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Margery Manners

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British variety performer (1926–1997)
Margery Manners
Birth nameMargery Manners
Born18 March 1926
Coventry, Warwickshire
Died27 April 1997(1997-04-27) (aged 71)
Paddington, Greater London
Occupation(s)Variety performer, singer and actress
Musical artist

Margery Manners (18 March 1926 – 27 April 1997) was a music hall and variety performer, singer and television actress. She was best known for her signature tune, "Bring Me the Sunshine of Your Smile".

Early life

Manners was born in 1926 in Coventry, Warwickshire. She began performing in concerts in the working men's clubs of Birmingham when she was 8 years old. She learned how to sing, as well as play the guitar and accordion.

Career

Manners became a professional performer at 12 years old, when she joined the popular 1930s show band Billy Merrin and his Commanders. At 14, she toured the music halls singing as a "cowgirl crooner" with another show band, Big Bill Campbell and his Rocky Mountain Rhythm.

From the age of 16, Manners became a well known pantomime principal boy, topping theatre bills across the UK. She performed at venues including the London Palladium, Palace Pier Theatre in Brighton, and the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. The song "Bring Me the Sunshine of Your Smile" became her signature stage tune, and she was also known for performing songs such as "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?" and "Hop Scotch Polka".

During World War II, she worked as a radio broadcaster on the BBC lunchtime series Workers' Playtime.

In 1957, Manners starred in the last performance held at the Theatre Royal in Leeds, which was about to be pulled down. In 1969, she toured variety theatres across Britain with the double act Bob and Alf Pearson in a nostalgic bill called The Golden Years of Music Hall. During the 1970s, she toured in South Africa and New Zealand.

Manners also appeared in variety television shows including BBC Sunday-Night Play, The Passing Show and The Good Old Days. She performed as a pub singer in the 1968 film Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter.

Death

Manners died of cancer on 27 April 1997 at St Mary's Hospital, London, aged 71.

References

  1. Wright, Adrian (2023). Melody in the Dark: British Musical Films, 1946-1972. Boydell & Brewer. p. 295. ISBN 978-1-78327-749-0.
  2. ^ Gifford, Dennis (30 April 1997). "OBITUARY: Margery Manners". The Independent. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Margery Manners | Actress, Soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Music hall star dies aged 71". The Independent. 27 April 1997. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  5. "Articles, Images, and Programme for Music Hall at The Palace Pier Theatre, Brighton". www.arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  6. Museum, Victoria and Albert. "Search Results - V&A Explore the Collections". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  7. "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You - Featuring Margery Manners". The Sheet Music Warehouse. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  8. "Hop Scotch Polka - Featuring Margery Manners". The Sheet Music Warehouse. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  9. Behrens, David (4 April 2020). "Rare photos of how the show always went on in Yorkshire". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  10. "Manners, Margery, 1926-1997". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  11. Lentz, Harris M. (1997). Obituaries in the Performing Arts. McFarland & Company. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-7864-0460-5.
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