Joseph Tabrar

Sheet music for Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow 1892

Joseph Tabrar (5 November 1857 – 22 August 1931) was one of the most famous and prolific songwriters of British music hall (similar to American Vaudeville), probably most famous for the song "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow", (1892), which became Vesta Victoria's first major hit.^[1]

Tabrar was born into a family of stage people. His father was George Tabrar. Tabrar began his musical career in the church choir. By the age of 13 he was singing at Evans Music-and-Supper Rooms.^[2] He later became a bell hanger and a plumber. During his 60-year songwriting career, Tabrar wrote thousands of songs, many of them written to order; he is known to have written 7,200 songs, but claimed to have written more than twice that number.^[2]

Joseph also wrote and composed songs for pantomimes performed at the Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel, including:

• Little Red Riding Hood, 1884^[3]
• Cinderella, 1892^[4]
• Sindbad the Sailor, 1893^[5]
• Whittington and His Cat, 1895^[6]
• Jack and the Beanstalk, 1897^[7]

Joseph's children included comic and music hall performer Fred Earle^[2] (real name also Joseph Tabrar).

Tabrar is buried in the former VABF memorial at Streatham Park Cemetery,^[1] which has been restored by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.

Songs

Tabrar's songs include:

• "All Bad! Very Very Bad" (1887?)
• "Bid Me Goodbye For Ever"
• "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow" (1892)
• "Dear Old Ned"
• "For Months and Months and Months" (1909?)
• "Goodbye! Goodbye!! Goodbye!!! (1887?)
• "He’s Sailing On the Briny Ocean"
• "Hundreds and Thousands"
• "Just a Little" (1889?)
• "Madame Duvan" (1880s)
• "Mary Ann"
• "Not While Britannia's Alive" (1890?)
• "Oh! You Little Darling" (188?)
• "She's a Real Good Mother" (1883)
• "Ting Ting That's How The Bell Goes"
• "Trilby's Revival"
• "Waiting Waiting Waiting"

References