Austin Rudd Explained

Austin Rudd (4 December 1868 – 24 March 1929) was a British music hall comedian and vocalist.[1]

Biography

Rudd was born in London and made his first professional stage appearance at the age of 22 at Deacons Music Hall in Clerkenwell, where a reviewer called him a "comedian of decidedly modern stamp".[2]

For the next forty years Rudd performed with success in all the major London music halls and in the British provinces as well as undertaking a number of tours abroad to the United States, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.[3] [4] [5]

He had a large repertoire of songs, many of which he wrote and composed himself, including "Sailors Don’t Care", "Here We Suffer Grief and Pain" and "She Was In My Class".[6] [7]

Rudd continued to work right up to his death in 1929, aged 60. He was buried in his family grave at St Lawrence Church, Morden.[8] [9]

Legacy

A commemorative blue plaque was unveiled at his former home at 254 Edgware Road, London, on September 5, 2015, by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America[8] [10]

Notes and References

  1. Encyclopedia: Tony Barker . Austin Rudd . 1978 . Music Hall Records . 113 .
  2. London and Provincial Entr'acte, 4 January 1890
  3. News: 8 January 1898 . Amusements - Tivoli Theatre. Sydney Morning Herald.
  4. News: Amusements - Tivoli Theatre . Sydney Morning Herald . 14 March 1898.
  5. News: Amusements - Tivoli Theatre . 7 May 1901, 20 May 1901, 27 May 1901, 10 June 1901 . Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. Web site: Grief & Pain words and music by Austin Rudd in Tivoli Annual #39 by Joe Slater . Trove, National Library of Australia . 23–26.
  7. Web site: Caricature of Austin Rudd by George Harold Cooke with commentary . V and A Museum Collections . 6 October 2020.
  8. http://www.themusichallguild.com/news.php "Latest News: Austin Rudd Commemorated"
  9. http://www.themusichallguild.com/news.php "Latest News: Grave of Austin Rudd Restored"
  10. Web site: Austin Rudd . 29 August 2018 . Plaques of London.