was born May 23, 1895, the son of Henry Teck Culley (1863-1948) and Catherine Bourke (1874-1948). He married Ida May Fernley on May 16, 1914. He died May 8, 1968.

A professional conductor and pianist, he conducted the Royal York Orchestra (1929-1930) and was Music Director at the Royal Alexandra Theatre (1948-1955). In the 1930s and 1940s, he was part of a two-piano, four hands team with his wife Ida (“Claudette”) Culley called the Black and White Spotters. They performed regularly on radio shows on CKCL, CFRB, and CBC from the 1930s to 1950s. The duo also travelled to United Kingdom (1936-1938) where they performed on BBC radio, Radio Luxembourg, and accompanied Hollywood stars Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyons on a tour, including performances in South Africa. They also accompanied British comedian and film star George Fromby when he toured Canada. They stopped performing as a duo in 1948 when Harry Culley accepted the position of musical director of the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

Toronto, Ontario

Created November 1, 2021.