Peggy Dell facts for kids

Peggy Dell (born Margaret Tisdall on January 8, 1906) was a talented Irish singer and pianist. She became a very popular entertainer, known for her performances in music halls and on television. She was born in Dublin and passed away on April 30, 1979.

Early Life and Musical Start

Margaret Tisdall was born in Dublin, Ireland, on January 8, 1906. She showed musical talent from a very young age. When she was just nine years old, she played the piano in public for the first time. This happened at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. Her father was also a musician and played the flute in the theatre's orchestra.

By the time she was 13, Margaret got a job playing piano at the Woolworths store on Grafton Street. Her job was to play music to help sell more sheet music. This was a great way for people to hear new songs and buy the music to play at home.

Becoming Peggy Dell

While still a teenager, Margaret Tisdall formed her own band. They performed at popular Dublin venues like the Theatre Royal and the Capitol Theatre.

In the 1930s, Margaret went on tour in England with Roy Fox and his band. It was during this time that she started using her famous stage name, Peggy Dell. Later, she even performed in the United States. There, she was the lead singer for the well-known Jack Hylton band.

When World War II began, Peggy returned to Ireland. She quickly became a popular musician and entertainer again. She played and sang at dances, performed in stage shows called revues, and acted in pantomimes (fun musical plays).

A Television Comeback

By the late 1960s, many big theatres in Dublin closed down. Also, television became very popular. Because of these changes, Peggy Dell's career started to slow down.

However, in 1973, a famous TV host named Gay Byrne invited her to be on his show, The Late Late Show. It was a special episode honoring actor Noel Purcell. Viewers loved Peggy's performance so much!

Because of the amazing reaction, she got her very own TV series on RTÉ (Ireland's national broadcaster). The show was called Peg O' My Heart. In February 1975, she even won a Jacob's Award for her program. This award was a big honor for her work in television.

From then until her death, Peggy Dell enjoyed great success again. She performed regularly on radio and television. She also made many live appearances. In 1975, she released an album called Among My Souvenirs.

Peggy Dell passed away in Dublin at the age of 73. She is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.