Dates

• Existence: 20 December 1860 - 31 October 1904

Biography

George Wild Galvin aka Dan Leno was born in St Pancras, London on 20 December 1860 to struggling music hall performers John Galvin (1826–1864) and Louisa Dutton (1831–1891).

Dan first appeared on stage with his parents in 1864 aged four years old as a contortionist act called ‘Little George’. That same year his father died of alcoholism, leaving the family in an even more precarious financial situation than they were before. The family moved to Liverpool and in 1866 Dan’s mother re-married William Grant (1837–1896) aka William Leno.

Initially, Dan developed a clog dancing act with his brother Henry, which they toured together. However, Dan’s talent became apparent early on and he soon developed his own solo act, which included comedy patter, dancing and singing. This act developed into the character comedy inspired by everyday life, which made him famous.

By 1884, Dan had started to perform as Dan Leno, name he adopted from his stepfather. At the height of his fame, between the late 1880s and the early 1900s, Dan became a leading British music hall comedian and musical theatre actor as well as a very popular pantomime dame and one of the highest-paid comedians in the world.

Like his father and step father before him Dan started to drink heavily, which not only affected his personal and professional life but also his mental health. In early 1903, Dan had a breakdown and was committed to Camberwell House Asylum in London, until October that year. Dan return to work but his health had long been declining and he died shortly after his last performance on 31 October 1904, aged only 43.

Dan was married to Sarah Lydia Reynolds (1866–1942), a dancer and comedy singer he met while working at King Ohmy's Circus of Varieties in Rochdale. They had six children Georgina (b.1884), John (b. 1888), Ernest (b. 1889), Sidney (b. 1891), May (b. 1896) and another child that died in infancy.

Dan was a very generous, compassionate man and always did a lot of altruistic work to raise funds for other performers in need including work for The Terriers Association, the Music Hall Benevolent Fund and the Grand Order of Water Rats, and he co-founded The Music Hall Artistes Railway Association, the first music hall trade union.

Found in 17 Collections and/or Records: