Born just over a century ago in Norwich she was the girl who grew up to become famous across the world as the “Queen of the Blues.”
And the rest…
Over the years the memory of the amazing and charming Beryl Bryden may have faded so it is more important than ever that we should remember her.
Known as the “Washboard gal” at the start of the skiffle boom she became one of our greatest jazz singers working alongside her friends who included Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Billy Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. It was Ella who described her as our queen of the blues.
But Beryl never forgot her roots and loved coming back to Norwich and Norfolk to delight her audiences in the way only she could.
Beryl Audrey Bryden was born in Rowington Road, Norwich, in 1920 and went to Norwich High School.
“I was always being teased about my weight at school and had an awful complex about my size for a long time,” she said.
She grew up listening to and loving jazz. She was friendly with another Norwich singing legend, Black Anna, from the Jolly Butchers in Ber Street. What a double act!
The family had a holiday home at Scratby and her favourite musician was Nat Gonella. She was a regular at his Sunday shows at Great Yarmouth and formed a fan club for him.
Beryl later went on to sing with him. In fact her last recording with Nat was in Holland during 1997. They both died within a few weeks of each other the following year.
After attending art school she got a job as a shorthand typist and secretary with the Norwich Rhythm Club and then went to work at Cambridge.
Following the Second World War she headed off to London – to hit the big time.
She worked with the big names of the day such as Chris Barber and Humphrey Lyttelton before making her recording debut in 1948.
The audience would love it when she brought out her washboard and sang her heart out. Forming her own group, Beryl’s Backroom Boys, she toured Europe making a name for herself.
She appeared on radio and television before heading to Britain where the kids were going crazy for skiffle.
The king of skiffle was the great Lonnie Donegan and Beryl played the washboard on his smash hit Rock Island Line – a true classic which sold millions of copies.
Beryl went on to release her own Young Woman Blues recorded at a concert in the Royal Festival Hall.
During the 1960s and 1970s she toured the world. At the New Orleans Jazz Festival of 1973 she was made an Honorary Citizen and given the freedom of the city.
A couple of years later she was voted Musician of the Year by the BBC Jazz Society and in Holland during 1978 Beryl was crowned the Queen of Jazz.
She carried on touring far and wide, delighting her fans and new ones with her fabulous stage presence and voice and she would always love coming back to her roots. One of her last performances was at the dear old Norfolk Dumpling in Norwich during May of 1998. She died in July.
Beryl, who never married and lived in London, recorded more than 100 songs with 40 different bands in 12 countries.
We must never forget our Beryl.
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