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Harry Bedford (music hall)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harry Bedford (1873 – 17 October 1939) was a British music hall comedian and singer.

Born in Pimlico, London, he made his first onstage appearance at the age of seven. He was an apprentice in a boat-building business before becoming a professional entertainer in 1888, making his first appearances in pantomimes and minstrel shows. By 1895 he had become a leading music hall entertainer, appearing at the Middlesex Music Hall in London and developing an act that was considered somewhat risqué for the time. Described as a "low comedian", his popular songs (written by others) included "A Little Bit Off the Top", "The Cock of the North", and "When I Get Some Money".[1][2]

Part of his act can be seen in the 1934 Will Hay film Those Were the Days.[3]

He died in London in 1939.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gammond, Peter (1991). The Oxford Companion to Popular Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 48. ISBN 0-19-311323-6.
  2. ^ Caricature of Harry Bedford, V&A. Retrieved 3 April 2017
  3. ^ IMDb entry for Those Were the Days (1934)
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