Florrie Forde

Florrie Forde (1875-1940) was an Australian singer who became one of the most well-known stars of music hall. Born Flora May Augusta Flannagan in Melbourne, Australia, she ran away from home at the age of sixteen to appear on stage in Sydney and in 1897 left Australia for England, allegedly appearing on three stages in the same evening. She specialised in rousing singalongs such as Down At The Old Bull And Bush and Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly? During World War I, she was responsible for some of the most enduring patriotic songs of the era, such as It's A Long Way To Tipperary and Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty (a rendition of which opened the Smiths' 1986 LP The Queen Is Dead). Forde had a parallel career in pantomime, playing principal boy parts that belied her generous frame (in 1922, she weighed 16 stone 10 pounds). She recorded prolifically, cutting some 700 discs between 1903 and 1936. Three of her recordings made the Peelenium, and a further track was chosen for the Pig's Big 78. Forde never retired, and died of a brain haemorrhage at the age of 65 shortly after entertaining troops in Scotland.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None

Peelenium

 * Peelenium 1906: 'Waltz Me Round Again, Willie'
 * Peelenium 1907: 'I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside'
 * Peelenium 1917: 'Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty'

Sessions

 * None

Other Shows Played

 * 27 May 1999: 'Waltz Me Round Again, Willie'
 * 01 June 1999: 'I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside'
 * 23 June 1999: 'Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty'
 * 24 July 2003: 'He Loved Her. Who Did? He Did. Where? (78)' (Edison Bell Radio) Pig's Big 78 2003