LEO DRYDEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 June 1922, Page 7

LEO DRYDEN

RISE AND FALL. Starting in life in humble circumstances and rising to the eminence of a music-hall star ; then, beset by ill-luck and forced to sing in the streets—such is the record uf Leo Dryden, unce-famous tenor, whose song, rhe Miner’s Dream of Hope.” was on everyone’s lips some years ago. One evening recently, while sitting at home by the lire, a journalist heard a remarkably fine voice singing an operatic selection in Italian. He went outside, approached the singer, and found that he was none other than Leo Dryden, once the “idol of the halls. ‘T started my professional career at the age of 16, m the year 1879, when 1 ran away from home,” Air. Dryden said. “1 was working at a printer s and I used to be at the trade during the day and sing at concerts, coffee houses, and so on in the evening. “Eventuallv 1 wandered about the provinces travelling most of the time on foot, and then, as my name became better known, I got on to the music hall stage. AVhen 1 reached the age of 21, I was receiving 30s a week. 1 remember when 1 saw Dan Leno at the Britannia in Sheffield; and he could not have been earning more than 35s a week.

“I was so hard up that I was pelled to write my own songs. Even the Test of them, in the mining districts in the north especially, didn’t always go down. The audience used to talk about their whippets and their football teams all. the time the artist sang, and as soon as he stopped they would shout for him to go on !” , “I reinember in the‘free and easies of those days the performer’s name used to be written on the mirrors of the, public-house in soap. “Aly first real success was with ‘Love and Duty,’ a song which became the rage of this country and America. lor over three years this was by standby. Then a song was submitted to me -which had the title ‘Twenty Y’ears After.’ 1 saw possibilities in the number, when I had arranged the words and melody to suit myself I called it “The Aliner’s Dream of Home.’ I first sang it at the Cambridge Alusic Hall, in Commercial Street in October, 1891. It was an immediate success, and made my name. Afterwards I learned that it was sung even by Royalty. “Since then 1 have travelled nearly all over the world- And this brings me to the story of Charlie Chaplin’s early life, for 1 taught Charlie Chaplin to walk ! In the earlv part of my career, Airs. Chaplin, or ‘Widow Chaplin,’ as &he was called, travelled with me as my ‘chorus.’ She- sang the chorus of my songs from the wings. Charlie Chaplin and Syd. travelled with us. “In those days Charlie was a tiny baby, and that is how I came to help in teaching Charlie to toddle. AA'e used to laugh at his attmpts, and often remarked, ‘Ah, Charlie, your feet will get you into trouble.’ Little did Aye dream that they would make him a millionaire ! “It was shortly before the war that financial matters took a bad turn, and soon I found myself practically penniless. About 18 months- ago I was forced to sing in the streets. “Once, while singing outside a certain house, a lady came out and remarking ‘Here, my poor man,' handed me a parcel. AVhen I opened it I discovered that it contained a ham bone, from which most of the ham had been removed.”