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Rosemary Squires was born Joan Rosemary Yarrow on December 7, 1928 in Bristol, England. The daughter of a civil servant, she took singing, guitar and piano lessons while at St. Edmund’s Girls’ School in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Initially she started out entertaining troops on nearby UK and US army bases around Salisbury, added singing with various musical groups and a Polish military band, all the while maintaining a couple of jobs to pay the rent.

She eventually became a professional singer performing with big bands such as Ted Heath, Geraldo and Cyril Stapleton, and the small jazz bands of  Max Harris, Kenny Baker and the Alan Clare band, appearing with the latter in the BBC Festival of Jazz at the Royal Albert Hall. In 1948 at 20 years of age she moved to London and by the 1950s on through the Sixties Squires became a regular on the BBC Light Programmes like Melody Time and Workers’ Playtime.

Coming to the United States Rosemary worked with Danny Kaye and Sammy Davis Jr., as well as appearing on the Johnny Carson Show. In 1994 Squires was part of the entertainment for Prince Edward’s 30th birthday celebrations. During the 2012 Royal Diamond Jubilee year she undertook two countrywide tours to celebrate her own diamond jubilee in show business including two appearances at the Royal Festival Hall. Over the course of her career she made numerous television appearances, was awarded the Gold Badge of Merit by the British Academy of Songwriters, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2004 for her services to music and charity, and was awarded the British Music Hall Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Vocalist Rosemary Squires continues to perform at local charity events.

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