Harry Secombe  comedian and singer
He came in the early 1950s when he started. I saw him at Dudley and he used to do the shaving act. He would sing “Figaro” while shaving and would cut himself to pieces and end up covered in bits of cotton wool. He wore a 'dickie' bow and when he did a girl’s voice he put it on his head.
Semprini  -  orchestra leader
Well you heard him on the radio in his day didn’t you, with his orchestra. His saying was “Old ones, new ones, forgotten ones” and he was on, on a Sunday night. He was on the radio for years with “Semprini Serenade”

Tod Slaughter  -  comedy actor
He was an American, a big huge guy and he used to be the “Demon Barber”. He used to pretend to cut his fellow actor’s throats and they would fall down and disappear through the trap door. There was an old woman who used to make pies from the bodies. She was called Mrs. Lovit. “Did you have one of Mrs. Lovit’s pies” he would say and a finger nail was found in one. He would come on with all bright red blood stains on his big white apron and he would say “And they said he was anemic”. I saw him in the 40s, he was an old man then. He went to Wolverhampton and Dudley.

Eugene Stratton  -  singer
He was a singer. I never saw him but my mother did. He died in 1918 at the age of 57.  I don’t remember what he sang but he came to Wolverhampton.

Suzette Tari  -  comedienne and singer
She was on the radio more than she was on the stage. She used to come on and say “Hello every one, this is Suzy; Suzette Tari” She would always sing “Red Sails in the Sunset”, she was on the radio a lot so she must have been alright.

The Three Monarchs  -  comedy musicians
They were three harmonica players. The big one in the middle was the funny one, the other two used to take the micky. His stage name was Cedric and they would all be playing and the other two would try to push him out of the way as if they didn’t want him there. After pushing him out of the way he would try to get back again. “It’s my turn in the middle” he would say. They had different sized harmonicas, Cedric having the largest. They were very good on the harmonica and in the 1950s they frequently appeared on television.

Vesta Tilley  -  male impersonator

I haven’t seen her but my mother did at Wolverhampton. She was very popular, she died in the 1940s.

Jack Trip  -  comedy dame
He was very popular, he was in pantomime and was one of the best pantomime dames.

Max Wall  -  comedian
He was very good, he used to do funny dances and used to come on with black tights and called himself Professor Wallofsky. He played the piano but if he had to get near to the piano, he wouldn’t just move the stool, he would go to the back of the piano and push it to the stool. It was very funny.

Nellie Wallace  -  comedienne and singer
My mother used to like her, she was very rude and used to sing “My old man said follow the band”. She came from London and her jokes were very blue. She was a very good comedienne and very popular in the 1930s and early 40s, she was number one.

Rob Wilton  -  comedian
He was one of my number ones in the day, He always went like this with his little finger in his mouth “The day the war broke out my misses said to me “Rob what are you going to do to put England back on” I said do, I said do, I pushed the pram about when we had the first one, didn’t I”

The Eric Winstone Band
He was very popular. He was knocking around, I saw him at the Dudley Hippodrome and the Civic Hall. He had his own band, a really first class band. He used to be on the circuit of Butlin’s holiday camps and his signature tune was “Stagecoach”; very popular.

Wee Georgie Wood  -  comedian
He was only four foot nothing. He came to Wolverhampton and Dudley a few times, he was only small and very pale looking. He was a comedian. A bit like an early Jimmy Clitheroe.

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