My friend Lee Stevens, who has died aged 86, was a well-loved figure from a bygone era of British show business. Known latterly as a successful broadcaster with LBC radio, he was originally a prolific female impersonator, long before such acts became mainstream.
He was born Bernard Davidson into a Jewish family in Liverpool, the son of Samuel, a commercial traveller, and his wife, Frances. He was star-struck from an early age and used to go to the local theatres to gather autographs at the stage door.
Thus he met stars such as Mae West and Dorothy Squires. When the famous double-act of Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane were appearing at the Liverpool Empire, the 12-year-old turned up at the stage door with a song he had written, A Tear, a Sigh, and a Smile. After taking him down to the orchestra pit to hear the musical director play it, Kitty remarked: “What made you write this? He replied: “I don’t like the songs you sing.” She gave him £20 for the song and when Lee went to see the show on the Friday evening with his mother, it was in the act. It was later released on a commercial 78rpm record made by the pair.
He attended the Edith Clark theatrical school in Liverpool, and after completing his national service in the Royal Air Force, renamed himself Alan Avid and moved to London. He successfully auditioned for the revue Forces in Petticoats, which he stayed with for two years, working alongside Danny La Rue, who became a friend.
He formed a partnership with Gary Webb, and as Avid and Webb, they appeared as the Ugly Sisters in productions of Cinderella. They also appeared in West End cabaret clubs, and performed 15 shows on Coronation night in 1953 over 12 hours. They became the first drag double-act to appear on British television when they appeared in full costume to perform part of their act and were interviewed by Sylvia Peters for the BBC Television Service (which at the time was the only channel broadcasting).
Going solo, and now known as Lee Stevens, he had sell-out seasons in Toronto and Cannes. Back home, it is said that Princess Margaret brought parties of friends to see him.
As the cabaret scene wound down in the 1970s, he moved into management, representing stars such as Ruby Murray and Diana Dors. In 1993, he began reviewing CD releases on LBC radio, which led to him being given his own show, and boosting the station’s ratings. Out of that came regular slots on BBC Radio Kent, BBC Southern Counties and Talk Sport. In 1976, he recorded his own pop single, Making Friends and Meeting People.
Following a serious illness in 2007, the curtain came down on his 66-year career. His longterm partner Eric Gow died in 1991. He is survived by his partner, Mark Allan, and his sister, Patricia.
