PARR-DAVIES
,
HARRY
(formerly
DAVIES
,
HARRY PARR
;
1914
-
1955
),
pianist and composer
;
b. at
Neath, Glam.
,
1914
, son of
D.J.
and
Rosina
Davies
(née
Parr
)
. He was educated at
Dunraven school
,
Treherbert
and
Neath intermediate school
. His musical talent became evident when he was a child, and he is said to have composed 30 songs and two operettas before he was 13 yrs. old.
Seymour
Perrott
, the
Neath
borough
organist
, provided his musical education, and
Sir
Henry Walford
Davies
(see above)
urged him to make a career as a classical composer; but light music was more to his taste and he studied the works of
Eric
Coates
and
Edward
German
to perfect his technique. He introduced himself to the
singer
Gracie
Fields
and became her
accompanist
in
Britain
and on tour in
Canada
and
South Africa
. He composed the song ‘
Sing as we go
’ which
Gracie
Fields
sang in the film
Shipyard Sally
(
1939
), and which gave the title to her autobiography; he also provided the music to
Phil
Park
's words, ‘
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
’, which became popular at the beginning of
World War II
. For his song ‘
Smile when you say goodbye
’ he received an advance royalty of £1000, the highest sum paid at that time for a song. Among his stage shows were
Black velvet
,
The Lisbon story
,
Her Excellency
, and
Deaf Miss Phoebe
. He
composed music
for
Gracie
Fields
’ film,
This Week of Grace
(
1933
), and songs for other performers such as
George
Formby
. He d. at home in
Knightsbridge
,
London
,
14 Oct. 1955
, and was buried in
Oystermout
h cemetery near
Swansea
.
Bibliography:
-
The Times
and
Western Mail
,
15 Oct. 1955
;
-
Neath Guardian
,
21 Oct. 1955
.
Author:
Dr Rhidian Griffiths, Aberystwyth
