Austin Rudd (4 December 1868 – 24 March 1929) was a British

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

comedian and vocalist.

Biography

Rudd was born in London and made his first professional stage appearance at the age of 22 at Deacons Music Hall in

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The well after which it was named was redisco ...

, where a reviewer called him a "comedian of decidedly modern stamp". 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 Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. 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". 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 St Lawrence Church is the Church of England parish church for Morden in the London Borough of Merton. The building is Grade I listed, and located on London Road, at the highest point of Morden, overlooking Morden Park. Morden Parish consists of f ...

."Latest News: Austin Rudd Commemorated"
The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America. Retrieved 29 August 2018

Legacy

A commemorative

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...

was unveiled at his former home at 254

Edgware Road Edgware Road is a major road in London, England. The route originated as part of Roman Watling Street and, unusually in London, it runs for 10 miles in an almost perfectly straight line. Forming part of the modern A5 road, Edgware Road undergoes ...

, London, on September 5, 2015, by

The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America and the Theatre and Film Guild of Great Britain and America is a registered theatre charity and non-profit making theatre organisation based in London. The Guild's patrons include Brian Croucher ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudd, Austin 1868 births 1929 deaths Music hall performers Musicians from London Comedians from London