Operatic singer who went on to be a dance band singer and a radio and stage success, b.1899 - d.1997
this page first published by John Wright, 1 Sept 1997
last update 10 November 2007
vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk
After serving during the First World War, Cavan O'Connor won a four year operatic scholarship.
He had spells at The Old Vic and Covent Garden and then began to make recordings. I have read in a 'Memory Lane' interview that Cavan O'Connor's first recording was
'Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes' (from 'Gondoliers') but I don't know the date or record label.
Cavan O'Connor soon began to make many records on many labels using a variety of pseudonyms;
I have a list of 34 such names! He recorded mainly ballads and popular tunes of the day and, according to Rust/Forbes, Cavan O'Connor's first dance band recording
was probably made with Harry Bidgood's Band for the Aco label, 'When Lights Are Low In Cairo'on 25 Feb 1927. This recording was issued on three other record labels.
Dance bands using Cavan O'Connor in the recording studio included Nat Star, Arthur Lally, New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, Jim Kelleher, Alfredo, Larry Brennan,
Jack Hylton, Percival Mackey, Jay Wilbur and others, releasing hundreds of records, most of the labels saying 'with vocal chorus'. If you listen to this excerpt of
Just Imagine you will hear that Cavan O'Connor
was capable of handling an up-tempo number just as well as the ballad numbers he usually sang. This recording was made by the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra,
16 Oct 1930, with the trumpet obligatto probably by Max Goldberg.
Then in 1935 a new pseudonym was to take Cavan O'Connor to new heights of fame. Eric Maschwitz of the BBC produced several radio programmes where the
anonymous 'Vagabond Lover' sung romantic songs. By keeping the singer's identity a secret, and aided by the media press, the programmes were a great success. When the singer's identity was revealed
Cavan O'Connor became one of the highest paid broadcasters in Britain.
With the song 'I'm Only A Strolling Vagabond' Cavan O'Connor embarked on a stage career, he would dress in an old suit or corduroy trousers,
a cravat or handkerchief round his neck, and a hat pulled down on his forehead. He appeared in at least one British film, 'Ourselves Alone'. Later in life he made many appearances on television and continued to perform up until his mid '90's.
The son of an Irishman, Cavan sang many songs about Ireland. His pseudonyms on 78rpm record labels include several Irish names like Terence O'Neil, Pat O'Dell.
Below I have listed the Cavan O'Connor pseudonyms known to me, and the record labels they appeared on.
| PSEUDONYM | LABEL | COMMENTS |
| Bert & Bob | Decca | C O'C + Maurice Elwin, though some may be another duo |
| Harry Carlton | Broadcast, Aco, Vocalion | Vocalion possibility suggested by Barbara Short Note: this pseudonym on HMV is Harry Fay |
| Shaun Cassidy | Decca | |
| Clayton & Cairns | Scala | some are C O'C + John Thorne, some are reported to be Stanley Kirkby + John Thorne |
| Peter Coleman | Victory | also pseud for Dick Henderson |
| John Cavanagh | Imperial | Imperial 1940 (mx: 4823) Cavan O'Connor sings Until ('No rose in all the world, until you came') as 'John Cavanagh'. Thanks to Dan O'Hara for this information |
| Cliff Conelly | Decca | |
| Con Conway | Phonycord | |
| G. Dunnett | Victory | |
| Patrick Ernest | Eclipse | |
| Ray Filme | Decca | |
| Hardy & Hudson | Eclipse | C O'C + Tom Barratt |
| Billy Hayman | Victory | also pseud for Fred Douglas on Victory and Eclipse |
| Pat Hugh | Victory, Imperial | also pseud for Fred Douglas on Victory and Imperial |
| J. Jack | Victory | also pseud for Jack Plant |
| Mellow & Rich | Broadcast | C O'C + Maurice Elwin |
| Mick & Mack | Sterno | C O'C + Maurice Elwin |
| Patrick Moore | Dominion | |
| Pat O'Brian | Sterno | |
| Pat O'Brien | Sterno | |
| O'Dell & Hudson | Eclipse | C O'C + ?Sam Browne |
| Pat O'Dell | Imperial, Victory, Eclipse | |
| Francesco Odoli | Sterno | |
| Patrick O'Moore | Dominion | |
| Terence O'Neil | Edison Bell Winner | |
| Terry O'Neil | Edison Bell Winner | also pseud for Tom Burke |
| Allen O'Sullivan | Sterno, Columbia | |
| Earl Parry | Sterno | |
| Singing Mountaineers | Regal - Zonophone | C O'C + ? |
| Jack Smithson | Victory | also pseud for Fred Douglas |
| Solemn & Gay | Zonophone | C O'C + Maurice Elwin, though reports that suggest a different pair on some records |
| Strolling Vagabond | Decca | |
| Sweet & Low | Sterno, Regal - Zonophone | C O'C + Maurice Elwin |
| Vagabond Lover | Decca, HMV | |
| Jack Vaughn | World Echo | pseud for John Thorne, possibly some are C O'C, |
There is an active discussion group where you can talk about Cavan O'Connor and the great British dance bands:
or check out the group site first at http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/british-dance-bands/
The information on this page has been collected over the years through reading the 'Memory Lane' magazine and the Rust/Forbes discographies, and correspondence with the late Bill White.
Also, I am interested to know titles of films or newsreels in which Cavan O'Connor made an appearance.
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