Mark Sheridan

Mark Sheridan (11 September 1864 – 15 January 1918), born Frederick Shaw, was an English music hall comedian and singer.

He recorded more than fifty songs during a ten-year period, including "One of the Bhoys" (1910), "Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser" (1914) and "I'd Like to Shake Shakespeare" (1915).

In 1917, Sheridan wrote and composed the musical burlesque, Gay Paree, which he performed with a London theatre company and later toured the northern provinces including Scotland.

[5] Two years later, he travelled to Australia[3] and appeared on the Harry Rickards circuit, where he started a double act with his wife called "The Sheridans".

This led to performances as a principal boy in countless pantomimes across the country and further recordings, including "One of the Bhoys" (1910), "Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser" (1914), "Here We Are Again" (1914) and "I'd Like to Shake Shakespeare" (1915).

He wrote and personally financed Gay Paree, a musical burlesque show based on W. G. Wills West End favourite, A Royal Divorce.

[3] Devastated by the critics' reviews for Gay Paree, Sheridan entered Kelvingrove Park on 15 January 1918 and killed himself with a single gunshot to the head.

[3][10] He was buried in Cathcart Cemetery on 18 January 1918, leaving his wife Maude, their three sons Billy, Fred and Jack, and two daughters Francis and Freda.