Draft:Victor King 2

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  • Comment: Currently all (but one, which I'll get to) of these sources either 1) primary sources or 2) only mentions Victor King in absolute passing. (For instance, Hudd only mentions him in a single sentence.) These can't then contribute to meeting the requirements listed in the box above, or alternatively stated at WP:42. The one exception to this is the Westbury Court blog, which is extremely in-depth, but it's unfortunately only one source, when we need multiple. It additionally is a self-published source which is enough to argue that it can't help demonstrate notability whatsoever. (See WP:SPS.)
    One additional note—two sources seem to be leading nowhere. "Search BBC Programme Index" is a search page and (while it appears currently down) judging by the URL "The Stage" is just the landing page of that website. Perryprog (talk) 20:25, 7 October 2025 (UTC)

Victor King, (born Victor Hugo Morrell King) (12 November 1891– 22 June 1964), was a British musical hall variety artiste[1], recording artiste and BBC radio personality[2] who lived in south London[3].

Career

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For his 21st birthday in 1912 King was assigned the sole performing rights to songs written by Norman Lee I’ll Look In Again Tomorrow, Move Along – Move Along!, Football, and Bus Holidays [4]. Billed as ‘the Voice’ for his virtuosity as a tenor and also as a ‘versatile light comedian’, his career was temporarily disrupted by conscription in 1916 during the First World War. In the 1920s he worked as a variety entertainer for the White Star Line on the liner S.S. Ceramic and at variety venues in South Africa and Australia [4].

In the 1930s King starred in and directed pantomime productions for Francis Laidler [4] and in 1936 he began appearing as a variety entertainer on BBC radio[5].

In the summer of of 1944[6] King joined Harry Mooney (8 October 1889 - 28 September 1972) to form the fast-paced comedy and singing double act ‘Mooney and King' after 'Murray and Mooney' split.[1]

'Mooney and King' became regulars on BBC radio programmes including 'Workers Playtime', ‘Variety Bandbox’ and ‘Music Hall’ throughout the 1940s and early 1950s.[7] They also toured seaside and other variety venues often accompanied by Victor’s wife, variety artiste Violet Storey (12 May 1900 – 31 December 1989), who appeared with them on the same billing[4]. They also recorded and regularly performed covers of numbers including Jimmie Hodges’ Someday You’ll Want Me To Want You (1944) and You Can Be Sure of Me (1946) and other works by Joseph George Gilbert and Lewis Ilda (aka Irwin Dash) including There’s Nothing Like Music, Sweetheart Valley, Turn Over a New Leaf, How Lucky You Are, Rose Coloured World and Carolina[4]. Their last broadcast together on the BBC was on the Palace of Varieties show on 26 August 1955.[8]

Death

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King died on 22 June 1964 at the age of 72 and an obituary appeared in The Stage.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b Hudd, Roy (1997). Roy Hudd's cavalcade of variety acts: a who-was-who of light entertainment. Internet Archive. London: Robson Books. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-86105-115-8.
  2. ^ BBC. 4 November 1950. Harry Mooney and Victor King. Music Hall [Sound recording]. London. British Library Sound Archive
  3. ^ Allen, K (2010). "Newsletter, Issue 331". The Clapham Society. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Victor King, variety artiste (1891-1964) - a biographical note". 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Radio Times, Issue 921". 10 July 1936. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  6. ^ Radio Times, Issue 1089, 13 August 1944, Retrieved 25 August 2025
  7. ^ "Search BBC Programme Index". BBC Programme Index. 25 August 2025.
  8. ^ Radio Times, Issue 1658 , 21 August 1955, Accessed 25 August 2025
  9. ^ "The Stage (obituaries), 25 June 1964".