A legendary figure in U.K. jazz, George Melly joined Mick Mulligan's band as a vocalist after leaving the Royal Navy, following the Second World War. Melly was as famous for his dandified appearance--loud, sharply cut suits with wide-brimmed hats--as for his vocal finesse. After retiring from the scene in the 1960s, Melly forged a career as a journalist but launched a successful musical comeback, with John Chilton's Feetwarmers, in the early 1970s. The partnership with Chilton would last for over three decades, with Melly making his final appearance at the legendary 100 Club in London less than four weeks before his death in July 2007.