George Lashwood: The Beau Brummel of the Music Halls

Today is the birthday of George Lashwood (Edward George Wright, 1863-1942). Known as the “Beau Brummel of the Music Halls” the comedian/ singer was a star of London’s East End and holiday resorts such as Blackpool. He began performing in his native Birmingham at age 20, and worked his way up to the Capitol within a decade. Songs he was associated with include “Send for a Policeman” and “Goodbye Dolly Grey”. He toured American vaudeville in 1909. Like most most music hall artists he was instrumental in drumming up patriotic fervor on the home front during World War One.

Here’s another of his hits “Oh! Blow the Scenery on the Railway”

To find out about  the history of vaudeville, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.

For more on silent and slapstick comedy please check out my new book: Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, just released by Bear Manor Media, also available from amazon.com etc etc etc