by
Australian Variety Theatre Archive
ed
D.P.G. Sheridan
Leonard
Nelson began his professional career in the early 1900s playing weekend harbour
cruises in Sydney. He made his first Tivoli appearance at a trial night and in
1902 undertook a tour of the East. After establishing himself in New Zealand as
one of John Fuller's biggest stars he then spent 3-4 years with Harry Rickards.
From ca. 1910 until the mid-1920s Nelson was largely associated with the
Fullers, however. He is known to have still been performing in the mid-1940s.
Born
in Melbourne and raised in Kew, Victoria, in c1864, Leonard Nelson was left an
orphan at age eight. He started out playing suburban shows and weekend
engagements on Sydney Harbour concert cruises. For the latter engagements he
would perform eight songs in the afternoon and another eight at night all for
the sum of 10 shillings. After deciding to try his luck at a Tivoli Theatre
trial night, his performance was noticed by the management and he subsequently
secured some engagements. It was his 1902 tour of the East, playing military
stations in countries that included India and the Philippines that provided him
the experience that he needed to make the next up the ladder of success,
however. It also proved fortuitous in that he made the acquaintance of John
Fuller Snr's daughter Hetty. Impressed with his style she suggested that Nelson
make his way to New Zealand and apply for an engagement with her father. Nelson
subsequently travelled to Christchurch following the end of the Philippines'
engagement and secured a spot with Fuller's show. Within a short period of time
he established himself as one the firm's biggest stars, and as Peter Downes
notes, became a "household name".
Nelson
returned to Australia in 1907 for Harry Rickards, where he scored a hit with
"Goodbye Melbourne Town." The song came about after he gave Fred Hall
(Melbourne Opera House music director) some lyrics he'd written. According to
Frank Van Straten, Hall jotted down a tune while travelling to work on the
train. Nelson learned the melody that afternoon and performed it in the
evening. "An instant hit," writes Van Straten, "it became the
most successful Australian song of the day. The Great War gave it a new lease
of life and it remained popular for decades". Nelson would also change the
title to fit any town he was playing at the time, which gave it additional
resonance with antipodean audiences. "Goodbye Melbourne Town" wasn't
Nelson's only hit during his return Tivoli engagement, however. In 1908 he
wrote and performed, "Mr Booze" another of his signature tunes and
perhaps the song he was best remembered for.
After
some 3-4 years on the Tivoli circuit Nelson returned to the Fullers and for
whom he worked almost exclusively as their biggest local stars through until
the early to mid-1920s. During that time he worked either solo or various
revue/revusical companies, including Frederick Shipman's Fantastics (ca. 1917).
During this period Nelson also collaborated on several collections of poetry -
these being The Dinky-Di Soldier and Other Jingles (1918, with Norman Campbell)
and Lorblimey and Other Pious Pieces (1920, with John E. Nugent). At least two
Leonard Nelson songsters were also published in the 1920s, following on from
his 1907 collection, Leonard Nelson's Own original Songs.
In
1923 Nelson left the Fullers to join Harry G. Musgrove's Tivoli circuit. By
then he was often being referred to as the "Dinkum Aussie
comedian." Nelson is known to have
still been performing in the mid-1940s, with his last known appearance being in
Sydney in 1945. His son Roy also followed him into show business, first in the
motion picture industry and then as a light comedian, singer/songwriter. By
1926 he had become an agent for Chappell and Co.
While
Nelson did not write all his own material (including songs) some of his own
compositions and collaborations were among his biggest hits. Among his other
successes were "Let Me Go to Bendigo," "Bring Back Those
Wonderful Days," and "Don't Sing a Song About the war to me (The
war's All Over Now)."
In
Shadows on the Stage Peter Downes records that Nelson "stayed with the
Fullers continuously for 15 years. While the popular singer was undoubtedly
associated with the family-run organisation more than any other, he did not
remain with them continuously for that period of time. As this biography notes,
Nelson is recorded as having spent some three years with Harry Rickards between
ca. 1907 and 1910 before returning to the Fullers.
Downes also writes that Nelson "retired
in 1924, a little before his sixtieth birthday" (154). The first statement
is now known to be incorrect given that he was still appearing on the
professional stage as late as 1943 in places such as Adelaide and Perth. He is
also recorded as making a special appearance at a 1945 anniversary show
celebrating Sir Benjamin Fullers 60th year in show business (DNP: 28
Sept. 1945, 8). Other old time
performers with him that night included Ted Tutty, Ward Lear, Bert
Warne, and Doris Tindall.
While
Nelson's year of birth has not yet been established, he is known to have still
been alive and living in Blackheath, NSW
in 1953 - evidence for this coming from a letter he wrote to the Sunday Herald columnist
"Onlooker" (see below). If Nelson had indeed been 60 years of
age in 1924, this would mean that he still touring professionally into his late
70s, which is unlikely (although not impossible).
Sources:
Australian Variety
Theatre Archive - http://ozvta.com/practitioners-n/
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