Harry Parr-Davies

Harry Parr-Davies (24 May 1914 – 14 October 1955) was a Welsh composer and songwriter.

He was born Harry Parr Davies in Briton Ferry, Neath, South Wales and was a musical prodigy, having composed whole operettas by the time he was in his teens. He came to the attention of composer Sir Walford Davies, who encouraged him to study at Oxford. At the age of fourteen he had already composed six songs, and left Wales to expand upon his juvenile success.

From 1934, he worked as accompanist for Gracie Fields. He wrote songs for Jack Buchanan and Anna Neagle among others. His best-known songs included "Pedro the Fisherman", "Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye" and "Sing as You Go".

He provided additional lyrics for Jan Peerce's best-selling recording of "Bluebird of Happiness" (music by Sandor Harmati, words by Edward Heyman).

In 1939 the show Black Velvet included Parr-Davies's song "Crash, Bang, I Want To Go Home". Other wartime shows which featured his work included Big Top, Happidrome (starring Tessie O'Shea), Full Swing, The Knight was Bold and The Lisbon Story. In the course of the war he was seconded from his regiment to join Gracie Fields in ENSA.

In 1944, his musical, Jenny Jones, which had a Welsh setting, was a flop, but it was followed by the successful revue Fine Feathers (1945), Her Excellency (1949) starring Cicely Courtneidge, and Dear Miss Phoebe (1950).

Parr-Davies was at the peak of his success when he died of a perforated ulcer, for which he had declined to seek medical attention.

Read more about Harry Parr-Davies:  Songs By Parr-Davies Used in George Formby Films

Famous quotes containing the word harry:

    Why don’t you go home to your wife? I’ll tell you what. I’ll go home to your wife and outside of the improvements, you’ll never know the difference. Pull over to the side of the road there and let me see your marriage license.
    S.J. Perelman, U.S. screenwriter, Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, and Norman Z. McLeod. Groucho Marx, Horsefeathers, a wisecrack made to Huxley College’s outgoing president (1932)