Billy Bennett
Toronto Daily Star, September 1 1931
Billy Bennett (1887-1942) was the son of a vaudeville artist who played as part of a double act in music halls at the turn of the 20th century. During the First World War, Bennett served with distinction, winning the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal.
After the war, he started his own career in vaudeville, specializing in comic songs and parodies of dramatic monologues. He would end his jokes by saying "Boom, boom", which was later imitated by many other comics. Theatre critic James Agate wrote of him:
Nobody who saw him is ever likely to forget that rubicund, unaesthetic countenance, that black, plastered quiff, that sergeant-major's moustache, that dreadful dinner-jacket, that well-used dickey and seedy collar, the too-short trousers, the hob-nailed boots, the red silk handkerchief tucked into the waistcoat, the continual perspiration which was the outward and visible sign of a mind struggling for expression - these things will not be forgotten.
This page has a more detailed description of Bennett's life and career. His 1932 recording of "She Was Poor But She Was Honest" can be found on YouTube.
Created October 2, 2025.