Tessie O'Shea

Teresa “Tessie” O'Shea (13 March 1913 – 21 April 1995) was a Welsh entertainer and actress. Born in Cardiff, O'Shea was raised in the tradition of British music hall, appearing on stage as "The Wonder of Wales", beside her cousin Adam Dionne, as early as the age of six. By her teens she was a pro known for her popular BBC Radio broadcasts and appearing on stages in places as far afield as South Africa. She frequently finished her act by accompany... more

Teresa “Tessie” O'Shea (13 March 1913 – 21 April 1995) was a Welsh entertainer and actress. Born in Cardiff, O'Shea was raised in the tradition of British music hall, appearing on stage as "The Wonder of Wales", beside her cousin Adam Dionne, as early as the age of six. By her teens she was a pro known for her popular BBC Radio broadcasts and appearing on stages in places as far afield as South Africa. She frequently finished her act by accompanying herself on the banjolele. While appearing in Blackpool in the 1930s, O'Shea capitalized on her bulk and girth by adopting "Two Ton Tessie from Tennessee" as her theme song. A decade later she was a frequent headliner at the London Palladium, and following the decline of variety theatre, she established herself as a hit recording artist in the late 1950s. In 1963, Noël Coward created the role of fish-and-chips peddler "Ada Cockle" specifically for her in his Broadway musical, The Girl Who Came to Supper. Her rendition of traditional Cockney... less