Daisy Dormer (1883–1947)

Born Kezia Beatrice Stockwell, the daughter of a Portsmouth dockyard worker, “Dainty” Daisy Dormer was one of the most popular Music Hall stars in the years before World War One. Among the songs particularly associated with her are Ain’t It Nice? and I Wouldn’t Leave My Little Wooden Hut For You. The BBC’s “Beyond The Broadcast” website describes her as “a charming and pretty singer — a figure of innocence in her songs, at the mercy of unscrupulous male bounders. She danced and had a lilting tuneful voice which can be heard on only a few records.”

Daisy’s sparse recorded output includes nothing by Fred Godfrey, but she performed a number of Godfrey songs on stage over a long period, from his early days in the business until well after the Great War, including Buffalo (1907); Take Your Greedy Eyes Off My Little Girl (1907); Grow, Little Mushroom Grow (1908); Arrah! Go On, Miss Emerald Isle (1915); Ting! Ting! Tra-La-La (1915); You Were The First One To Teach Me To Love (1915); I Do Like The Life, I Do! (1916); You Gave Me A Rosary (1916); Down Texas Way (1917); My Tennessee, Is That You Calling Me (1918); Down In Virginia (1919); and Sorry! Oh! It’s Quaite All Right (1924).