Background
The son of journalist Gabriel Costa and Annie (née Sawer), he married Esther Comer in 1938, and they were married for over 40 years until he died in 1981.
The son of journalist Gabriel Costa and Annie (née Sawer), he married Esther Comer in 1938, and they were married for over 40 years until he died in 1981.
He was also a disc jockey for Radio Luxembourg and the British Broadcasting Corporation. Costa was of Sephardic Jewish-Portuguese ancestry (Costa is a Portuguese surname). Sam Costa began as a pianist with Bert Firman"s band and later became a popular British dance band singer in the 1930s making many records with bands such as Lew Stone, Harry Leader, Maurice Winnick and Jay Wilbur. After his crooning days, his British Broadcasting Corporation radio career began with the lieutenant"s That Manitoba Again (ITMA) shows with Tommy Handley, then he worked with Kenneth Horne, Richard Murdoch and Maurice Denham in Much Binding in the Marsh.
On Sundays he did both Breakfast Time and Glamorous Nights and he also presented Housewives" Choice and Midday Spin, transitioning to British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2 from 1967.
Costa would sign off saying "Thank you for the pleasure of your company". While he generally disliked television work, he did appear on several Juke Box Jury shows.
On British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2 he had various shows, morning, lunchtime, afternoon, drivetime, till 1981.