Pearl Carr born 2 November 1921

Pearl Lavinia Carr (born 2 November 1921) and Edward Victor "Teddy" Johnson (born 4 September 1919) are an English husband-and-wife team of entertainers, popular during the 1950s and early 1960s.

Carr was born in Exmouth, Devon, while Johnson was born in Surbiton, Surrey. They were both successful solo singers before their marriage in 1955.

Pearl’s father owned a fish and chip shop, but her mother was a singer and dancer who also ran a private dancing school. Pearl soon discovered she had a talent for tap-dancing. She joined the troupe “Terry’s Juveniles” and later became a “Cochran Young Lady” and appeared at His majesty’s Theatre in “Big Top” with Beatrice Lillie , Fred Emney and Patricia Burke.

Following this, Pearl moved to the Palladium as one of Dorothe Morrow’s Three In harmony, to appear in the Tommy Trinder revue “Best Bib & Tucker.” Pearl also started touring the Astoria Cinema chain doing solo work with various bands includingLew Stone, Phil Green and Laslie Douglas.

It was with Douglas’s orchestra that Pearl made her first recording in 1947 of two music hall songs. She was also increasingly busy with broadcasting work, appearing with bands of Maurice Winnick and Cyril Stapleton. She was voted top female singer of the year 1950/51 with the popular music magazine Melody maker. She also appeared on 'Educating Archie' in 1951.

Carr had been lead singer with the Keynotes, who had two British hits in 1956 with Dave King: "Memories Are Made of This" (#5) and "You Can't Be True To Two" (#11). She also was a popular radio singer and comedian on Bernard Braden's Bedtime With Braden radio show.

Johnson had led his own teenage band, was a professional drummer and a recording artist for Columbia in the early 1950s. He also was a DJ on Radio Luxembourg and later on BBC Radio 2, and had appeared in television shows such as the BBC's children's
Crackerjack.

The pair were frequently on British television light entertainment programmes, such as The Winifred Atwell Show as well as Big Night Out and Blackpool Night Out. They represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 and finished second with the song "Sing, Little Birdie". This peaked at #12 on the UK Singles Chart. 
 

They also tried to represent the United Kingdom again in 1960 entering two songs into the pre-selection, "Pickin' Petals" and "When The Tide Turns", the latter making the final. It was up against Johnson's own brother, Bryan. In the end Bryan won and went on to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960. He also came second, with the song "Looking High, High, High". Carr and Johnson released another single the following year entitled, "How Wonderful To Know", which charted at #23 in the UK.

 

 

  They remained a popular act on the variety circuit into the 1980s. In 1983 they were recipients of the Gold Badge of merit from the British Acadamy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. In 1986, the two were the subject of an edition of This Is Your Life. After this success finished, they appeared in a West End revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies. playing the roles of "Wally and Emily Whitman" and performing the song "Rain on the roof" 

Pearl Carr (now 95) and Teddy Johnson (now 97) both live in Brinsworth House, a home for retired entertainers.

(Info various, mainly edited from Wikipedia & an article from the British Music Hall Society by Geoff Bowden)

Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson sing a host of Cockney songs including "My Old Man Said Follow The Van". 1961