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

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

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 Civil Parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish from the medieval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The St James's C ...

, 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 country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. 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 In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest dese ...

."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 certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

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 in an almost perfectly straight line. Forming part of the modern A5 road, Edgware Road undergoes sever ...

, 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 Crouche ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudd, Austin 1868 births 1929 deaths British music hall performers Musicians from London Comedians from London English male comedians