your comments
David Clarke, Telford
This lady was great in her own right - God bless her.
Alice from London
Tessie O'Shea performed at the United Kingdon Pavillion at Walt Disney Word in Florida in 1986 when I worked there. I remember her singing 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts! ' I didn't know who she was. I it is only since seeing her name on the credits of Bedknobs and Broomsticks that jolted my memory and I looked her up on the Internet.I am amazed at what a star she was!
Betsy, Upper Marlboro
Whenever it was announced that Tess would be performing - she made the colonies a happier place to be.
Rosemary Davies, Torfaen
Minus the ukelele Tessie appeared on a TV program "playing" a paper bag!!!! This demeaned her as an artiste. A shameful exploitation of a once great performer.
Andrew Carr from Bath, Somerset
Tessie was my second cousin and my Dad Bill Carr's first cousin. I remember meeting her when I was 13 in 1978 at her brother Joe's house and hearing her singing whilst at the same time strumming a paper bag!! an unforgettable experience!
Nicola Harris, Wales
I loved reading your comments about my great aunt. I never met her as she died when I was little but my family and I wrote to her often as she was my grandfather Peter O'Shea's auntie. I recently did a presentation on her and my audience were amazed at how much personal information I knew about her. They questioned our relationship beforehand, and I got all the information from my grandfather who spoke of her fondly as Tessie and him were very close!
Ken Evans, Kettering. Northants.
1948 - I was only 15 but singing with a group called, Billy West and his harmony boys. One day my boss (a keen golfer) said, "I need another caddie for tomorrow" and I said I would do it. Can you guess the surprise I got the next morning when I found out his partner was the great Tessie O'Shea. I couldn't wait to get back to my digs to send home I had been a caddie for her. We had a great sixteen weeks summer season and although my boss didn't win every time, he didn't mind because we all had a fantasic time.
Phil Jones, Salisbury
My mother Joan Teresa Mary Jones (nee Harris) was a first cousin of Tessie O'Shea. We lived in her house in Shepperton for a short while when I was a child (around 1949-50), but unfortunately I was too young to remember. The family in Cardiff was extensive and very close - she never lost her roots.
Joseph Chetcuti
I believe a Bobby used to play the piano for Tessie O'Shea. He used to work at the Mechanics Arms in Plymouth. He was also an female imeprsonator. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Phil from Manchester
I particularly remember seeing Tessie in a play called "Move over Mrs Markham" in Torquay. It must have been in the later 1970s. She wrote a special theme tune to play, which we had to strum on paper bags issued to us. Great fun! Great entertainer.
Don Hunter, Jersey
I was drummer to Tessie for 3 years, playing first in the pit orchestra then with my own quartet backing her onstage. Her pianist then was Ernest Wampola. We also toured for the United States Airforce in Germany & North Africa. She was a great person & really commanded the stage & audience. A great loss to the stage.
Liz from Plymouth
Has anyone got any information about the Revue called "The Going Gay Revue". A relation of mine appeared on the same programme as Tessie O'Shea maybe between 1938-1940. Not sure about date. I am doing a project on someone's life who was a dancer back then.
Denis Lownds, Horsham, Sussex
Tessie, a wonderful lady. I saw her first at Kingston Empire in 1953 - at the stage door she signed my autograph book. Then in the 70's, working for an International Airline, her agent called up to check if Tessie was on a certain flight. I told her agent what a great fan of Tessie I was and could Tessie send me a signed photo of herself, which she did and which I have here, to be treasured.
Steve Barclay
What a performer - I work in show business and have paid tribute to her on stage many times. All the people who knew her say what nice person she was. Tess wrote to me shortly before her death and sent her regards to Danny La Rue who I was working with at the time.
Henry Baulf from Sheffield.
Tessie O'Shea was one of the greatest, but does anyone know who discovered her?
Susan Grant, ex Marylebone, London
I remember visiting the Metropolitan in London's Edgware Road with my family in the 1950s. Although I was very young I clearly remember Two Ton Tessie - she was an amazing woman - big in stature, voice and personality. The Met was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Marylebone flyover. Memories of Tessie will always remain for me.
David Clarke, Telford
What was the TV programe Tessie was in in the 70s? I was just a lad of 8. I play the uke as George Formby but as a child I was struck at Tessie playing.
David from Romsey, Hampshire
I remember seeing Tessie at the Wood Green Empire in North London just after WW2. What a great act and she always had the audience singing along with her!
Frank Palmer, Aylesbury
My wife Jean Chambers worked with Tessie O'Shea in the years 1938/39 Summer Seasons on North Pier in Blackpool 'On with the show', a Laurence Wright production. The young girls (Terry Juveniles) were away from home and loved the older Auntie Tessie. Her ukulele playing was wonderful.
Lynette O'Shea from Dinas Powis
It's fabulous to read that so many people thought so much of Tessie O'Shea and not only in the UK. I am married to Terry, her nephew, and although both her brothers have died she still has family living in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. It's lovely to see some of the websites and listen to some of the recordings lovingly put together by people who recognise her great talent, not only as an entertainer but as a grand lady.
Nadine Baldock
I remember Tessie and thought she was fantastic. I loved her music and humour.. When she played her Uke a thrill went up my back.. I never wanted her to stop.. I loved her as a fellow Welsh person too, all the good comes out of Wales!! Well I would say that wouldn't I, being Welsh myself...Grin...
Jim Crawley, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I grew up, with Tessie's radio, film and later TV performances. Always loved her and her banjo songs, I beleive she played tenor banjo, and banjo uke. My most prized memory was when she came to Klagenfurt, Austria, which was then an occupied country in 1952. I was a Britishsoldier then - when she heard my Glasgow accent she hugged me, and said she once sang there in Barrowland, Britain's best ballroom dancehall. I was 19 and got a hug from her.
Harry Lednum, Delaware, USA
Tess was a marvelous entertainer. She will always be remembered for singing, "I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts." She appeared on TV in the USA often. I never missed her. She was a great talent and should not be forgotten.
Darcy from Bradford
Didn't Tessie play the ukelele in a simalar style to George Formby? I'm sure I remember her for that rather than for anything else that she did.
Clare - London
She was a distant cousin of mine and autographed a photograph of herself, naming me as a cousin. She came to Newcastle on Tyne - I believe the Empire Theatre, sometime in the late 1950's/early 60's and my late father visited her at the theatre. She made him very welcome. Shortly after that we heard she had moved to the States permanently. I think she ought to be recognised more, as she was a talented performer.
Bill Taggart, Thomasville, Georgia, USA
Great to see Tessie in that great Eisteddfod concert. I remember the night I drove her from Tarrytown to the airport for the flight to Wales.
Chloe
She's my great auntie - she died before I was born.
Gerald from Burnley
There is some wonderful video footage of Tessie at the City Varieties Theatre Leeds on a Good Old Days recording ... singing and working the audience. I am told that she fell off the stage during rehearsals and broke a rib but after attention in hospital went on and did her act for the recording. I was told this by Pat Moony, the funny Irish comedian.
Sid Stephens from Cockermouth
I emigrated to Manhattan in 1964 and I met Tess and her pianist Frank Still - we became close friends. They played the Epcot Centre in 1984 and 85 and I was with them. Of course Tess had a brilliant second career in the USA - I have a huge collection of Tess memorabilia.
Rodney from Leeds
Val of Cardiff - you're getting mixed up with Gracie Fields.
Val Brewis, Cardiff
I was young so don't remember much but what I do remember is her song The Biggest Aspidistra in the world. I thought it was great ... just like Tessie. They say big and jolly - well our Tessie was just that. Steve from Splott said about a tribute - yes, there should be. Any ideas anyone?
Steve, Splott
What a great lady and what a pity Cardiff does not pay tribute to her. She must not be forgotten.
John Price, Rotherham
I remember Two Ton Tessie buying me an ice cream a few times in the Dowlais Hotel in Cardiff - either just towards the end of WW2 or just after. I was only a young boy then and used to go in there with my father. Sometimes the Western brothers were there as well - Kenneth and George.
Francis Michel Hannah
Tessie O'Shea - wonderful. That clip broght back some memories. Do you have any archive of Gladys Morgan great comedienne on the radio?
Jack Edwards, Newport.
The only time that I saw Tessie O'Shea was when she came to the Royal Ordnance Factory on Corporation Road, Newport. I did not actually see her giving the concert, but I saw her getting out of a car outside the Corporation Hotel going for a meal with a few more people. She looked wonderful.
Larger than life entertainment superstar.
