Big Band Leader 1920’s to the 1960’s

London born, moved to Derby and then to Nottingham where he died. Played all the dance halls in Nottingham where he held residency’s at “The Elite” and “The Victoria Ballroom”. He was the leader of his own dance band in Nottingham from the late 1920’s until the 1960’s.

Also of particular interest to Nottingham folk is the fact that that Keith Paice (father of Ian Paice the Deep Purple’s drummer) was in the band for a time.

Rube Sunshine was born in London as Rueben Fogelman in 1904. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London and in the early 1920’s moved to Derby to join the Billy Francis Band, as violinist, at Derby Palais de Danse (later known as Northcliffe House in the sixties). He later worked for Woolworths and travelled the country playing the violin and demonstrating sheet music which was sold for 6d a copy. He then led his own band for a few months at the Regent Dance Hall, Brighton. He changed his name by deed poll to Rube Sunshine and in 1928 he moved to Nottingham where his band got a residency at the Elite Cinema playing the café and ballroom. .In the 1930’s before the war he played on many occasions at the Plaza Ballroom, Derby and during the war he had another residency at the Victoria Ballroom, Nottingham. He also had residency’s at the Palais-de-Danse and Greyfriars Hall (Astoria) both in Nottingham. He played all over the Midlands and further afield until 1964. During 1947 and later, Rube Sunshine played many events at Welbeck Abbey in the underground ballroom, and he also played privately for the Duke and Duchess of Portland at their home in Welbeck Woodhouse. From 1955 to 1967 he played every year at the Sherwood Foresters Officers Ball, the early ones being held at the Becket Street Drill Hall, Derby. For 15 years until 1967 he led the band and compared at the annual staff dances of Qualcast Ltd. held at the Kings Hall, Derby. In 1952 Rube opened a shop in Derby called “Fays”, a soft furnishing shop, named after his wife, in the Strand Arcade, Derby which closed in 1968. His son Clive, who lived in Derby had a soft furnishing stall at the Morledge Market, Derby while Rube Sunshine kept on his soft furnishing shop at the Central Market, Nottingham which he and his wife had been running for forty years. Fay also had a curtain fabric shop in Hockley. In 1968 Rube lived at 169 Harrow Road, Wollaton Park, Nottingham. They eventually retired to Bournemouth and Rube died in 1987 and his funeral was at Wilford Hill, Friday 6th March.

Some members of his band were:

Fred Straw (1940’s “He later moved to be with a 14-piece group called “Rube Sunshine” that was based in West Bridgford”)
Keith Paice: Pianist (Father of Ian Paice the Deep Purple drummer) (1930’s or maybe 1940s)
Les Morris: Vocalist & Drummer (1938. Londoner. Had just finished a 12 month contract at the Hotel Borg, Reykjavik, Iceland)
Alf Washbrook: Pianist (1938. Previously with Jack Padbury’s band)
Bernie Fenton: Pianist (1940ish)