Background
Tabrar was born into a family of stage people. His father was George Tabrar.
Tabrar was born into a family of stage people. His father was George Tabrar.
Tabrar began his musical career in the church choir. By the age of 13 he was singing at Evans Music-and-Supper Rooms. He later became a bell hanger and a plumber.
During his 60-year songwriting career, Tabrar wrote thousands of songs, many of them written to order.
He is known to have written 7,200 songs, but claimed to have written more than twice that number. Joseph also wrote and composed songs for pantomimes performed at the Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel, including: Little Red Riding Hood, 1884 Cinderella, 1892 Sindbad the Sailor, 1893 Whittington and His Cat, 1895 Jack and the Beanstalk, 1897 Joseph"s children included comic and music hall performer Fred Earle (real name also Joseph Tabrar).
Tabrar is buried in the former VABF memorial at Streatham Park Cemetery, which has being restored by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.