Austin Rudd (4 December 1868 – 24 March 1929) was a British music hall comedian and vocalist.[1]

The Rudd family memorial to the west of the Church of Saint Lawrence in Morden

Biography edit

Rudd was born in London and made his first professional stage appearance at the age of 22 at Deacons Music Hall in Clerkenwell, where a reviewer called him a "comedian of decidedly modern stamp".[2]

For the next forty years Rudd performed with success in all the major London music halls and in the British provinces as well as undertaking a number of tours abroad to the United States, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.[citation needed][3][4][5]

He had a large repertoire of songs, many of which he wrote and composed himself, including "Sailors Don’t Care", "Here We Suffer Grief and Pain" and "She Was In My Class".[citation needed][6][7]

Rudd continued to work right up to his death in 1929, aged 60. He was buried in his family grave at St Lawrence Church, Morden.[8][9]

Legacy edit

A commemorative blue plaque was unveiled at his former home at 254 Edgware Road, London, on September 5, 2015, by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America[8][10]

References edit

  1. ^ Tony Barker (1978). "Austin Rudd". Music Hall Records. p. 113.
  2. ^ London and Provincial Entr'acte, 4 January 1890
  3. ^ "Amusements - Tivoli Theatre". Sydney Morning Herald.
  4. ^ "Amusements - Tivoli Theatre". Sydney Morning Herald. 14 March 1898.
  5. ^ "Amusements - Tivoli Theatre". No. 7 May 1901, 20 May 1901, 27 May 1901, 10 June 1901. Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. ^ Grief & Pain words and music by Austin Rudd in Tivoli Annual #39 by Joe Slater. "Trove, National Library of Australia". pp. 23–26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Caricature of Austin Rudd by George Harold Cooke with commentary". V and A Museum Collections. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Latest News: Austin Rudd Commemorated" Archived 18 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine, The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America. Retrieved 29 August 2018
  9. ^ "Latest News: Grave of Austin Rudd Restored" Archived 18 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine, the Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America, accessed 29 August 2018
  10. ^ "Austin Rudd". Plaques of London. Retrieved 29 August 2018.