Rugby honours 'Mr Music' with plaque by park bandstand

A plaque dedicated to Rugby musician Tom Ward, known in his hometown as "Mr Music", is to be unveiled in a Warwickshire park.

Born in 1913, the musician founded his first band, The Harmo Boys, as a 16-year-old at Lawrence Sheriff School.

He went on to spend four decades playing big-band-style dance music for audiences in Rugby, across Warwickshire and the West Midlands, and, on one occasion, for a nationwide audience.

His son Keith Ward, who has led efforts to get a permanent memorial to his father, said: "He was also a co-founder of the Rugby Theatre and started the town's RAG (Raise and Give) Festival, which is still going. He'd be very proud of the memorial."

A plaque honouring Tom will be unveiled near the bandstand at Whitehall Rec in Rugby on 28 October.

The current Lawrence Sheriff School band will perform in tribute to Tom, who founded the school's first band and contributed greatly to the town.

Tom was a saxophonist and formed his first band while at school, despite coming from a family with no musical background.

After leaving Lawrence Sheriff School, he joined British Thompson-Houston (BTH), an electrical engineering firm in Rugby, rather than pursuing music full-time.

"He started there in 1935 as an apprentice and founded the RAG [Raise and Give] Festival that still exists in the town," said Keith.

"The first £500 they raised went to the local hospital, and I was told that the first collection was in coppers."

"They were carrying it down to the bank, and the bottom fell out of the box."

However, his love of music endured. He opened a music shop on Regents Street and led the Tom Ward Band, earning a reputation as Rugby's "Mr Music".

Tom played a variety of instruments, could read music but was best known for his saxophone work.

His music took him across the country, performing big-band dance music at venues in Jersey and Great Yarmouth, at the Dorchester in London, and closer to home at Coventry's Leofric Hotel and the Laurels in Rugby.

He even had a brush with fame.

After winning a regional National Dance Band competition in the 1930s, he was invited in 1947 to perform on the BBC radio programme Industry Entertains, hosted by comedian Kenneth Horne.

Tom travelled from Rugby to the GEC Club in Coventry to perform a three-minute solo for £6 - about £187 in 2026.

"In those days that was a lot of money," said Keith.

"I think the main thing is it took a lot of working to convince them that, you know, could he possibly go to this?

"There were a lot of words in the right direction in those days to say, 'Yes, I'm representing Rugby; I need to go,' because there was also a rehearsal as well."

Tom continued playing big-band dance music for audiences across Coventry and Warwickshire until the early 1960s. One of his last gigs was a dinner dance at Coventry's Leofric Hotel in 1962.

After retiring, Tom moved to the south coast. He died in 1977.

Keith, who still lives in Rugby, has spent the last decade campaigning to get an official recognition of his dad's contribution to the town and his impact on thousands of people across Coventry and Warwickshire.

"After a lot of hard work, which I started out in 2017, [the council] finally agreed to put a plaque on the bandstand where he played with his BTH band, and I'm going to commemorate that with the mayor and all the rest of the dignitaries and have a bit of a day."

Keith believes his father would not believe he was worthy of being remembered as Rugby's "Mr Music". He said his father's many achievements had left a legacy worth marking and remembering.

"He was a founder member of the Rugby Theatre, started the RAG Festival, and played for hundreds of weddings, receptions and dinner dances.

"There's Lawrence Sheriff, The Harris School and Ashlawn school - they've got bands.

"So I think that's a legacy."

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