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 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 ...

singer, songwriter and

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

. Born in London of French parentage, he moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, 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, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

. 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, named after Henry Compton (bishop), Henry Compton who raised funds for St Anne's Church, Soho, St Anne's Church in 1686. The area, particularly this str ...

Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. He was the son of the hotelier Victor Pot and his wife Léontine Pot ( Winand). In 1871, the family moved to 42

Greek Street Greek Street is a street in Soho, London, leading south from Soho Square to Shaftesbury Avenue. The street is famous for its restaurants and cosmopolitan nature. History It is thought to take its name from a Greek church that was built in ...

, Soho. He was educated for some time in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, 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. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...

. 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 of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...

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 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 listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

, saw him at the

Folies Bergère 150px, Stanisław Julian Ignacy Ostroróg">Walery, 1927 The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the arc ...

, 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, 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

Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Muslim world, Islamic world. Additionally, the ...

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 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 ...

, 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 Gabriel-Maximilien Leuvielle (16 December 18831 November 1925), known professionally as Max Linder (), was a French actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and comedian of the silent film era. His onscreen persona "Max" was one of the first r ...

. For a time he was married to the French

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

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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 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 (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

in Paris.

Legacy

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

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

entertainer, and introduced hundreds of songs, including "Reviens", "Si tu veux...Marguerite", "À la Martinique", "La Baya", "Les Blondes", "Les Jaloux", "Amours fragiles" and "Les Amis de Monsieur". He had an

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

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 People murdered in 1913 19th-century British male singers Deaths by firearm in France English expatriates in France English male musical theatre actors English people murdered abroad Filicides British music hall performers English comedy musicians People from Soho People murdered in Paris Singers from the City of Westminster English male comedians Comedians from the City of Westminster Actors from the City of Westminster