CHEVALIER, ALBERT (1861-1923), English music-hall artist, began his connection with the variety stage while still a child. In 1869 he appeared at a "penny-reading" at Cornwall Hall, Notting Hill. After a brief experience as a clerk in a newspaper office, and as a pupil teacher, he appeared for a short time in 1877 with the Kendals and the Bancrofts. For some time he played "legitimate" parts with Hare (q.v.), Willie Edouin and others, and during his association with Edouin (1888-89) at the Strand theatre he introduced in burlesque his first cockney song, "Our 'armonic Club." The year 1891 was the turning point of his career, when he deserted the "legitimate" stage and appeared at the London Pavilion as a music-hall entertainer. Thereafter he speedily won the place to which his genius entitled him, among the first artistes of his generation. He toured throughout Great Britain and the United States, and in addition gave over I,000 special recitals at the small Queen's Hall. As singer, composer or part composer, his name is associated with between 7o and 8o songs. In addition he wrote some 14 plays and sketches. In 1906 he appeared with Yvette Guilbert at the Duke of York's theatre, and in the name part of Sir James Barrie's Pantaloon. His last appearance was in Nov. 1922, in a play, My Old Dutch, written by himself and Arthur Shirley on the basis of his own famous song. He died on July io, 1923. Chevalier's best known songs are : "Mrs. 'Enery 'Awkins," "Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road," "My Old Dutch," "A Fallen Star," "Our Little Nipper," "Fair Flo." He wrote two records of his own experiences, Before I Forget (19o1), and Uninitiated (1906).
In his own special line Chevalier is generally recognized as being an artist of the first rank. While not possessing the vast range of a Marie Lloyd, he yet developed his own specialty as it had never before been developed, and presented real character sketches of the life of the people, emphasizing the grave as well as the gay and bringing tears as readily as laughter. Subsequent cockney comedians have imitated his humour. None has even endeav oured to compete with him in the delineation of the pathetic. Another striking feature of his songs was the tuneful and haunt ing melodies to which they were set. This was a real feature of the music-hall stage in an era when the comedian tended to sing his patter to the baldest of extemporizations. (E. I. J.)