{{Short description|English musical artist (1880–1946)}} {{other people}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Use British English|date=March 2012}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Bert Lee | image = | caption = | birth_name = William Herbert Lee | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1880|6|11|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury|Ravensthorpe]], [[West Yorkshire|Yorkshire]], England | death_date = {{Death date and age|1946|1|23|1880|6|11|df=y}} | death_place = [[Llandudno]], [[Caernarfonshire]], Wales | genre = [[Music hall]] | associated_acts = | occupation = Songwriter | years_active = 1910–{{circa}}1940 }} '''William Herbert Lee''' (11 June 1880 – 23 January 1946) was an English songwriter. He wrote for [[music hall]] and the musical stage, often in partnership with [[R. P. Weston]].
==Life and career== Lee was born in [[Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury|Ravensthorpe]], [[West Yorkshire|Yorkshire]], [[England]].<ref name=baker>Richard Anthony Baker, ''British Music Hall: an illustrated history'', Pen & Sword, 2014, {{ISBN|978-1-78383-118-0}}, pp.145–146</ref><ref name="Bert Lee I">{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0496869/|title=Bert Lee|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=14 July 2020}}</ref> He played organ in his local chapel as a child, and initially worked as a [[piano tuner]] in [[Manchester]], before joining a travelling [[concert party (entertainment)|concert party]] as a pianist.<ref name=theatrephile>Roy Hudd, "R. P. Weston and Bert Lee, 'A Song a Day'", ''Theatrephile'', vol. 2 no.6, 1985, pp.55–58</ref><ref name=white>{{cite book |last=White |first=Mark |date=1983 |title="You Must Remember This...": Popular Songwriters 1900–1980 |location=London |publisher=Frederick Warne |pages= 238–242|isbn=0-7232-3177-X}}</ref> His first successful song as a writer was "Joshu-ah!", co-written with [[George Arthurs]] and performed by [[Clarice Mayne]] in 1910. He found further success in 1913 with "[[Hello! Hello! Who's Your Lady Friend?]]", written with [[Worton David]] and the song's performer, [[Harry Fragson]].<ref name=white/>
In 1915, music publisher David Day, of [[Francis, Day and Hunter]], introduced Lee to [[R. P. Weston]], the collaborator with whom Lee had the most lasting relationship.<ref name=baker/> They immediately found success together with "[[Lloyd George's Beer Song]]" (1915), "[[Good-bye-ee!]]" (1917, made popular by Florrie Forde),<ref name=baker/> and "[[Paddy McGinty's Goat]]", revived by [[Val Doonican]] in 1964. They worked together over the next twenty years on some 3000 songs and [[monologue]]s, 75 stage shows and musicals, and 17 films, as well as for [[pantomime]]s and radio shows.<ref name=white/> As well as songs for revues, notably those produced by [[Lupino Lane]], they wrote [[sketch (comedy)|sketch]]es for such stars as [[Fred Karno]], [[Robb Wilton]] and [[Wee Georgie Wood]].<ref name=white/> Their collaborations were conducted in Weston's house in [[Twickenham]]. They kept office hours, met every day and aimed to write at least one song each day.<ref>Russell, Dave. ''Popular Music in England, 1840–1914: A Social History'', Manchester University Press, 1997, p 109. {{ISBN|0-7190-5261-0}}</ref> Both Lee and Weston wrote both words and music,<ref name=white/> but according to Lee: "Bob [Weston] has the brains. I put the laughs in."<ref name=baker/><ref name=folk>[http://folksongandmusichall.com/index.php/weston-and-lee/ "Weston and Lee", ''Folk Song and Music Hall'']. Retrieved 15 January 2021</ref>
In the 1920s, Weston and Lee wrote for many theatre productions, and adapted many American productions for the British stage. In 1926, they started working with theatre producers Jack Waller and Joe Tunbridge, and wrote several musical comedies together, mostly featuring the comedian [[Bobby Howes]]. They also worked with [[Gracie Fields]] and the [[Crazy Gang (comedy group)|Crazy Gang]]. They wrote the popular monologue "[[My Word, You Do Look Queer]]", first recorded by [[Ernest Hastings]] in 1922 and later popularised by [[Stanley Holloway]].<ref name=white/> Weston and Lee wrote several of [[Songs and monologues of Stanley Holloway|Holloway's monologues]] in the 1930s. Together with Weston's son Harris Weston (born Robert Edgar Harris, 1901–1978),<ref>[https://harant.co.uk/composers/display.php?letter=H Harris, ''World Composers'']. Retrieved 16 January 2021</ref> they wrote Holloway's 1934 monologue "[[With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm]]", about the ghost of [[Anne Boleyn]] haunting the [[Tower of London]], seeking revenge on [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] for having her beheaded.<ref name=baker/><ref>[http://homepage.ntlworld.com/barnicle/stanley/words/with%20her%20head%20tucked%20underneath%20her%20arm.htm With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104155942/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/barnicle/stanley/words/with%20her%20head%20tucked%20underneath%20her%20arm.htm |date=4 January 2007 }}</ref>
The duo also wrote music for film, including the book and lyrics for ''O-kay for Sound'', a 1937 film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/474108/|title=BFI Screenonline: O-Kay For Sound (1937)|website=Screenonline.org.uk|accessdate=14 July 2020}}</ref> Much of their music was written specifically for actors [[Sydney Howard]] and Stanley Holloway, both noted comedians of the 1920s and 1930s. These included "Splinters in the Air" for Howard and "Squibs" for Holloway.<ref name="Halliwell, Leslie 2003">Halliwell, Leslie. ''Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies'', 15th edition, HarperCollins, 2003. {{ISBN|0-06-053423-0}}</ref> Among Lee's most enduring tunes is "[[Knees Up Mother Brown]]", which is traditionally associated with [[Cockney]] culture. This was written in 1938 in collaboration with R. P. Weston's son, Harris Weston. In 1938, Lee and Harris Weston co-wrote the hit [[stage revue]] ''[[These Foolish Things (revue)|These Foolish Things]]'' which starred [[Crazy Gang (comedy group)|The Crazy Gang]] and the [[Sherman Fisher Girls]]. The same year Lee contributed to the musical ''[[The Fleet's Lit Up]]''.
In 1939, Lee and his wife went on holiday to [[Llandudno]] in [[north Wales]], and at the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] decided to settle in the town.<ref name=theatrephile/> He died there in January 1946, aged 65.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Burials.htm#L|title=Music Hall and Variety Artistes Burial Places|website=Arthurlloyd.co.uk|accessdate=14 July 2020}}</ref>
==Select filmography (as writer)== * ''[[Yes, Madam?]]'' (1939) * ''[[Hold My Hand (film)|Hold My Hand]]'' (1938) * ''[[Splinters in the Air]]'' (1937) * ''[[Fame (1936 film)|Fame]]'' (1936) * ''[[Squibs (1935 film)|Squibs]]'' (1935) * ''[[Where's George? (film)|Where's George?]]'' (1935) * ''[[Girls, Please!]]'' (1934) * ''[[It's a Cop]]'' (1934) * ''[[This Is the Life (1933 film)|This Is the Life]]'' (1933) * ''[[Up for the Derby]]'' (1933) * ''[[It's a King]]'' (1933) * ''[[Trouble (1933 film)|Trouble]]'' (1933) * ''[[The Mayor's Nest]]'' (1932) *''[[Up for the Cup (1931 film)|Up for the Cup]]'' (1931) * ''[[Splinters in the Navy]]'' (1931) * ''[[No Lady]]'' (1931)
==Selected stage works== * ''[[He Wanted Adventure]]'' (1933) * ''[[These Foolish Things (revue)|These Foolish Things]]'' (1938)
==Songs (partial list)== * 1910 "Joshua" w.m [[George Arthurs]] & Bert Lee * 1912 "[[Hello, Hello, Who's Your Lady Friend?]]" w.m. [[Harry Fragson]], [[Worton David]] & Bert Lee * 1915 "[[Lloyd George's Beer Song]]" with [[R. P. Weston]] * 1916 "At Finnigan's Ball" w.m. Bert Lee * 1916 "Blighty, the Soldier's Home Sweet Home" w.m. [[R. P. Weston|R.P. Weston]] & Bert Lee<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=World War I Sheet Music – Volume 1|last=Parker|first=Bernard S.|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7864-2798-7|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|pages=53}}</ref> * 1917 "[[Paddy McGinty's Goat]]" w.m. R.P. Weston, Bert Lee & [[The Two Bobs]] * 1917 "[[Good-bye-ee!]]" w.m. [[R. P. Weston]] & Bert Lee * 1919 "It's Hard to Settle Down to Civilian Life Once More" w.m. [[R. P. Weston|R.P Weston]] & Bert Lee<ref name=":0" /> * 1920 "The Gipsy Warned Me" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1921 "You're Well Dressed If You're Wearing a Smile" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1922 "[[My Word You Do Look Queer]]" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1926 "The Tears Shed in London Tonight" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1926 "[[Proper Cup of Coffee|What I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee]]" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee * 1928 "All Mine" Douglas Furber, R. P. Weston, Bert Lee m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge from the Musical ''[[Virginia (musical)|Virginia]]'' * 1932 "Sing, Brothers" w. Bert Lee & R. P. Weston m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge from the Musical ''[[Tell Her the Truth]]'' * 1932 "Horrortorio" w. Bert Lee & R. P. Weston m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge from the Musical ''Tell Her the Truth'' * 1934 "[[With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm]]" w.m. [[R. P. Weston]] & Bert Lee * 1936 "And The Great Big Saw Came Nearer And Nearer" w.m. Robert E. Harris, Dwight B. Latham, Bert Lee & R. P. Weston * 1938 "[[Knees Up Mother Brown]]" w.m. Harris Weston & Bert Lee * 1940 "Brahn Boots" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{wikisource author-inline}} *[https://www.greatwartheatre.org.uk/db/person/620/ Works by Bert Lee on Great War Theatre]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Bert}} [[Category:1880 births]] [[Category:1946 deaths]] [[Category:English male songwriters]]