Magazine

Whatever Happened To ... Gracie Fields

By Kevin Trask of 3AW and 96.5 Inner FM

internet. Other hit songs included The Biggest Aspidistra in the World, I Took My Harp to a Party, Now is the Hour, Christopher Robin is Saying His Prayers and When I Grow Too Old to Dream

She spent part of the Second World War in America and went on many tours entertaining the troops in Britain, France, the Middle East and Canada. In 1945 she toured Australia with popular Melbourne singer Peggy Shea

When Monty Banks died in 1950 Gracie married Boris Alperovici and they lived all their married life on the Isle of Capri in Italy.

She took part in television programs after the war and in 1956 played Miss Marple in an adaption of Agatha Christie's A Murder is An- nounced. Gracie sang in 10 Royal Variety Concerts - her last was at the age of 80, when as a surprise guest, she walked onstage and sang Sally

My friend, the late Tony Osborne, was musical director for Gracie's last hit song in 1957, Around the World

Tony told me that he had to go into the recording booth and tell Gracie that he could hear the sound of her false teeth clicking in his headphones as she sang. "No worries love," Gracie responded and took her teeth out to continue the recording, singing beautifully. Her last Australian tour was in 1965 when Gracie performed at the Palais Theatre, in St Kilda.

In 1977 Gracie attended Bing Crosby's concert in Brighton and posed with him for the last photograph ever taken of Bing, he died two days later. Gracie Fields was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire just days before she passed away on the Isle of Capri in 1979. I was thrilled to see Gracie's home on a visit to Capri in 1995.

Kevin Trask

Kevin can be heard on 3AWThe Time Tunnel - Remember WhenSundays at 10.10pm with Philip Brady and Simon Owens.

And on 96.5 FM That's Entertainment - Sundays at 12 Noon. www.innerfm.org.au