V.J. Lewis MBE 

29 July 1919 – 9 February 2009

Musician, band leader, artist manager, fundraiser 

A prolific musician from an early age, Vic Lewis first picked up the guitar at the age of three and played in numerous bands during his early years. Serving with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, he still found time to form bands and put on shows. 

A great popularizer of big band music and swing jazz in the post-war years, he went on numerous tours and recorded extensively. Following the genre’s decline, Lewis went into artist management, eventually selling his agency to NEMS, run by the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein in 1964. He continued to work for NEMS, where he was arranger for the Beatles’ international tours. Following Epstein's death in 1967, he went on to be managing director of the company, 

Away from music, Lewis’s great passion was cricket; a passion acquired from his father who played for Kent Second XI. He founded the Vic Lewis Cricket Club and due to his extensive celebrity connections was able call on many famous names for charity matches, including cricketers such as Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Viv Richards and Fred Trueman. He disbanded the team in 1984, but over 20 years it raised more than £3 million for charity. Lewis was also involved with Lord’s Taverners, a member of Middlesex for over 60 years and sat on its committee from 1976 to 2001. He also amassed an extensive tie collection of over 5000 which is now housed in the MCC Museum. In 1984 he wrote a book on them entitled Cricket Ties: An International Guide for Cricket Lovers. He was quoted saying about cricket: "Cricket is not just another sport. Cricket is a religion, a way of life, a brotherhood." In 2007 he was appointed an MBE for services to music and cricket.