Martin Crosbie (7 April 1911 – 10 February 1982) was an Irish

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

and older brother to

Paddy Crosbie Paddy Crosbie (1 October 1913 – 2 September 1982) was the Irish creator of the radio and television programmes '' The School Around The Corner'' and ''Back To School''.Sunday Independent, 5 September 1982 Youth Crosbie was born in Dublin, Ir ...

of ''The School Around the Corner''. Martin, who was affectionately known as "The Miller's daughter", a song he made his own, started in show business in his early 1930s.

Life

The eldest in a family of four, he was christened John Martin but was known as Mossy to his family and friends. His mother and father came from Wexford town. His father, Martin, was a foreman-fitter and turner on the Permanent way, that is the tracks section, of the old Dublin United Tramways. Before coming to Dublin, his father had earned quite a reputation in his native town, both as a singer and comedian. He won the Wexford Feis gold medal in 1904 in the tenor competition. Martin's paternal grandmother was reputed to have had a three-octave voice, and sang in Bride Street Church (Church of the Assumption), Wexford. Before his singing career began, he worked as a fitter/mechanic in CIE's Summerhill depot.

"One night in the late 1930s himself and the legendary Billy Morton went to a show in the Olympia. In the bar during the interval Billy and other friends talked him into singing a song. One song led to another and soon there were more people in the bar than in the audience. The manager came in and said if he could keep an audience away from the show he should be able to keep them in their seats the following week. That's how he joined Lorcan Bourke Productions. Martin caused a bit of stir the next Monday night when he cycled to the Olympia, walked through the stage door, hung up his bicycle clips, and went straight out on stage to sing. I didn't know anything then about using dressing-rooms and make-up he had laughed."

His CIE supervisor recognised a genuine talent and gave him a couple of months leave of absence, and pretty soon Martin was a star of variety at the

Royal Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...

and the

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

where the "Miller's Daughter" legend was born in 1942. It was when he was playing in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

with Harry Bailey that he met Thelma Ramsey, who would become his wife. When he came back to the Royal in Dublin, Thelma was the accompanist. They toured with some of showbiz's big names, including famous comic Max Miller. They missed out on playing the London Palladium with Max as he was allowed to bring only one other act. A halfpenny was tossed and they lost. "Imagine losing the Palladium with a halfpenny… wouldn't have minded had it been half-a-crown!" A regular in the Clontarf Castle Cabaret from 1964, he continued to perform six nights a week even when his health started to fail him in the early 1980s. In 1979, he received the Variety Artists' Trust Society award for his contribution to Irish show business.''Irish Press'', 11 February 1982. He made numerous Television appearances, some of which still survive on R.T.E. and Ulster Television etc. He was a member of Equity and appeared in small parts in most of the Films made in Ireland at that time.

Films

* Sinful Davey – 1969 �
Sinful Davey (Movie Clip) The Condemned Man
* Davey (John Hurt) and McNab (Ronald Fraser) are attempting to swipe the corpse of hanged Tom Pepper when they encounter the authorities,(i.e. Martin as one of the Constables ) in John Huston's comedy of 19th century Scotland, Sinful Davey, 1969. * Of human bondage – (1964) Lab Technician * A Bus Ride To Success – He played a bus conductor * Young Cassidy – (1965) – 2nd Hearsema

* ''

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

'' – (1970) R.A.F. Sergean
Underground (1970)
* Quackser Fortune has a Cousin in the Bronx (1973) – Policeman * Lockup Your Daughters (1969
Lock-Up-Your-Daughters
* The Spy Who Came in From The Cold (1965)

Death

Martin Crosbie died on 10 February 1982 from cancer. He is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin. A special Tribute Show was held in The Olympia on Sunday 28 February by his friends in show business – Listed as they appeared on the bill. *Al Banim *Billie Barry Dancers *David Beggs *Chris Casey *Paddy Crosbie *Val Fitzpatrick *Val Joyce *Tony Kenny *Jack Leonard *Sean Mooney *Vera Morgan *Kathy Nugent *Pat & Jean *

Maureen Potter Maria Philomena Potter (3 January 1925 – 7 April 2004), known as Maureen Potter, was an Irish singer, actress, comedienne and performer. Early life Potter was born in Dublin and educated at St. Mary's school in Fairview. She had a long caree ...

*Shamrog *Des Smyth

References

External links

Martin Crosbie from RTE Stills Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crosbie, Martin 1911 births 1982 deaths Irish tenors 20th-century Irish male singers Music hall performers Irish male stage actors Singers from Dublin (city) Burials at Glasnevin Cemetery 20th-century male actors from Northern Ireland Male actors from County Dublin