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21 January 1902 Birth.
Leslie Webster Booth was the youngest of six children born to Edwin Booth and his wife Sarah (neé Webster) at 157 Soho Road, Handsworth, Staffordshire. Above - 157 Soho Road today.
Soho Road in the early 1900s.
Accepted as a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral
Webster Booth spent four years as a chorister at Lincoln until his voice broke in 1915.
His voice breaks so he returns home.
His parents send him to do a commercial course at Aston Commercial School. The headmaster there is Edgar Keey. Later he married Edgar Keey's daughter, Winifred.
Leaves School
After Webster left school he began working in an accounting office in Birmingham. At the same time he took singing lessons with Dr Richard Wassall, choirmaster at St Martin's, Birmingham and singing teacher at the Midland Institute.
First professional engagement
Webster Booth was accepted into the chorus of D'Oyly Carte Opera and made his stage debut as a yeoman in "Yeomen of the Guard". He remained with the company for four and a half years, singing in the chorus, playing small parts and understudying the leading tenor roles. He was known in the company as Leslie Booth. He did not use the name Webster Booth until he left the company in 1927.
Webster Booth sings Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes
Prince's Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue
Marriage
June 1924 in Fulham Registry Office, Fulham, London
Webster Booth married his first wife, Winifred Dorothy Keey in the second quarter of 1924 at Fulham Registry Office.
Birth of Keith Leslie Booth
12 June 1925 in Birmingham, United Kingdom
Birth of his son, Keith Leslie Booth. Mother: Winifred Dorothy Booth (nee Keey)
6 September 1925. Webster Booth (Leslie W. Booth) as First Yeoman.
D'Oyly Carte Opera tour of Canada
24 December 1926 in SS Metagama, Liverpool
Webster Booth went to Canada as a member of the chorus of D'Oyly Carte for the tour of Canada aboard the SS Metagama. The tour opened in Montreal on 4 January 1927.
Singing in Lyons' Cafés and Restaurants
May 1928 in Popular & Strand Lyons' Cafés, Holborn Restaurant
Webster Booth, still known as Leslie Webster Booth, was eking out a living singing in various Lyons' cafés and at Masonic dinners, as well as performing in panto and singing with the Opieros. The photo shows the Holborn Restaurant, a popular venue for staff dinners.
Holborn Restaurant
Recording contract with HMV
1929 in His Master's Voice Records
Webster Booth made his first recording with HMV in 1929. He continued recording with the company until his contract was cancelled in 1951. The first recording was
A Brown Bird Singing and
I Love the Moon.
December 1929. Gloucester Hippodrome
"The Three Musketeers" (Friml)
Webster Booth made his debut as the Duke of Buckingham in The Three Musketeers. Denis King played D'Artagnan. Others in the cast included Adrienne Brune and Lillian Davies.
2 September 1931
Divorce from Winifred Booth (nee Keey)
Winifred Booth deserted Webster and his young son in 1927. Webster tried to find her for many years but she had vanished. In October 1931, he sued for divorce, naming Trevor Davey as co-respondent.
Marriage to Dorothy Annie Alice Prior
10 October 1932 in Fulham Registry Office, Fulham, London
Webster Booth married his second wife, Dorothy Annie Alice Prior (stage name: Paddy Prior). Paddy was a soubrette, dancer and light comedienne.
Piccadilly Revels
Webster Booth, Paddy Prior, Violet Stevens, George & Kenneth Western and Edgar Sawyer starred in Murray Evans and Wilby Lunn's summer show. Paddy Prior is seated to the left of Webster Booth in the middle row.
Piccadilly Revels, 1933 with Webster Booth (tenor) 1902-1984, and second wife, Paddy Prior. — in
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Concert in Canterbury. 11 March 1934
The Faust Fantasy
December 1934 in Bushy Heath
Webster Booth was chosen to play the part of Faust in this film. During the filming he met Anne Ziegler played the part of Marguerite. Unfortunately their meeting spelt the end of his marriage to Paddy Prior before it had really begun.
A Kingdom for a Cow (Kurt Weill)
28 June 1935 in Savoy Theatre
Webster Booth starred as Juan, with Jacqueline Francell as Juanita. The show included George Gee, Bobby Comber and Hay Petrie. Muir Matheson conducted the orchestra. The show received good notices but was not a success with the public. It closed after three weeks.
30 November 1935 - Samson and Delilah
Grand Concert, Regal Cinema, Chesterfield (circa 1936)
With Mr Flotsam and Mr Jetsam (B.C. Hilliam and Malcolm McEachern)
and Webster Booth, Chesterfield Male Voice Choir and the Belton Singers, a male quartet comprising Walter Hardwick. A. Bennett, J. Wheatley and A. Dethick.
In aid of Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
The Robber Symphony (film)
Webster Booth sang several songs in this film. The film was directed by Friedrich Feher, who also wrote the script and the music. His wife was the heroine of the film.
30 May 1936 - Memorial Cinema, Hastings
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7 June 1937 in Royal Albert Hall
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Souvenir programme for the dramatised version of Hiawatha held at the Royal Albert Hall in June 7-19, 1937.
Ina Souez
7 February 1938
27 February 1938 - Colston Hall, Bristol
Der Rosenkavalier, The Magic Flute
May 1938 in Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Webster Booth sang the role of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier and took a small role in The Magic Flute.
Third Marriage
5 November 1938 in Paddington Registry office, Paddington, London
Webster Booth's divorce from Paddy Prior came through in October. He married Anne Ziegler (Irené Frances Eastwood) the following month - first at the Paddington Registry Office, followed by a blessing of the marriage at St Ethelburga's Church in Bishopsgate.
Messiah
17 December 1938 in Queen's Hall, London
2 April 1939 in The London Palladium
Members of the Concert Artistes' Association gave their annual concert in aid of their Benevolent Fund. Webster Booth & other artistes performed. The receipts totalled £427 - a record for these affairs!
8 April 1939
28 July 1939. Forthcoming concerts at The Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells.
Joins staff of variety department of the BBC
Webster Booth had been appointed to the staff of the BBC Variety department at the outbreak of war. Others included Tommy Handley, Sam Costa, Charles Shadwell, Betty Huntley-Wright and Leonard Henry.
9 December 1939
Oscar Natzke sings Hear Me, Ye Winds and Waves
13 December 1939 Eastbrook Hall, Bradford
