John Major and British Music Hall
John Major's book, My Old Man, recounts the history of Music Hall, one of Victorian Britain's most popular forms of entertainment. It is also the story of his father, who was a Music Hall star....
John Major's book, My Old Man, recounts the history of Music Hall, one of Victorian Britain's most popular forms of entertainment. It is also the story of his father, who was a Music Hall star.
"In March 1962, I sat with an old man as he lay dying. He was barely conscious, with familiar half-smiles dancing across his well-worn and gentle face, but I knew where he was in his imagination - where he wanted to be.
"The lights were bright. A boisterous audience was cheering. Aged eighty-two, and over thirty years since he had left it, he was back on the stage.
"In life he had few possessions, but he died a richer man than most, with a song in his heart and joy in his soul. He was my father, Tom."
Marie Lloyd was one of Music Hall's most beloved stars.
When she died, at age 52, thousands lined the route of her funeral procession.
TS Eliot said she expressed the soul of the people.