Nellie Wallace

Who is Nellie Wallace?

Nellie Wallace was a British music hall star, actress, comedienne, dancer and songwriter who became one of the most famous and best loved music hall performers. She became known as "The Essence Of Eccentricity". she dressed in ultra-tight skirts, her hat sported a lone daisy, feather or a fish bone and once even a lit candle.

Nellie was born in Glasgow in 1870 as Eleanor Jane Wallis Tayler. Her father Francis George Tayler was a vocalist and musician and her mother a retired actress who became a teacher and governess. Nellie's first Solo performance on the stage was as a clog dancer at the age of 12 in Birmingham. Prior to this she had performed with her sisters Emma and Fanny, also singers and dancers. She had a rapid rise to fame and became much loved by her audiences. Not a naturally pretty woman, a reviewer noted her 'grotesque get-up' which started the audience laughing the moment she appeared on stage; her cleverness, vivacity and facial expressions were second to none. Nellie's London debut came in 1903 and by 1910 she was given billing at the London Palladium. Nellie's career lasted until her death in 1948, she appeared in the Royal Command Performance of that year.