Popular Singer Loses Golden Voice

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 762, 7 September 1929, Page 18

Popular Singer Loses Golden Voice

Jose Collins, Who Gave Up American Salary of £SOO a Week to Appear in London Has Faced Series of Misfortunes . .. 'T'O the millions who have sat entranced listening to the beautiful voice of Miss Jose Collins, of all musical comedy stars perhaps the most popular, it has come as a shock to learn that, for the time being at any rate, her wondrous voice has gone. Jose Collins Is in private life Lady Robert Innes-Ker. The news of this tragedy—for tragedy it certainly is, both to the public as well as to Misa Collins herself—was broken during certain bankruptcy proceedings, counsel representing her pointing out that owing to the loss of her voice and her inability to fulfil her stage contracts she was unable to carry out a previous undertaking which she had given, and to which she had faithfully adhered until this unhappy disaster had swooped down upon her. It was at Daly’s Theatre that Jose Collins rose to her greatest heights of popularity and fame, and it was here that her performance in “The Maid of the Mountains” placed Daly’s on such a sound commercial basis that all Its previous debts were wiped out. Even when she was offered £SOO a week to go back to America whence I she had come to take the leading role | in this most successful British musical) play, she refused, preferring rather to i stick to Daly’s management and go on j tour with the play. Literally a child of the stage, she)

is one of the most charming and genial personalities on it. Her mother was the late Lottie Collins, of “ Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay ” fame. and wherever Jose Collins might be playing, there, in a prominent position on her dressing-table, you would see a photograph—an old-timo photograph, too, of her famous mother —of whom she was inordinately proud. One of her earliest recollections, she once told

me. was of trying to imitate her mother in the popular "kick” dance which used to follow her singing of the chorus of "Ta-ra-ra-bomm-de-ay,” a song which was sung all over the world. From an early age young Jose—a miniature of her lovely mother, by the way—was lured by the stage, but “No child of mine shall ever go on the stage” was the mother's stern reply to all pleadings to this end. Yet it.

was in a sketch her mother was playing that she made her public debut. Lottie Collins married again—the late James W. Tate, who will always be remembered by musical-hall producers as “That,” becoming Jose’s step-father—and when the opportunity of going on the halls presented itself, “That” helped considerably by writing his step-daughter a couple of special numbers. Her mother was so bucked at her success in this venture that she allowed her to be billed as “Lottie > Collins's Daughter.” ! She got the fabulous salary of £l2 a week, and for years, indeed right up to the time of her first American ! tour, she never got a higher salary! ! than this, except on one occasion—a ; \ brief appearance at Daly's Later Jose Collins won for herself a secure position on the American stage, where her contracts were for £SOO a week. An offer came from Daly’s Theatre, however, and she took it without inquiring what her salary would be. She had simply come back to play at Daly’s, and accepted the salary' of £SO a week which was offered her. The play was “The Happy Day,” and she was actually playing second lead. But such was the quality of her voice, and so fine her powers of acting that already she was destined for lead in the next play in preparation —the play which did, in fact, make her name, “The Maid of the Mountains,” which achieved the longest run of any musical play 7, with the exception of “Chu Chin Chow.” Story upon story could he told of this charming woman who from that [ time until recent years held London j in the hollow of her hand. How she j became the wife of Lord Innes-Ker, j the son of a duke, how she handed out j help and encouragement to others, | and backed her own ventures. BERNARD O’DONNELL.