Originally Posted by
Gina G.
So glad you have happy memories of the Rialto my father was Hal Graham (he was the band leader at the Rialto and died in 1990 aged 81). Me and my two brothers spent many happy hours at the Rialto at the cinema and as a special treat (when I was 11) we were allowed to stay up late and be at the ballroom to watch my dad at work with his band, Faith Brown was the singer and she married my Dad's bass player Len Wadey.
My Father was heartbroken when they shut down the ballroom it was his life and to see the Rialto go up in flames was so upsetting for us all, it was such a wonderful place and to me as a child a magical place that I will never forget.
Hello Gina, I was assistant general manager at The Rialto ballroom 1961/62 and fondly remember your father well. We shared many conversations and had quite a lot of laughs.The Hal Graham band had a great sound and your father was a happy person who was always up for a laugh.
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It was a sad day for me when I saw the charred ruins of The Rialto.
Best regards,
Ken Black
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