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 Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

.Richard Anthony Baker, ''British Music Hall: an illustrated history'', Pen & Sword, 2014, , pp.145–146 He played organ in his local chapel as a child, and initially worked as a

piano tuner Piano tuning is the act of adjusting the tension of the strings of an acoustic piano so that the musical intervals between strings are in tune. The meaning of the term 'in tune', in the context of piano tuning, is not simply a particular fixed ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

, before joining a travelling concert party as a pianist.Roy Hudd, "R. P. Weston and Bert Lee, 'A Song a Day'", ''Theatrephile'', vol. 2 no.6, 1985, pp.55–58 His first successful song as a writer was "Joshu-ah!", co-written with George Arthurs and performed by

Clarice Mayne Clarice Mayne (6 February 1886 – 16 January 1966) was a music hall and variety theatre singer and performer. Life and career Clarice Mabel Dulley, whose stage name was Clarice Mayne, was born in London in 1886. She is best known for the s ...

in 1910. He found further success in 1913 with " Hello! Hello! Who's Your Lady Friend?", written with Worton David and the song's performer, Harry Fragson. In 1915, music publisher David Day, of

Francis, Day and Hunter Francis, Day & Hunter is a British music publishing company, one of the leading publishers of music hall songs and popular music in the late 19th and 20th centuries. It was established in London in 1877 as W. & J. Francis and Day, later Francis ...

, introduced Lee to R. P. Weston, the collaborator with whom Lee had the most lasting relationship. They immediately found success together with " Lloyd George's Beer Song" (1915), " Good-bye-ee!" (1917, made popular by Florrie Forde), and "

Paddy McGinty's Goat "Paddy McGinty's Goat" is a comic song written in 1917 by English songwriters Bert Lee and R. P. Weston in collaboration with the American performing duo The Two Bobs (Bob Alden and Bob Adams). The song was performed in music halls from 1917 by ...

", revived by Val Doonican in 1964. They worked together over the next twenty years on some 3000 songs and

monologue In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...

s, 75 stage shows and musicals, and 17 films, as well as for

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 ...

s and radio shows. As well as songs for revues, notably those produced by Lupino Lane, they wrote sketches for such stars as

Fred Karno Frederick John Westcott (26 March 1866 – 17 September 1941), best known by his stage name Fred Karno, was an English theatre impresario of the British music hall. As a comedian of slapstick he is credited with popularising the custar ...

, Robb Wilton and Wee Georgie Wood. Their collaborations were conducted in Weston's house in

Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the borou ...

. They kept office hours, met every day and aimed to write at least one song each day. Both Lee and Weston wrote both words and music, but according to Lee: "Bob estonhas the brains. I put the laughs in." "Weston and Lee", ''Folk Song and Music Hall''
Retrieved 15 January 2021 In the 1920s, Weston and Lee wrote for many theatre productions, and adapted many American productions for the British stage. In 1926, they started working with theatre producers Jack Waller and Joe Tunbridge, and wrote several musical comedies together, mostly featuring the comedian

Bobby Howes Bobby Howes (4 August 1895 – 27 April 1972) was a British entertainer who was a leading musical comedy performer in London's West End theatres in the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Born in Battersea, Surrey, his parents were Robert William H ...

. They also worked with Gracie Fields and the Crazy Gang. They wrote the popular monologue " My Word, You Do Look Queer", first recorded by Ernest Hastings in 1922 and later popularised by Stanley Holloway. Weston and Lee wrote several of Holloway's monologues in the 1930s. Together with Weston's son Harris Weston (born Robert Edgar Harris, 1901–1978), they wrote Holloway's 1934 monologue " With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm", about the ghost of

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key f ...

haunting the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sepa ...

, seeking revenge on

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...

for having her beheaded. The duo also wrote music for film, including the book and lyrics for ''O-kay for Sound'', a 1937 film. Much of their music was written specifically for actors

Sydney Howard Sydney Howard (7 August 1884 – 12 June 1946) was an English stage comedian and film actor born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire.http://www.britishpictures.com/godfrey/card04.htm Stars of British Films A Series of 50 – No. 4 Sydney Ho ...

and Stanley Holloway, both noted comedians of the 1920s and 1930s. These included "Splinters in the Air" for Howard and "Squibs" for Holloway.Halliwell, Leslie. ''Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies'', 15th edition, HarperCollins, 2003. Among Lee's most enduring tunes is " Knees Up Mother Brown", which is traditionally associated with

Cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or ...

culture. This was written in 1938 in collaboration with R. P. Weston's son, Harris Weston. In 1938, Lee and Harris Weston co-wrote the hit stage revue '' These Foolish Things'' which starred The Crazy Gang and the Sherman Fisher Girls. The same year Lee contributed to the musical '' The Fleet's Lit Up''. In 1939, Lee and his wife went on holiday to

Llandudno Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Pe ...

north Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...

, and at the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

decided to settle in the town. He died there in January 1946, aged 65.

Select filmography (as writer)

* '' Yes, Madam?'' (1939) * '' Hold My Hand'' (1938) * '' Splinters in the Air'' (1937) * '' Fame'' (1936) * '' Squibs'' (1935) * '' Where's George?'' (1935) * '' Girls, Please!'' (1934) * '' It's a Cop'' (1934) * '' This Is the Life'' (1933) * '' Up for the Derby'' (1933) * '' It's a King'' (1933) * '' Trouble'' (1933) * '' The Mayor's Nest'' (1932) *'' Up for the Cup'' (1931) * '' Splinters in the Navy'' (1931) * '' No Lady'' (1931)

Selected stage works

* ''

He Wanted Adventure ''He Wanted Adventure'' is a 1933 musical by R. P. Weston and Bert Lee. Music was written by Jack Waller and Joseph Tunbridge, with additional lyrics provided by Clifford Grey. It is based on Walter C. Hackett's 1921 hit play ''Ambrose Applejohn ...

'' (1933) * '' These Foolish Things'' (1938)

Songs (partial list)

* 1910 "Joshua" w.m George Arthurs & Bert Lee * 1912 "

Hello, Hello, Who's Your Lady Friend? "Hello! Hello! Who's Your Lady Friend?" is an English music hall song from 1913, with music by Harry Fragson and words by Worton David and Bert Lee. The song was recorded by Fragson in 1913,Richard Anthony Baker, ''British Music Hall: an illustr ...

" w.m. Harry Fragson, Worton David & Bert Lee * 1915 " Lloyd George's Beer Song" with R. P. Weston * 1916 "At Finnigan's Ball" w.m. Bert Lee * 1916 "Blighty, the Soldier's Home Sweet Home" w.m.

R.P. Weston Robert Patrick Weston ( Harris; 7 March 1878 – 6 November 1936) was an English songwriter. He was responsible for many successful songs and comic monologues between the 1900s and 1930s, mostly written in collaboration with other writers, notab ...

& Bert Lee * 1917 "

" w.m. R.P. Weston, Bert Lee &

The Two Bobs The Two Bobs were an American vaudeville duo who performed successfully in British music halls, and recorded, in the early twentieth century. They were Robert Lee Alden (1876–1932) and Robert Joseph Adams (1874–1948). Biography Bo ...

* 1917 " Good-bye-ee!" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1919 "It's Hard to Settle Down to Civilian Life Once More" w.m. R.P Weston & Bert Lee * 1920 "The Gipsy Warned Me" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1921 "You're Well Dressed If You're Wearing a Smile" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1922 "

My Word You Do Look Queer "My Word, You Do Look Queer" is a comic monologue written by Bert Lee and R. P. Weston. It was first performed and recorded in 1922 by English entertainer Ernest Hastings,

" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1926 "The Tears Shed in London Tonight" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1926 " What I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1928 "All Mine" Douglas Furber, R. P. Weston, Bert Lee m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge from the Musical ''

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

'' * 1932 "Sing, Brothers" w. Bert Lee & R. P. Weston m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge from the Musical '' Tell Her the Truth'' * 1932 "Horrortorio" w. Bert Lee & R. P. Weston m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge from the Musical ''Tell Her the Truth'' * 1934 " With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1936 "And The Great Big Saw Came Nearer And Nearer" w.m. Robert E. Harris, Dwight B. Latham, Bert Lee & R. P. Weston * 1938 " Knees Up Mother Brown" w.m. Harris Weston & Bert Lee * 1940 "Brahn Boots" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee

References

External links

*
Works by Bert Lee on Great War Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Bert 1880 births 1946 deaths English songwriters