Gertie Gitana (1887-1957)
Last updated: 01.11.23
p_gitanag.jpgAccording to the Internet source given below, Gertie Gitana [Gertrude Mary Astbury] was an English music hall entertainer born in Longport, Stoke-on-Trent.
Aged just four, she was enrolled in Tomkinson's Royal Gipsy Children performing in Hanley. Her solo professional debut was in 1896 at the age of eight at The Tivoli, Barrow-in-Furness. She career continued with top billings, sometimes as "The Staffordshire Cinderella", with an act which included singing, tap dancing, yodelling, and playing the saxophone. Amongst her sentimental songs Nellie Dean (1905 - words & music: Henry W. Armstrong) became her signature tune with which she enjoyed great success. Her first recordings were made in London on the Jumbo label from 1911 to 1913. World War I saw her as the Forces' sweetheart entertaining the war wounded in hospitals. . After the war, she appeared in pantomime retiring in 1938 but made a comeback in 1948 in Thanks for the Memory which was also part of the Royal Command Performance. Her final appearance was in 1950 at the Empress Theatre, Brixton.
She died in Hampstead, London.
Fun fact: In Cockney rhyming slang, Gertie Gitana means a banana.
Websites:
url15.gif Gertie Gitana Biography by wikipedia.org.  

     Title Remarks Supplier
       
cd15.gif  Music Hall   flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
     Title Attribution Remarks
       
url15.gif Molly Mcglory A.J. Mills (music)
Bennett Scott (words)
Fred Godfrey (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
 
url15.gif Never Mind Tom Goldburn (music)
Harry dent (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
 
url15.gif Silver Bell Percy Wenrich (music)
Edward Madden (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
 
url15.gif When I Leave the World Behind Irving Berlin (words & music)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
 
url15.gif When the Summer Days Are O'Er, Ann Gray Ralph Penso (words & music)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
 
url15.gif You're My Heart's Desire, I Love You Nellie Dean Henry W. Armstrong (words & music)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
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     Title Attribution Instruments Source Remarks
           
pdf15.gif You're My Heart's Desire, I Love You Nellie Dean (1905) H.W. Armstrong (w&m)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
Piano Monologues wvicon.gif
     Composer Title Performer
       
youtube15.jpg H.W. Armstrong Nellie Dean (3:23) Gertie Gitana
youtube15.jpg I. Berlin When I Leave The World Behind (3:44) Gertie Gitana
youtube15.jpg W. David Dinna Forget (3:06) Gertie Gitana
youtube15.jpg P. Wenrich Silver Bell (2:54) Gertie Gitana
This list is arranged by composer and contains 14 works performed by Gertie Gitana who is featured on sheet music covers. It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: (w&m) ER
     Title Composer Attribution Remarks
         
perf15.jpg You're My Heart's Desire, I Love You Nellie Dean (1905) Henry W. Armstrong(w&m) Wm. B. Daly (perf.)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
Byron George Harlan (perf.)
Frank C. Stanley (perf.)
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perf15.jpg When I Leave the World Behind (1915) Irving Berlin Glen Ellison (perf.)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
Al Jolson (perf.)
Fritzi Scheff (perf.)
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perf15.jpg Dinna Forget! (1915) Worton David Bert Lee (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
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perf15.jpg My Dusky Princess (1915) Worton David R Penso (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
perf15.jpg There's Silver in Your Hair (?) Worton David Lawrence Wright (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
perf15.jpg Nellie Dean (1891-2) Barney Fagan Gertie Gitana (perf.) wvicon.gif
perf15.jpg Never Mind (1913) Tom Goldburn Harry Dent (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
Pub.
perf15.jpg Molly Mcglory (1915.) A.J. Mills Bennett Scott (words)
Fred Godfrey (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
wvicon.gif
perf15.jpg When the Summer Days Are O'Er, Ann Gray (1910) Ralph Penso(w&m) Gertie Gitana (perf.) wvicon.gif
perf15.jpg Sweet Caroline (1910) Harry Staunton Will E Haines (words)
Donovan Meher (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
wvicon.gif
perf15.jpg  Morning Star! (1915) Thomas W. Thurban R.P. Weston (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
Pub.
perf15.jpg Lola Lee (1910) Huntley Trevor T W Thurban (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
Pub.
perf15.jpg Silver Bell (1910) Percy Wenrich Edward Madden (words)
Henry Burr (perf.)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
Ada Jones (perf.)
Billy Murray (perf.)
American Standard Orchestra (perf.)
U.S. Symphony Orchestra (perf.)
Peerless Quartet (perf.)
Frank C. Stanley (perf.)
wvicon.gif
perf15.jpg There's a Cottage in Ballymahone (1914) Robert P. Weston T W Thurban (words)
Gertie Gitana (perf.)
Pub.