Joseph Tabrar

Sheet music for Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow 1892

Joseph Tabrar (5 November 1857 – 22 August 1931) was one of the most famous and prolific songwriters of British music hall (similar to American Vaudeville), probably most famous for the song "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow", (1892), which became Vesta Victoria's first major hit.

Tabrar was born into a family of stage people. His father was George Tabrar. Tabrar began his musical career in the church choir. By the age of 13 he was singing at Evans Music-and-Supper Rooms. He later became a bell hanger and a plumber. During his 60-year songwriting career, Tabrar wrote thousands of songs, many of them written to order; he is known to have written 7,200 songs, but claimed to have written more than twice that number.

Joseph also wrote and composed songs for pantomimes performed at the Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel, including:

• Little Red Riding Hood, 1884
• Cinderella, 1892
• Sindbad the Sailor, 1893
• Whittington and His Cat, 1895
• Jack and the Beanstalk, 1897

Joseph's children included comic and music hall performer Fred Earle (real name also Joseph Tabrar).

Tabrar is buried in the former VABF memorial at Streatham Park Cemetery, which has been restored by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.

Songs

Tabrar's songs include:

• "All Bad! Very Very Bad" (1887?)
• "Bid Me Goodbye For Ever"
• "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow" (1892)
• "Dear Old Ned"
• "For Months and Months and Months" (1909?)
• "Goodbye! Goodbye!! Goodbye!!! (1887?)
• "He’s Sailing On the Briny Ocean"
• "Hundreds and Thousands"
• "Just a Little" (1889?)
• "Madame Duvan" (1880s)
• "Mary Ann"
• "Not While Britannia's Alive" (1890?)
• "Oh! You Little Darling" (188?)
• "She's a Real Good Mother" (1883)
• "Ting Ting That's How The Bell Goes"
• "Trilby's Revival"
• "Waiting Waiting Waiting"

External links

• Free scores by Joseph Tabrar at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)