Jenny Howard

She began her career in London music hall shows and married Percy King, who subsequently became her manager. Beginning her career in England, she initially became known as 'the poor man's Gracie Fields,' mimicking Gracie Fields during stage performances and recording versions of her songs, frequently issuing these recordings on less expensive labels following Gracie’s own releases. Critics noted this comparison.

Howard and Percy King moved to Australia in 1929 and performed together on the Tivoli circuit. They returned to Australia in 1940, settling in Bondi, and remained there for the rest of her life. During World War II, she raised significant funds for Britain and entertained Allied troops in Korea several times in the 1950s, including a tour in 1954. She also performed in concert party tours to Papua New Guinea during the war and frequently appeared on radio variety programs. She interrupted The Crazy Show on May 27, 1941, to announce the sinking of the Bismarck.

Howard’s career encompassed a wide range of performances. Featuring in Tivoli productions, she worked alongside George Wallace, who composed 'A Brown Slouch Hat' specifically for her; she repeatedly presented this song onstage, including for military personnel stationed at army camps. The song was initially written for ‘Bubby’ Allan and later popularized on radio by Joy Nichols. She specialized as a pantomime 'principal boy,' frequently appearing in productions like Babes In the Woods , Robin Hood , Peter Pan , Aladdin And His Wonderful Lamp , Dick Whittington and His Cat , and Jack And The Beanstalk . During a tour with The Jenny Howard Show, part of the Sorlie Revue company, she performed in Canberra in 1953 alongside acrobatic clowns The Flying Warrens and June Daunt. Similarly, in Broken Hill in 1955, her performances included appearances with circus acts The Myrons and The Muracs, vocalists The Bridges Sisters, and dancers The Sadler Twins. She was described as ‘Australia’s favourite English entertainer’. In 1979, Jenny and Percy toured Australia again on the Tivoli circuit. Her first show was Fun’s A Buzzin with Dixie Rose, Honest John Gilbert, and Connie Chalmers. Later in her career, she played Bertha in the stage musical Pippin in 1974 and performed at Orton’s Music Hall in Surfers Paradise, singing 'Nobody Loves A Fairy When She’s 40’. Jenny Howard passed away in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, in 1996, having reached the age of 94. Articles about her and 'A Brown Slouch Hat' appeared in On Stage (March 2023) and the Australian Journal of Biography and History later in 2023; she is also included in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, which now includes sound recordings. Occasionally labeled as an 'incorrigible liar' or a 'relentless self-publicist,' she revived ‘A Brown Slouch Hat,’ forty years after its creation, at a live concert accompanied by the Duntroon Military Band.