Mayo, Sam

Sam Mayo (1881-1938) was the stage name taken by Samuel Cowan, a performer who first appeared on stage at The Alhambra Sandgate in 1898. In addition to his success as a performer, he wrote and composed songs for himself and others.

Mayo was often billed as The Immobile One, due to his rather odd habit of singing with with almost no bodily movement or facial expression, often appearing on stage in a yellow wig and old brown dressing gown.

According to Kilgarriff his:

lugubrious, slightly sinister style was not to all tastes though he claimed to hold the record for multiple Metropolitan engagements, having for 4 weeks played 12 Halls a night! A less enviable record was his three bankruptcies.Kilgarrif: Banjos

Kilgarrif: Banjos

His best-known songs included Gone where they don’t play billiards, and Where do flies go in the wintertime? Here’s a medley of some Mayo songs, sung by the man himself:

A number of his songs have been sung by artists associated with the folk revival, notably Cosmotheka. Songs written and performed by Mayo that have been performed by traditional singers include:

  1. Gone where they don’t play billiards
  2. SAM MAYO’S MIRTH MIXTURE or My Half was underneath
  3. FAR, FAR AWAY (1912)
  4. Where have those golden sovereigns gone to?.
  5. AT A MINUTE TO SEVEN, LAST NIGHT
  6. Where do flies go in the winter time?

Songs written by Mayo, performed by others, that have been performed by traditional singers include:

  1. I CAN’T FORGET THE DAYS WHEN I WAS YOUNG

Songs sung by Mayo, written by others, that have been performed by traditional singers include:

  1. Little by little and bit by bit
  2. Do you want us to lose the war
  3. Most miserable man on earth
  4. I’m going to sing a song
  5. I played my concertina
  6. I’ve only come down for the day

Here is an attempt to list all the songs for which Mayo was given writing or composing credit:

mayo-for-siteDownload

Last Updated on November 15, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: November 15, 2023

image_print