Florrie Forde (1875–1940), singer and music hall performer, was born in Melbourne and was sixteen when she sang publicly for the first time, in Sydney, in late 1891. Thereafter, she sang and acted in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and a number of regional cities before heading to London and making her debut there in July 1897. Henceforth she was never out of work, remaining a star until her death through songs in which her audiences joined enthusiastically, including 'Down at the Old Bull and Bush', 'Pack Up Your Troubles', 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary', 'Oh! Oh! Antonio' and 'Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy'. In 1912 she appeared before King George V in the very first Royal Command Variety Performance. At the peak of her career during the First World War, she continued to perform, mentor up-and-coming stars and record songs in her strong Australian accent through to the 1930s, also appearing as herself in two films. She performed as one of the 'Veterans of Variety' in another Command performance in 1935. Continuously working, she never returned to Australia. She died a few hours after entertaining patients in a naval hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2017
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