 Leslie Rands was born in Chichester, England.He performed in the Chichester Cathedral choir and studied at the Royal School of Music before joining the D'Oyly Carte touring company in 1925 as a chorister.In 1926 he played Cox in "Cox and Box", Samuel in "The Pirates of Penzance", Sir Richard Cholmondeley, the Lieutenant of the Tower, in "The Yeomen of the Guard", and Giuseppe (or, occasionally, Luiz) in "The Gondoliers".