Tessie OShea

Singer musician - entertainer

Date of Birth: 13th March 1913

Birth name: Teresa Mary OShea

Place of Birth: Cardiff

Passed away: 21st April 1995

Tessie was trained from the age of 6 as a traditional Music Hall entertainer and billed as The Wonder of Wales. As a teenager she was already famous for her Radio broadcasts on the BBC, where she would sing and accompany herself on the Banjo. She took on the title Two Ton Tessie from Tennessee, as her theme song in the mid 1930s. By the 1950s Tessie had become a well known recording artist, performing concerts at home and abroad. Noel Coward created the role of Ada Cockle, for Tessie in the comedy play The Girl who came to Supper. In 1964 She appeared on the famous American Ed Sullivan TV show, on the same bill as the Beatles. Tessie was a regular on the CBS variety show The Entertainers. In the sixties she appeared in the TV film The strange case of Dr Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, receiving an EMMY for her outstanding performance in best supporting role. Amongst the films she has appeared in are: The Russians are Coming the Russians are Coming, London Town, The Way Ahead, The Blue Lamp, and Bed knobs & Broomsticks, with Angela Lansbury. The name Two Ton Tessie, suited her perfectly with her large physical appearance, larger than life personality, and her Tons of Tallent.