Ella Shields
Ella Shields (born Ella Catherine Buscher; 27 September 1879 – 5 August 1952) was a music hall singer and male-impersonator. Her famous signature song, "Burlington Bertie from Bow", a parody of Vesta Tilley's "Burlington Bertie", written by her third husband, William Hargreaves, was an immediate hit. Though American-born, Shields achieved her greatest success in England. |
Birth and Death Data: Born September 27, 1879 (Baltimore (city in Maryland, United States)), Died August 5, 1952 (Lancaster (county town of Lancashire, England) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1923
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 6498 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | The syncopated wattz | Ella Shields ; Ambrose Thorne | Vocal duet, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 6499 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | Settle down in a one-horse town | Ella Shields | Female vocal solo, with orchestra and chorus | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 6505 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | The simple melody | Annie Rees ; Ella Shields | Vocal duet, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 6509 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | Minstrel parade | Ella Shields | Female vocal solo, with orchestra and chorus | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 6510 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | Discoveries | Ella Shields ; Ambrose Thorne | Vocal duet, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 6511 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | Show us how to do the fox trot | Ella Shields ; Ambrose Thorne | Vocal duet | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 6514 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | Ragtime opera, part 1 | Ella Shields | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 6934 | 12-in. | approximately 1916 | Burlington Bertie from Bow | Ella Shields | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 29579 | 10-in. | approximately 1915 | Burlington Bertie, from Bow | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 29580 | 10-in. | approximately 1915 | Baa-lambs | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 29929 | 10-in. | approximately 1915 | Just one kiss | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 29930 | 10-in. | approximately 1915 | I’m walking round the world | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 65219 | 10-in. | approximately 1916 | I don't admire the girl in white (In the army) | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 65220 | 10-in. | approximately 1916 | Don't say "Goodbye" | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 69243 | 10-in. | approximately 1918 | Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 69244 | 10-in. | approximately 1918 | Coo-ee! | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 71112 | 10-in. | approximately 1921 | Oh, what a difference the Navy's made to me | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 71113 | 10-in. | approximately 1921 | Smith, Jones, Robinson and Brown | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 71244 | 10-in. | approximately 1921 | Margie | Ella Shields | vocalist | ||
| Columbia | 75321 | 12-in. | approximately 1916 | You're a dog-gone dangerous girl | Ella Shields | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 75388 | 12-in. | approximately 1917 | Over the top and good luck to you | Ella Shields | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 76515 | 12-in. | approximately 1919 | Stick to London Town | Ella Shields | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 76516 | 12-in. | approximately 1919 | The King's navee | Ella Shields | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Shields, Ella," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/353575.
Shields, Ella. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/353575.
"Shields, Ella." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Shields, Ella - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006122646
Wikidata: Ella Shields - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5364565
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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