Stanley Kirkby

Stanley Kirkby (born James Baker; 1878 – 30 October 1949) was an English baritone singer and variety artist of the early 20th century. He sang ballads and popular songs of the Edwardian era, the First World War and the inter-War period. He sang mostly in music halls and variety theatres and was a popular recording artist.
Born and brought up in Manchester, Kirkby worked in a warehouse from the age of 12; he went on to win first prize in a baritone singing competition at the age of 22. His career moved to London where he formed a number of collaborations on stage with other variety artists; these became well known for their smartly-dressed and musically-excellent performances. In 1915 he teamed up with Harry Hudson to form the popular duo "Kirkby and Hudson". They entertained audiences with their eclectic mix of songs and humour well into the 1920s. Kirkby became especially well known for his concert party performances at The Oval, Margate in Kent.
Kirkby was a prolific recording artist and has been credited with making the largest number of records in Britain from the 1900s to the 1930s. Although he was among the first to record roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas, much of his recorded output was popular songs, the subject matter of which ranged from the topical to the comic. He was one of the highest paid recording artists of his time.
In the mid-1920s he was a joint theatrical producer of a burlesque revue. In the 1930s he broadcast on BBC radio variety shows. He was a founder member of an early British record company which produced Clarion cylinders.
== Links to Peel ==
In 1970, Peel found a 78 by Stanley Kirkby while shopping in London's Portobello Road (see Peel's Portobello Road 78s (1970)). Much later, he played a couple of tracks by Kirkby, one for the Peelenium and the other for the Pig's Big 78, according to available tracklistings on this site.
== Shows Played ==
;thumb|220x220px1999
*08 June 1999: Don't Go Down The Mine, Dad (Peelenium 1910)
;2004
*13 January 2004: I'm The Last One Left On The Corner (Pig's Big 78)
== See Also ==
*Peel's Portobello Road 78s (1970)
*Peel's Attic 78s (1973)
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
Category:Artists