Fran and Anna

Who was Fran and Anna?

Frances Watt, BEM and Anna Watt, BEM were two Scottish sisters from Coatbridge, Glasgow, who formed a singing duo. They came from a show-biz family, and were child performers touring Lanarkshire clubs from an early age. They initially joined their sister Lily, a pianist, on stage as puppeteers. This was to be the beginning of their career in show-business, a career that would last them almost seven decades. Lily became their manager, and continued until her death in 1998.

Their father was David Watt, a ventriloquist and children's entertainer who went by the stage name "Valentine Prince". He came from a family of musicians. Fran & Anna Came from a family of five siblings, all of whom never married and shared a house in Coatbridge. They performed as "The Prince Sisters" internationally in the 1950s and 1960s, gaining an international following on the cruise ship circuit. It wasn't until the early 70s when they changed their name to "Fran and Anna" that they had any real success in their native Scotland. They appeared regularly on the Scottish Television programme Thingummyjig, and also appeared with Terry Wogan on his show in the 80s. Upon hearing of Fran's death Terry Wogan said: "Fran and Anna made a great impact on the Wogan show when they appeared in the 80s, having already established themselves in Scotland. They were a great success and even to this day people ask me about them. It is with great sadness that I hear that Fran has passed away. My sympathies go out to Anna, her family and friends."