Background
Singleton-Wood was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales.
Singleton-Wood was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales.
He attended Saint Julian"s High School, where he graduated with a London University Matriculation. He studied law at London University but discontinued an Bachelor of Laws degree to become a professional musician.
Singleton-Wood, who used the stage name Allan Wood, was a professional pianist, bandleader, and composer when, in 1960, he was named music director of the British Broadcasting Corporation Welsh Dance Orchestra, broadcasting on the British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Wales series "Swing Foreign Your Supper" and then on the national British Broadcasting Corporation television series “Swing High.” This was the last big band series ever to appear on British Broadcasting Corporation television Singleton-Wood also composed songs for the orchestra, including its signature tune, “Swing High.”
As Music Director of the British Broadcasting Corporation Welsh Dance Orchestra, Singleton-Wood gave The Springfields vocal group featuring Dusty Springfield its first radio broadcast in Wales. In 1963, he was pianist for Shirley Bassey with the Ken Mackintosh Orchestra in a tour of Scotland. In 1968, Singleton-Wood moved to Canada and joined Moxie Whitney’s orchestra at the Imperial Room at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto.
On Whitney’s retirement in 1971, Singleton-Wood took over the contract for the provision of music at the Hotel including the Black Knight and Imperial Rooms.
The Allan Singleton-Wood Orchestra, meanwhile, became one of the best-known dance orchestras in Canada. In the 1970s, while continuing to lead the Allan Singleton-Wood Orchestra and booking other musical acts at the Royal York Hotel, Singleton-Wood pursued a second career, in publishing.
In 1971, he became research director of the Financial Post. In 1973, he was appointed general manager of Maclean-Hunter"s Media Research Evaluation Group, overseeing research for the publications Macleans, Chatelaine, Flare, and the Financial Post.
In this capacity he pioneered the development of the first media computer evaluation program in Canada, which gave birth to the national Print Measurement Bureau.
In 1978, he became Director of Advertising Sales for the Financial Post. Beginning in 1988, he became publisher of a number of national newspapers and magazines, including the Financial Post, Canadian Business, and Small Business. He was appointed Senior Corporate Publisher for Rogers Business Publishing in 1991, a position he kept until his retirement in 1994.
Singleton-Wood came out of retirement in 1995 to take over the position of president and Chief Executive Officer of the award show’s parent company, CIPA Limited., owned by Rogers Communications Incorporated. and Ernst and Young.
Singleton-Wood retired again, at the age of 71, in 2004. Since his retirement, he has held a number of positions in Victoria, including communications director for the Conservative Party and public relations director for the Rotary Club.
In 2011, he was Chairman of the Congress of Traditional Anglicans.