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

The Rudd family memorial to the west of the Church of Saint Lawrence in Morden

Biography

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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.[citation needed][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".[citation needed][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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ Tony Barker (1978). "Austin Rudd". Music Hall Records. p. 113.
  2. ^ London and Provincial Entr'acte, 4 January 1890
  3. ^ "Amusements - Tivoli Theatre". Sydney Morning Herald.
  4. ^ "Amusements - Tivoli Theatre". Sydney Morning Herald. 14 March 1898.
  5. ^ "Amusements - Tivoli Theatre". No. 7 May 1901, 20 May 1901, 27 May 1901, 10 June 1901. Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. ^ Grief & Pain words and music by Austin Rudd in Tivoli Annual #39 by Joe Slater. "Trove, National Library of Australia". pp. 23–26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Caricature of Austin Rudd by George Harold Cooke with commentary". V and A Museum Collections. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Latest News: Austin Rudd Commemorated" Archived 18 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine, The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America. Retrieved 29 August 2018
  9. ^ "Latest News: Grave of Austin Rudd Restored" Archived 18 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine, the Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America, accessed 29 August 2018
  10. ^ "Austin Rudd". Plaques of London. Retrieved 29 August 2018.