George Formby Sr. (1877-1921)
Last updated: 01.06.22
According to the Internet source given below, George Formby [James Lawler Booth] was an English comedian and singer born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. Raised in poverty, he was one of the greatest music hall performers of the early 20th century his act being that of a gormless Lancashire lad that earned him the sobriquet of "The Wigan Nightingale". He established himself in Lancashire during the 1890s billed as J.H. Booth until 1897 when he changed his stage name to George Formby. His first appearance in London was in 1902 attracting the attention of many luminaries including Marie Lloyd and George Robey. He went on to make some 120 recordings as well as establishing a film career.
Formby was injured in June 1916 during rehearsals for the revue Razzle-Dazzle worsening his prevalent ill-health exacerbated by influenza pandemic of 1918.
He died near is home in Warrington, Lancashire.
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George Formby Sr | Biography by wikipedia.org. |
| Title | Instruments/Issue | Performers |
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| MP3 File(s) | |||
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Father Tried It On | Indestructible Record: 7054 | A. Peel |
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I Kept on Waving My Flag | Edison Amberol: 12053 | G. Formby Sr. |
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I Was Standing at the Corner of the Street | Edison Amberol: 12270 | G. Formby Sr. |
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John Willie - Come On! | G. Formby Sr. | |
| as Performer | Composers | ||
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When Father Said He'd Pay the Rent | Edison Blue Amberol: 23177 | W. Hargreaves |
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Playing the Game in the West | A. Kendal | |
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Plink-Plonk! | Edison Amberol: 12024 | C.W. Murphy |
| Performer | CD Title | Supplier |
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| Folk Music CDs: | |||
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George Formby Sr. | The Man from Lancashire No.1 | |
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George Formby Sr. | The Man from Lancashire No.2 | |
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Various Performers | Music Hall |        |
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Various Performers | At The Football Match Last Saturday | |
| Title | Attribution | Remarks |
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Animal Language | Robert P. Weston (music) Fred J Barnes (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Bells Were Ringing, The | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Father Tried It On | Arthur Peel (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Frightened to Go to Sleep Again | George Formby Sr. (music) Lipton (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Funicular (Plink-Plonk) | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Get Behind and Follow Me | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Grandfather's Clock | Henry Clay Work (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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I Began to Run | C.W. Murphy (music) Dan Lipton (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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I Had My Hands in My Pockets | J.P. Long (music) Paul Pelham (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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I Kept on Waving My Flag | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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I Lifted the Latch and Walked In | Will Hyde (music) George Formby Sr. (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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⇑I Parted My Hair in the Middle | C.W. Murphy (music) Worton David (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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I Put on My Coat and Went Home | William Hargreaves (music) James Hargreaves (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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I Was Standing at the Corner of the Street | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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It Must Be the Clothes I'm Wearing | J.P. Long (music) Paul Pelham (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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John Willie - Come On! | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Looking For Mugs in the Strand | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Lucky Jim | Frederic V. Bowers (music) Charles Horwitz (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Man Was a Stranger to Me, The | T.W. Connor (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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My Grandfather's Clock | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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My Mother Said | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Odds and Ends | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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One of ''The Boys'' | Maurice Scott (music) Fred J. Barnes (words) R.P. Weston (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) Joe Elvin (perf.) Nellie Farren (perf.) Lionel MacKinder (perf.) |
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⇑Orrible 'Erbert | Dan Lipton (music) George Formby Sr. (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Our House Is Haunted | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Playing the Game in the West | Alec Kendal (music) George Formby Sr. (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Since I Had a Go at My Dumb-Bells | Maurice Scott (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Walker Walked Away | C.W. Murphy (music) Dan Lipton (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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We All Went Home in a Cab | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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We All Went to Leicester Square | George Formby Sr. (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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When Father Said He'd Pay the Rent | William Hargreaves (words & music) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
| Title | Attribution | Instruments | Source | Remarks |
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I Was Standing at the Corner of the Street (1910) | G. Formby Sr. (words & music) I Hunt (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
Piano, Voice | IMSLP |  |
This list is arranged by composer and contains 39 works performed by George Formby Sr. 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 |
|---|
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Lucky Jim (1896) | Frederic V. Bowers | Charles Horwitz (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Man Was a Stranger to Me (1919), The | T.W. Connor(w&m) | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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I Parted My Hair in the Middle (1913) | Worton David | C.W. Murphy (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Odds and Ends (1900c) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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I Said, ''Oh! Oh!! Oh!!!'' (1904) | George Formby Sr. | A B Kendal (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
Pub. |
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My Mother Said (1906) | George Formby Sr.(w&m) | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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John Willie - Come On! (1909) | George Formby Sr.(w&m) | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | Pub. |
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Funicular (Plink-Plonk) (1910) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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I Kept on Waving My Flag (1910) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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I Was Standing at the Corner of the Street (1910) | George Formby Sr.(w&m) | I Hunt (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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⇑All of a Sudden It Struck Me (1915) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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Looking For Mugs in the Strand (1915) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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Grandfather's Clock (1917) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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My Grandfather's Clock (1917) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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Bells Were Ringing (?), The | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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Frightened to Go to Sleep Again (?) | George Formby Sr. | Dan Lipton (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Get Behind and Follow Me (?) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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Our House Is Haunted (?) | George Formby Sr. | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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We All Went Home in a Cab (?) | George Formby Sr.(w&m) | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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We All Went to Leicester Square (?) | George Formby Sr.(w&m) | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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I Put on My Coat and Went Home (1910) | William Hargreaves | J. Hargreaves (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
Pub. |
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⇑Then We All Went Marching In (1913) | William Hargreaves(w&m) | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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When Father Said He'd Pay the Rent (1914) | William Hargreaves | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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I Lifted the Latch and Walked In (1909) | Will Hyde | George Formby Sr. (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Playing the Game in the West (1910) | Alec Kendal | George Formby Sr. (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) A. Peel (perf.) |
Pub. |
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Did You See the Crowd in Piccadilly? (1915) | Dan Lipton | F.W. Leigh (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Orrible 'Erbert (?) | Dan Lipton | George Formby Sr. (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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It Must Be the Clothes I'm Wearing (1915) | J.P. Long | Paul Pelham (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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I Had My Hands in My Pockets (?) | J.P. Long | Paul Pelham (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Walker Walked Away (1905) | C.W. Murphy | Dan Lipton (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
Pub. |
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I Began to Run (1908) | C.W. Murphy | Dan Lipton (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
Pub. |
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Plink-Plonk! (1910) | C.W. Murphy | Dan Lipton (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
Pub. |
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⇑I Parted My Hair in the Middle (1913) | C.W. Murphy | Worton David (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Father Tried It On (1910) | Arthur Peel | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
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One of ''The Boys'' (1907) | Maurice Scott | Fred J. Barnes (words) R.P. Weston (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) Joe Elvin (perf.) Nellie Farren (perf.) Lionel MacKinder (perf.) |
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Since I Had a Go at My Dumb-Bells (1910) | Maurice Scott(w&m) | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | Pub. |
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Animal Language (1904) | Robert P. Weston | Fred J Barnes (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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Grandfather's Clock (1876) | Henry Clay Work(w&m) | Burl Ives (perf.) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) Christy Minstrels (perf.) |
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This list is arranged in chronological order and contains 18 works by George Formby Sr. (1877-1921).
It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys:
(w&m)
(w&m)
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
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| Odds and Ends | 1900c | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| I Said, ''Oh! Oh!! Oh!!!'' | 1904 | A B Kendal (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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| My Mother Said (w&m) | 1906 | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| John Willie - Come On! (w&m) | 1909 | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | Pub. |
| Father Tried It On | 1910 | A. Peel (perf.) | |
| Funicular (Plink-Plonk) | 1910 | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| I Kept on Waving My Flag | 1910 | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| I Was Standing at the Corner of the Street (w&m) | 1910 | I Hunt (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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| All of a Sudden It Struck Me | 1915 | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| Looking For Mugs in the Strand | 1915 | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| Grandfather's Clock | 1917 | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| ⇑ My Grandfather's Clock | 1917 | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| Bells Were Ringing, The | ? | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| Frightened to Go to Sleep Again | ? | Dan Lipton (words) G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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| Get Behind and Follow Me | ? | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| Our House Is Haunted | ? | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| We All Went Home in a Cab (w&m) | ? | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) | |
| We All Went to Leicester Square (w&m) | ? | G. Formby Sr. (perf.) |
| Title | Duration | Performer |
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Plink Plonk (1909) | 4:16 | G. Formby Sr. |
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All of a Sudden It Struck Me (1915) | 3:01 | G. Formby Sr. |
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Grandfather's Clock (1917) | 3:16 | G. Formby Sr. |
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Standing at the Corner of the Street (1910) | 7:01 | G. Formby Sr. |