Charles Coborn

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Charles Coburn (4 August 1852–23 November 1945) was a British music hall singer and comedian born in Stepney, East London.

In a long career, Coborn was known largely for two comic songs: "Two Lovely Black Eyes" (which he adapted in 1886 from an existing song) and "The man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo" by Fred Gilbert.

Coborn estimated that he had sung the latter song 250,000 times in the course of his career, and could sing it in 14 languages. Described as a 'literate man of high principles', he was never fully accepted by the music hall establishment, but continued to work until the end of his long life. Tracks that he recorded in his 80s can be found on Chairman's Choice - Music Hall Greats CD. He died in London in 1945.

His eldest son, Major Duncan McCallum, became MP for Argyll.

[edit] Sources

• British Music Hall - an illustrated history by Richard Anthony Baker, Sutton Publishing, UK, 2005 ISBN 0-7509-3685-1

[edit] External link

• Charles Coborn - you can hear him singing 'The Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo'.