| Wilkie Bard | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William August Smith |
| Born | March 19, 1874 |
| Origin | Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester |
| Died | May 5, 1944 |
| Genres | vaudeville, music hall |
Wilkie Bard (born William August Smith) (March 19, 1874 - May 5, 1944) was a popular vaudeville and music hall entertainer and recording artist at the beginning of the 20th century. He is best known for his songs "I Want to Sing in Opera" and "The Night Watchman." [1]
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Bard was born March 19, 1874 in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, Lancashire. His parents were William Herbert Smith and Marie Stetzer. Smith had a sister, Maria, who was 5 years older.
Bard began performing at age 21, singing and performing comedy in his spare time. He most often appeared with a bald head and wore a black spot on each eyebrow. He also performed as female characters, specifically with his hit song "I Want to Sing in Opera." He had a long career in pantomime,[2] and introduced tongue twisters such as "She sells seashells by the seashore," based on a song he performed in the show "Dick Whittington and His Cat" in Drury Lane in 1908.[3]
Wilkie Bard performed in vaudeville in 1919.[4] His first appearance at the Palace, on October 20, 1919, was not well received,[5] but he reappeared a few days later with slightly altered material and became a hit.[6]
He performed in Australia in 1921.[7]
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
Bard was married to Ellen Smith (nee Stratton), who performed using the stage name Nellie Stratton.
Wilkie Bard died in 1944 at the age of 70 in Buckinghamshire following a coronary thrombosis.