Norah Blaney

Norah Blaney (born Norah Mignon Cordwell; 16 July 1893 –7 December 1983) was a pianist, composer, comedienne and music hall performer. She recorded hundreds of songs between 1921 and 1935, many with her performing partner Gwen Farrar.

Blaney was born Norah Mignon Cordwell in Shepherd's Bush, London, on 16 July 1893. Her father, Walter Henry Cordwell was a musician and her mother was Mary Jane (Molly), née Thatcher.^[1]

In 1906, she was awarded the Érard pianoforte scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music followed by a scholarship at the Royal College of Music. She began using her stage name in 1910, after her maternal grandmother.^[1]

On 10 October 1914, she married pianist, Albert Charles Lyne, however, 4 years later he died while serving with the London Scottish regiment in France. In 1922, she married for a second time, to Philip Barron Bruce Durham; they divorced in June 1931. She married for a final time to Basil Hughes on 20 February 1932.^[1]

Blaney died on 7 December 1983 at the actors' retirement home Denville Hall in Northwood, London.^[1]

Blaney and Farrar were both members of Lena Ashwell's group of entertainers for World War I soldiers in France, initially as classical artists.^[3] However, the pair started a ragtime duet, which gained popularity. They brought the act back to the UK and performed it in London Hippodrome regularly during 1921.^[1]

The pair lived together in Chelsea in 1917, remaining there until 1922. They performed in Vaudeville Theatre productions around London. In 1925, they toured USA, including appearing on Broadway and in Palm Beach, Florida. However, in 1926, Farrar broke off their partnership, and Blaney returned to England.^[1]

Blaney y Farrar volvieron a trabajar juntos en 1930, ^{[ 4 ]} pero después de que ella se lesionara el pie durante una actuación en 1931, Blaney se casó con su cirujano, Basil Hughes. Pasó un tiempo en una residencia de ancianos recuperándose de una infección antes de retirarse de la actuación en general, aunque hizo algún que otro trabajo con Farrar. ^{[ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 1 ]}

Blaney y Farrar son consideradas " íconos LGBT+ ". En 2014, Alison Child y Rosie Wakley crearon una obra de teatro llamada All the Nice Girls basada en la relación entre Blaney y Farrar. ^{[ 7 ]}

• Norah Blaney en IMDb
• "Las estrellas 'fuera del escenario': Norah Blaney y Gwen Farrar, las famosas artistas de revista. 1924" . British Pathé .