Harry Fragson (2 July 1869 – 31 December 1913), born Léon Philippe Pot, 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 Br ...

singer, songwriter and

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audienc ...

. Born in London of French parentage, he moved to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, where he developed an act imitating French music hall performers. The act was popular, and allowed him to introduce his own material. He returned to London in 1905, and became popular in

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...

. He is perhaps best known for his song " Hello, Hello, Who's Your Lady Friend?" which he recorded shortly before his death in 1913, when he was shot by his father in Paris.

Biography

Fragson was born Léon Philippe Pot at 4

Old Compton Street Old Compton Street is a road that runs east–west through Soho in the West End of London. History The street was named after Henry Compton who raised funds for a local parish church, eventually dedicated as St Anne's Church in 1686. Th ...

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was deve ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. He was the son of the hotelier Victor Pot and his wife Léontine Pot ( Winand). In 1871, the family moved to 42 Greek Street, Soho. He was educated for some time in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, and at the start of his career took the name "Frogson" (from the pejorative slur for a French person), before accepting advice to modify it to "Fragson", which he often used as a

mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

. His early career is obscure, though it is believed that he started singing in England around 1886 by performing as an amateur singer in provincial concerts. He came to

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

in Paris to make his debut around 1890. He perfected an impersonation of the singer Paulus and soon became a popular performer on the Parisian circuit. His success led him to drop the impersonations and perform his own songs, seated at the piano. The

historian

Richard Anthony Baker Richard Anthony Baker (9 February 1946 – 12 November 2016) was a British radio producer, presenter and author. He was born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. His father was a London-born music hall performer who used the stage name Will Keogh; and hi ...

described Fragson as "tall, with large expressive eyes, a drooping lower lip and long strands of hair that he plastered over his otherwise bald head".Richard Anthony Baker, ''British Music Hall: an illustrated history'', Pen & Sword, 2014, , pp.129-131 In 1905, Arthur Collins, the manager of the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

, saw him at the

Folies Bergère The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall, located in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the architect Plumeret. It opened on 2 May 1869 as the Folies Trév ...

, and offered him a part as Dandigny in the

''Cinderella'' in London. Fragson wrote the song "Whispers of Love" for the show's star,

May de Sousa May Alvos de Sousa (November 6, 1884 – August 8, 1948) was an American singer and a Broadway actress. Biography De Sousa was the daughter of a Chicago police detective,1900 U. S. Federal Census, accessed on ancestry.com on 13 September 2012 ...

, and by the end of the run Fragson was established as a star in London as well as in Paris. He continued to perform in both France and England, singing and recording in Paris in French with a slight English accent and in London in English with a slight French accent.
Fragson
Du Temps des cerises aux Feuilles mortes In the early months of 1912, Fragson made the first of two appearances at the Kings Theatre in Scotland, having just been released from his engagement at the

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theatre in Paris. He returned to make his final appearance on 15 October 1913, before going back to France. As a songwriter, he often worked with lyricists

Worton David Ernest Worton David (17 October 1872 – 15 November 1940) was an English songwriter and music publisher. Biography Worton David was born in Rawmarsh, near Rotherham in the West Riding of Yorkshire; Worton was his mother's maiden name. At fi ...

and

Bert Lee William Herbert Lee (11 June 1880 – 23 January 1946) was an English songwriter. He wrote for music hall and the musical stage, often in partnership with R. P. Weston. Life and career Lee was born in Ravensthorpe, Yorkshire, England.Richard A ...

, writing the songs "Other Department, Please" (1910), "All the Girls Are Lovely by the Seaside" (1913), and his biggest success, " Hello, Hello, Who's Your Lady Friend?" (1913). In 1912, he acted in a short film, ''L'entente cordiale'', made in Paris with

Max Linder Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

. For a time he was married to the French

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

performer

Alice Delysia Alice Henriette Lapize (3 March 1889 – 10 February 1979), better known by her stage name, Alice Delysia and sometimes Elise Delisia, was a French actress and singer who made her career in English musical theatre. After performing in the cho ...

. On 31 December 1913, while living at 56 rue Lafayette in Paris, Fragson returned home to discover his mentally ill father Victor Pot was just about to commit suicide. An argument ensued as Pot suspected his son was having an affair with his mistress Paulette Franck.Baker, Anne, Pimlott
"Delysia, Alice (1889–1979)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2011, accessed 10 April 2013 Pot then fatally shot his son. Music Hall Star Killed By Father
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 31 December 1913 His father died six weeks later in an

asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...

. More than 50,000 people followed Fragson's hearse to Saint Augustin church. Fragson is buried at

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figure ...

cemetery in Paris.

Legacy

Fragson was perhaps best known in France as a popular pre-

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

entertainer, and introduced hundreds of songs, including "Reviens", "Si Tu Veux...Marguerite", "A La Martinique", "La Baya", "Les Blondes", "les Jaloux", "Amours Fragiles" and "Les Amis De Monsieur". He had an

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

song, "A Girl In Havana", adapted to "Je Connais Une Blonde" which was popular among World War I soldiers. Upon his death, Fragson left £80,000 in his will."Harry Fragson's Fortune", ''Manchester Evening News'', 18 February 1914, p. 2

References

External links

*
Harry Fragson biography
French variation. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fragson, Harry 1869 births 1913 deaths English male musical theatre actors Music hall performers 19th-century British male singers People from Soho Deaths by firearm in France People murdered in Paris English expatriates in France English people murdered abroad Singers from London Filicides 1913 murders in France 1910s murders in Paris