Benny Loban was born in Nikolayev, Ukraine on April 16, 1902, the second of five children, to Russian Jewish parents. The family emigrated to Winnipeg, Canada in 1913 to flee the persecution of the Russian pogroms. Benny learned to play the violin and was considered a child prodigy and after some coaching by a dedicated Winnipeg teacher, John Waterhouse, Benny won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London at the age of 18.

After winning some four Medals of Achievement at the Academy, he graduated and returned to Canada. For a period he played at various cinemas for the silent films. After the arrival of "Talkies" work in this area dried up. Finding the musical opportunities very limited he went back to England where he lead several small ensembles at various Lyons Corner Houses, after which he lead a number of dance bands over the years.

In 1930 he lead the Savoy Orpheans band on tour. See photo. This was not the famous band that had played at the Savoy Hotel in the 1920s, but one formed by it's former leader, Ben Evers in 1929. Benny Loban took over direction in late 1929 or early 1930 briefly, before passing the name onto Jack Hart. Subsequently, the Savoy management insisted the name belonged to them and should be applied only to bands under their management and playing at the hotel. Benny's Savoy Orpheans made a couple of recordings for Dominion Records in March 1930 (see foot of Page).

Late in 1930, he formed his "Music Weavers" and toured the country over the next four or five years with this band. They also made a handful of recordings, this time for Sterno in late 1930 and early 1931. See foot of page for details of the records, and the articles from "Melody Maker" (right of page). It seems he played at the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr during the Summer season and then at the West End Dance Hall in Birmingham for the Winter season, both on regular bases.

At the same time, Benny Joined Debroy Somers' band in January 1931 (according to "Melody Maker") and is shown as remaining with the band until the late 1930s (according to Rust & Forbes "British Dance Bands on Record"). I'm not sure how this fits in with leading his own band at this period.

From 1938-40, Benny lead the resident band at the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth where he frequently broadcast with such notables as Stanley Holloway, Tommy Handley, Ted Ray and Bebe Daniels.

From 1940-45 he headed the band at the prestigious Palais Ballroom in Glasgow. Benny was one of four bands invited to broadcast on VE Day. Following the end of WW II and the decline of the dance bands, Benny was invited to be musical director of a number of stage musicals such as Waltz Time, The Girl Friend and others.

Benny returned to Canada in 1952 where he settled back in his home town of Winnipeg. He was involved in some of the very limited musical activity there but eventually established himself in the Investment Real Estate business which he actively pursued until shortly before his death. He died of a stroke on March 7, 1993 while visiting his son in Toronto.