Josef Locke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josef Locke
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McLaughlin, c. 1957
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| Born |
Joseph McLaughlin
23 March 1917 Derry, Ireland
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| Died | 15 October 1999 (aged 82) Clane, County Kildare, Ireland
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| Other names |
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| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1949–1992 |
Joseph McLaughlin (born March 23, 1917 – died October 15, 1999), known professionally as Josef Locke, was a famous Irish singer. He was a tenor, which means he had a high male singing voice. He became very popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the 1940s and 1950s.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Josef Locke was born in Derry, Ireland. His dad was a butcher and cattle dealer. Josef was one of nine children in his family. He started singing in local churches when he was just seven years old. As a teenager, he added two years to his age so he could join the Irish Guards. Later, he worked as a police officer in Palestine. In the late 1930s, he came back home and joined the police force in Northern Ireland, called the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Singing Career Takes Off
People knew Josef Locke as The Singing Bobby because he was a police officer who sang. He became a local star. Soon, he started performing in music halls and shows across the UK. He also sang during the summer holidays in English beach towns.
A very famous Irish singer named John McCormack once gave him advice. John McCormack told Josef that his voice was better suited for popular songs, not opera. He told Josef to find a manager. So, Josef met a well-known music manager named Jack Hylton. Jack booked Josef for shows, but Josef's full name, Joseph McLaughlin, was too long for the posters. That's how Joseph McLaughlin became Josef Locke.
Josef became very popular right away. In 1946, he was featured in a long summer show called "Starry Way" at the Blackpool Opera House. He was so good that they asked him to come back the next summer. After that, he starred for three seasons at the Blackpool Hippodrome. He performed in Blackpool many times between 1946 and 1969.
His first time singing on the radio was in 1949. He also appeared on TV shows like Rooftop Rendezvous and Top of the Town. In 1947, he signed with the Columbia record company. His first songs released were two Italian tunes, "Santa Lucia" and "Come Back to Sorrento."
Hit Songs and Movies
In 1947, Josef Locke released the song "Hear My Song, Violetta." This song became very famous and people always connected it with him. It was based on an older tango song from 1936. Many other singers also covered this song.
Josef's other popular songs were often Irish ballads. These included "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen", "Dear Old Donegal", and "Galway Bay". He also sang "The Isle of Innisfree", which was the main song from the movie The Quiet Man. He also performed songs from operettas, which are like light operas. Some of these were "The Drinking Song" from The Student Prince and "Goodbye" from The White Horse Inn. Other well-known songs he sang were "I'll Walk Beside You" and "Cara Mia."
In 1948, Josef Locke appeared in a few movies. He usually played himself in these films. For example, he played himself in the movie Holidays with Pay. He also played "Sergeant Locke" in the 1949 comedy What a Carry On!.
In 1958, Josef Locke was still very successful. He had performed in five Royal Variety Performances, which are special shows for the Royal Family. Around this time, he had some problems with money matters in Britain. He decided to move to Ireland for a few years. After his money issues were sorted out, Josef started his career again in England. He toured music clubs and performed in Blackpool in 1968 and 1969. Later, he retired to County Kildare, Ireland, but still did some concerts in England. He also appeared on British and Irish TV shows. In 1984, he was honored on the TV show The Late Late Show for his long career. He also appeared many times on the BBC TV show The Good Old Days.
Hear My Song Film and Comeback
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In 1991, a movie called Hear My Song was released. It was a fictional story inspired by Josef Locke's life. In the film, Josef Locke (played by Ned Beatty) returns from Ireland in the 1960s to help a nightclub. The singing voice in the movie was actually Vernon Midgley.
The movie made Josef Locke popular again. A collection of his songs was released on CD. In March 1992, he was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life. He also performed for the Prince and Princess of Wales at the 1992 Royal Variety Show. He sang "Goodbye," which was the last song his character sang in the movie. He announced that this would be his final public performance.
A book about Josef Locke, called Josef Locke: The People's Tenor, was published in March 2017. This book helped to correct some of the stories Josef had told about his career.
Remembering Josef Locke
Josef Locke passed away on October 15, 1999, when he was 82 years old. He was survived by his wife, Carmel, and their son.
On March 22, 2005, a special bronze memorial was put up to honor Josef Locke in Derry. It is located outside the City Hotel on Queen's Quay. The memorial was designed by Terry Quigley. It looks like a spiraling scroll, which is like a musical staff. The spiral shows the flowing melody of a song. It also has pictures that show parts of his life, like him in a police uniform, the Blackpool Tower, and the musical notes from the beginning of "Hear My Song."
Another book about Locke, also titled Josef Locke: The People's Tenor, was published in March 2017. This was to celebrate 100 years since his birth.
Images for kids
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McLaughlin, circa 1957
