Gordon Stretton (5 June 1887 – 3 May 1983), /ref> born William Masters, was an English singer, dancer and musical director of mixed Irish and Jamaican descent. He became one of the first
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
-based musicians to gain international acclaim,Daniel Brown, "Songs of Slavery", ''Index on Censorship'', Volume 36, Number 1, 2007, p. 138–140. 140 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03064220701248560 and is credited with introducing jazz to Latin America.
Personal life
His mother Sarah Ann Jane Masters (née Williams, 1862–1903) was from Ireland and moved with her parents to Liverpool as a child. His father, William Alexander Gordon Masters, was born in Jamaica around 1854 and worked as a seaman on ''SS Andean'', owned by the Liverpool-based West India Pacific Steamship Company. His parents married in Liverpool on 23 June 1884. They had three sons, all of whom enlisted in the First World War. One was killed and the other two were injured, one by poison gas. His father died at sea in 1896 or 1897 and his mother in 1903.
Stretton was born in 1887 in the slum area of Byrom Street courts and then lived in several places in central Liverpool as a child. He is one of the shoeless boys sitting around the
Steble Fountain
The Steble Fountain stands on William Brown Street in Liverpool, England, to the west of Wellington's Column. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It was donated to the city by a fo ...
in
William Brown Street
William Brown Street in Liverpool, England, is a road that is remarkable for its concentration of public buildings. It is sometimes referred to as the "Cultural Quarter".
Originally known as ''Shaw's Brow'', a coaching road east from the city, ...
in Liverpool photographed in 1896 by Charles F. Inston.
In 1914 Stretton joined the army and was officially a soldier for two years, although part was time recovering from injury. He met his future wife, Mary Agnes (Molly) Smith, a nurse at Mill Hill Military Hospital, London, when he was sent there for convalescence. She was from
Bray
Bray may refer to:
Places France
* Bray, Eure, in the Eure ''département''
* Bray, Saône-et-Loire, in the Saône-et-Loire ''département''
* Bray-Dunes, in the Nord ''département''
* Bray-en-Val, in the Loiret ''département''
* Bray-et-Lû ...
in Ireland. They moved to Paris and married in
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million
Stretton died in Argentina on 3 May 1983 at the British Hospital, Buenos Aires after living from the late 1970s at the Casa Del Teatro, a nursing home for former performers. He was buried in the
Cementerio Británico
Cementerio Británico de Buenos Aires, also known in English as Buenos Aires British cemetery, is a cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is in the district of Chacarita in the northern part of Buenos Aires, adjacent to La Chacarita Cemeter ...
, Buenos Aires.
Career
Stretton was interested in music and performance from a young age, although he did not have any formal musical training. In 1892, when he was five, he sneaked into a music hall performance at the Haymarket Theatre in Liverpool, and drew attention to himself by singing from the audience and then being invited onto the stage to sing. When he was around nine (1896), as a result of this performance, his mother allowed him to join ''The Five Boys'' (later ''
The Eight Lancashire Lads
The Eight Lancashire Lads was a troupe of young male Clog dance (British), clog dancers who toured the music halls of Great Britain and Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Founders
They were founded by Bill Cawley and J.W. (William ...
'') clog dancing and singing troupe. He toured music halls in Britain with this group for the next two years.
From 1903 onwards he used the stage name Gordon Stretton derived from his father's middle name and the well-known American-born singer and dancer
Eugene Stratton
Eugene Augustus Rühlmann (May 8, 1861 – September 15, 1918) was an American-born dancer and singer. He adopted the stage name Eugene Stratton and spent most of his career in British music halls.
Biography
Stratton was born in Buffalo, ...
.
He started a sole career with music hall engagements in North Wales and the adjacent areas of
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...
and
Shropshire
Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
. He also had some tuition in singing from a minister in
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 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 UK census, the community ...
. As his reputation developed, he appeared in a pantomime in Liverpool in 1904-5 that also included the young American
Billie Burke
Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of t ...
.
He joined the Jamaican Choral Union as a singer and musical director in the UK and was with them in Jamaica in January 1907 when there was a particularly severe
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
. Following the earthquake, they returned to the UK and held benefit concerts in 1907 and 1908, with the choir's expenses paid by the Liverpool businessman
Alfred Lewis Jones
Sir Alfred Lewis Jones (24 February 1845 – 13 December 1909) was a Welsh businessman and ship-owner. Described by W. T. Stead as "The Uncrowned King of West Africa", Jones was a pre-eminent figure in the colonial shipping trade who amassed ...
.
London
In 1908 he continued his solo career, moving to London and signing with an agent. Taking advantage of current popular trends he styled himself the "Natural Artistic Coon". He also had an opportunity to travel more widely in 1909 with bookings in South Africa (although he was not permitted to disembark) and
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
in Australia. In Sydney he performed at the Tivoli Theatre and met boxer Jack Johnson who was performing exhibition matches in the theatre. On returning to the UK Stretton continued to develop his career through meeting and working with African American performers such as
Seth Weeks
Silas Seth Weeks (September 8, 1868 – December 1953) was an American composer who played mandolin, violin, banjo and guitar.Sampson, Henry T."Seth Weeks" From ''Banjo World'', Vol. 8, No. 73, December, 1900, p. 20 in ''Blacks in Blackface: A Sou ...
and the '' Versatile Three'' (Anthony Tuck, Charles Wenzel Mills, Charles Wesley Johnson). His musical skills developed as he gained experience of the syncopated music in ragtime and jazz that became popular in Europe from 1910 onwards.
Between 1913 and 1919 he was occasionally the percussionist with the ''Versatile Three'' (later ''Versatile Four'' when joined by Gus Haston) replacing Charlie Johnson. Their musical style prefigured jazz and the rapid tempo required faster and close movement by dancers. This American group from
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
was very popular in music halls as well as at the more exclusive
Murray's Club
Murray's Cabaret Club was a cabaret club in Beak Street in Soho, central London, England.
History
The club was first opened in 1913, on the site of the old Blanchards restaurant at 1-7 Beak Street, by an American, Jack Mays, and an Englishman, ...
. Edward, Prince of Wales (future King
Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...
) visited Murray's and Stretton met him. Stretton also performed in touring shows including Dark Town Jingles ' (later renamed ''Dusky Revels'') directed by the American arranger and pianist William Henry "Billy" Dorsey who had made musical arrangements for the ''Versatile Four''. This revue started touring the UK in 1916.
Paris
Stretton played initially with
Louis Mitchell
Louis A. Mitchell (December 17, 1885 – September 12, 1957) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader.
Mitchell began performing in vaudeville revues and minstrel shows from around the turn of the century, playing drums and bandoline. Afte ...
's Jazz Kings but in 1923 he formed his own group ''Orchestre Syncopated Six'' which made several recordings for
Pathé
Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe.
It is the name of a network of Fren ...
. These included "Fate" and "Tu Verras." Among the band's singers were
Sadie Crawford
Sadie Crawford (27 December 1885 – 18 December 1965), also known as Sadie Johnson and Sadie Mozee, was a British-American performer of the early jazz era, one of the few white female performers of her day to have enjoyed an international care ...
.
South America, Argentina
From Paris, he visited Brazil with his jazz band and performed the opening song at a Copacabana club.
He settled in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
,
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
from the late 1920s after being hired by businessman Augusto Álvarez to act in one of the local entertainment companies, at the cinema theatre "Select Lavalle". Stretton performed with his own group at the Cafe L'Aiglon and was included in the Argentine Theatre Yearbook in 1926. In 1927 he performed for Buenos Aires' Grand Carnival balls. In 1928 he embarked on a three-month tour around Argentina, employing the Brazilian composer and musician
Luiz Americano
Luiz Americano (27 February 1900 – 29 March 1960) was a Brazilian choro musician and composer. He was best known as a clarinetist, saxophonist and recording artiste.
Early life
Luiz Americano (also known as Luís Americano, Luiz Americano Rego ...
as part of his group. By 1929 he had founded ''Gordon Stretton's Symphonic Jazz Band''. He accompanied Edward, Prince of Wales, during his tour of Argentina.
Radio broadcasting developed in Argentina from August 1920 onwards, and Stretton became an early contributor. He began appearing on radio in 1929 and by the mid-1930s he hosted his own radio show ''Hullo Jazz'' on the Buenos Aires radio station LR8 Paris. He also led a live performance by his current 14 piece band. In 1931 Stretton again performed in Brazil at the El Dorado theater, appearing with singers including
Carmen Miranda
Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955), known professionally as Carmen Miranda (), was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature ...
and the American
Little Esther
Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Washington; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her rhythm and blues, R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Pengu ...
.
During the Second World War, Stretton wrote and performed songs to raise money for the British airforce and International Red Cross.
In 1936 Stretton was one of the founding members of the Argentinian performing rights society, SADAIC. Also in the same year banjoist Tony Tuck who had been in the ''Versatile Three'' and ''Versatile Four'' moved from the US to Argentina and joined Stretton's band. Later, in 1948, Vic Filmer from the UK also became part of Stretton's group.
In July 1953 Stretton was co-author of a requiem in a radio broadcast across Argentina on the first anniversary of
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón (; ; 7 May 1919 – 26 July 1952), better known as Eva Perón or by the nickname Evita (), was an Argentine politician, activist, actress, and philanthropist who served as First Lady of Argentina from June 1946 until ...
's death.
In the 1960s Stretton owned and ran a dance academy.
He finally retired in the 1970s, although his last performance was when he was 92 in 1980 at the Cafe Tortoni in Buenos Aires with the jazz singer Lona Warren. The show, ''Melodies of Hollywood'' was a tribute to his decades performing and broadcasting jazz.
Musical genres
Stretton performed in several musical styles during his career, adopting new ones as the twentieth century progressed. As he gained independence and a personal reputation in Wales and northern England, he performed in the popular styles of the American blackface minstrel show and also
Edwardian
In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
romantic ballad songs. His earliest writing credits are for romantic ballads. After he moved to London and meeting American musicians, he moved into jazz both performing, writing and directing. This genre was the basis of his reputation for the rest of his career.
Published songs and recordings
One source suggests he authored 200 popular songs while in Argentina, and he is known to have written others earlier in his career. However, most of Stretton's recordings and music have not survived. The following are known to have existed:
Recordings
Several recordings from 1919 of the Versatile Four in London probably include Stretton as a member. They are:
*''Patches'' Edison Bell Winner EBW 3447
*''Mystery'' Edison Bell Winner EBW 3447
*''Bo-Bo Beedle-Um-Bo'' Edison Bell Winner EBW 3524
*''Castle of Dreams'' Edison Bell Winner EBW 3437
*''El Relicario'' Edison Bell Winner EBW 3437
He recorded with the Syncopated Six in Paris in 1923. In these he was the percussionist.
*Session number 6934 ''Way down yonder in New Orleans'' Pathe-6611
*Session number 6935 ''C'est Paris'' Pathe-6609
*Session number 6936 ''Tu verras Montmartre'' Pathe-6610
*Session number 6937 ''Lovin' Sam, the Sheik of Alabam'' Pathe-6611
*Session number 6938 ''Fate'' Pathe-6610
*Session number 6939 ''La Haut'' Pathe-6609
*He recorded with the Syncopated Jazz Band ("Satanic Blues"/"Lucky Dog Blues" Actuelle 10156 E)
He made recordings when he was in Argentina. These included at least ten for the Odeon label in 1941 and 1942. The following are known:
*''Old Madrid'' Summer 1929, Stretton as composer and vocalist with the Orquesta Adolfo Carabelli led by
Adolfo Carabelli
Adolfo Leandro Carabelli (8 September 1893 - 25 January 1947) was an Argentine piano player, composer and bandleader (tango musical genre) during the Golden Age of tango.
Biography
He was born on 8 September 1893.
Carabelli led his own orchestr ...
. In Spanish. Victor catalog
*''Lords of the Air'' and ''There'll always be an England'' Odeon 45766
*''God Bless America'' and ''You're darn tootin Odeon 45770 (recorded 8 July 1941)
*''Peruana'' (recorded 4 September 1941) and ''Pronto Sera'' Odeon 45802 (recorded 18 March 1942) with profits to International Red Cross
*''Siempre Voy Silbando'' Odeon number unknown (recorded 8 July 1941)
*''Gracias, Senor Roosevelt'' Odeon number unknown (recorded 4 September 1941)
*''Punto Punto Punto Raya'' Odeon number unknown (recorded 16 September 1941)
*''Yasha, El Pasha'' Odeon number unknown (recorded 16 September 1941)
Songs
Sheet still music exists for several songs sung by Gordon Stretton, including five from pre-1919 where he is credited as one of the authors including:
*''If I hadn't got a girl like you'' by Tom Mellor, Alf J Lawrance and Harry Gifford, published by B Feldman and Co, 1907.
*''My Indiana Queen'' by Tom Mellor and Harry Gifford, published by
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 B ...
, 1909
*''She's somebody's sweet heart'' by Tom Mellor and Harry Gifford, published by Francis, Day and Hunter, 1909
*''There's a brown gal way down in Old Dahomey'' by Tom Mellor and Harry Gifford, published by Francis, Day and Hunter, 1910
*''Good Old Japan in London'' by Henry E Pether and T F Robson, published by Francis, Day and Hunter, 1910
*''If you feel lonely, send around for me'' by Gordon Stretton and T W Thurban, published by Francis, Day and Hunter, 1911
*''In the park after dark'' by Gordon Stretton, Sidney Davis and T W Thurban, published by Francis, Day and Hunter, 1911
*''My sweet Estrella'' by Gordon Stretton and T W Thurban, published by Francis, Day and Hunter, 1912
*''Sweet Irish shamrock'' by Gordon Stretton, T W Thurban and Sidney Davis, published by Empire Music Publishing Office, 1912
*''When the dancers are leaving the ballroom'' by Gordon Stretton, Sidney Davis and T W Thurban, published by Empire Music Publishing Office, 1912
*''Baby Lou'' by Percy Edgar, published by Francis, Day and Hunter, around 1915