Celebrity for the week ending
Saturday, 18 September 2004

Fred Albert (1845-1886)
English music hall vocalist and composer

Fred Albert

MR. FRED ALBERT,
The Royal Comical Topical Vocalist! Author! And Composer:
Pronounced by the Press, Public, and Profession, the greatest topical Vocalist of the age.
Author and Composer of many of the most popular Comic Songs of the day – sung by the Principal Artists
– and Winner of a Prize for Poetry at the Welsh Eisteddfod, 1867,
Mr. Fred. Albert has had the honour of appearing before several members of the Royal Family, and has appeared with the
Greatest success at the Principal Places of Amusement in Town and the Provinces.
Now at the Leading London Halls with New Songs, his own composition.
Available for Dinners, Private Concerts, &c. – Address: Albert Villa; 67, Oxford Road, Islington, N. Or,
Mr. Charles Roberts, Agent, 5, York Road, Lambeth, S.E.

(caricature by Alfred Bryan from The Entr'acte Almanack, London, 1879)

'Fred Albert was another star in the music-hall firmament of the time. He was born November 9th, 1845, and educated at the Birkbeck, starting life in a City merchant's office. He sang all his own songs, the principal and most successful of which were "I Knew that I was Dreaming," "Take Care of the Pence," and "The Mad Butcher." One of the first halls at which this artiste appeared was the Goldsmith Arms, a small place in Little Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, where he and many others used to go to practice their songs on a Friday night. The hall was only open on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. It was here that the late Henry Sampson, of the Referee, used to indulge in exhibitions of sparring, and it was the owner of this hall, Mr George Clark, who used with his friends to "back" Mr "Pendragon" in his running matches. In 1886 Mr Fred Albert appeared as a topical vocalist at Deacon's. It may here be remarked that there is no truth in the oft quoted but utterly erroneous report that this singer had a wooden leg… Fred Albert and Lottie Cherry, duettist's [sic], were on [the agent, Charles Roberts's] books, and the former also when he appeared as a single "turn."' (Charles Douglas Stuart and A.J. Park, The Variety Stage, T. Fisher Unwin, London, 1895, pp.107 and 120) * * * * * * * *

(The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 15 January 1881, p.16c, advertisement)

Lusby's Summer and Winter Palace, Mile End Road, East London, Boxing Night, Monday, 26 December 1880. 'Mr. Fred Albert obtained an enthusiastic reception as he made his appearance, and his several songs were received in a manner which left no doubt of his great popularity. This topical songster forms pretty correct estimates of public opinion, which he very agreeably courts; but he never offends by expressions of violence, and consequently never makes enemies even where he fails to find sympathetic friends.' (The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 1 January 1881, p.5b) Sam Collins's Music Hall, Islington Green, London, January 1881. 'Mr. Fred Albert in his topical songs is hailed with enthusiasm. Mr. Albert's songs are very well chosen in subject, and written in a telling style, while his opinions are not obtruded with anything like violence. This gentleman has held a high position in his special walk for a long time, and there seems to be no probability of his being disturbed.' (The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 22 January 1881, p.13b) Lusby's Summer and Winter Palace, Mile End Road, East London, January 1881. 'Mr. Fred Albert is fulfilling an engagement with Messrs. Crowder and Payne, and his verses appear to fall on grateful soil, for his songs are enthusiastically applauded; Mr. Albert's songs are well written, and their [sic] is a good vein of common sense underlying his comments on burning questions of the day. This vocalist successfully keeps up his well-won reputation.' (The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 29 January 1881, p.13a) London Pavilion, London, April 1881 '… and the popular songs of Mr. Fred Albert always obtain that applause which is never awarded to anything but the most successful vocalists.' (The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 9 April 1881, p.6a) Middlesex music hall, London, April 1881 'Mr. Fred Albert is a great favourite, and there can be no doubt that the songs, which he himself writes, are modelled on a truly popular form. As we have said before, too, they are not so violent as to give offence.' William Knowles's Benefit, Cambridge music hall, London, Tuesday evening, 10 May 1881 'Mr. Fred Albert touched on agreeable topics in his song, entitled, "John Bull and Britannia," paid a graceful tribute to the memory of the "Earl of Beaconsfield," and concluded with "Look at the weather we've had." He also tendered thanks for the bénéficiaire in a very amusing manner.' (The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 14 May 1881, p.13a) * * * * * * * * The Death and Funeral of Fred Albert

Fred Albert

(engraved portrait after an original by Alfred Bryan,
The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 23 October 1886, p.8a)

'The death of Mr. Fred Albert was somewhat sudden. I heard him sing only last week, and then there was nothing in his manner to suggest impending dissolution. He went out for a drive on Sunday, and, I suppose, contracted a chill, for on reaching home he took to his bed, from which he never gain rose. He died on Tuesday afternoon [12 October 1886].' 'The deceased vocalist was the best-known of all the so-called topical singers, and during his career he must have earned a large amount of money; for although his method was very stereotyped and formal, and the melodies he used so very like one another, he was always a very marketable performer. Not only this, but as he never changed his dress on the stage he could rattle through three or even four songs in a very little time, a circumstance which permitted him to accept more "turns" nightly than the ordinary singer can manage to do. 'What his circumstances were at the time of his death, whether he was well or badly off, I am not in a position to say. As I have stated, he must, for the last fourteen or fifteen yeas, have earned a large income, and I hope it will be found that this not been all squandered. The rainy day always comes, and it behoves those persons who obtain good salaries to provide for it. I have not yet seen any strikingly good results arise from my sermons. The deceased's real name was Howell. The interment will take place at Abney Park Cemetery at 12 o'clock today (Saturday). 'I am requested to state that the late Mr. Fred Albert will form a subject of one of our cartoons next week [see engraving by Alfred Bryan, above].' (The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 16 October 1886, p.5b) 'The remains of the late Mr. Fred Albert were interred at Abney Park Cemetery last Saturday [16 October 1886]. There would doubtless have been a greater gathering at the gave-side had the weather been more propitious; still, there were many who braved wind and rain to show a little respect to the memory of their deceased friend. 'In the first mourning-coach were the son and brother of the deceased, Mr. H[erbert] Campbell, Mr. G.W. Hunt, and Mr. Meley; in the second vehicle were Mr. E.V. Page, Mr. Gus Leach, Mr. G. Foster, and Mr. H[arry]Randall. Among the others present were Mr. R.S. Brooks, Mr. Goldberg, Mr. H. Sprake, Mr. G[eorge] Belmont, Mr. T. Lovell, Mr. V[ictor] Liston, Mr. C[harles] Coburn, Mr. E. Mosedale, Mr. Tennyson, Mr. P. Conroy, Mr. Ison, Mr. F. Travis, Mr. Al Alexander, Mr. Oliver (Metropolitan [music hall]), Mr. T. Vine, Mr. Leach, jun., Mr. G.T. Cromwell, Mr. Harry Vernon, the Sisters Lyster, &c. Wreathes covered the coffin, contributed by the Music-Hall Artists' Association, Madame Montaglio, Lieut. Cole, Miss Nelly Power, Miss Nelly L'Estrange, Messrs. Parkiss and Adams, and one from the neighbours of the deceased.' (The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 23 October 1886, p.5a) * * * * * * * *

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© John Culme, 2004