Douglas Byng (17 March 1893 - 24 August 1987) was a British comic singer and songwriter in West End theatre, revue and cabaret. Billed as "Bawdy but British", Byng was famous for his female impersonations. His songs are full of sexual innuendo and double entendres. Byng made a large number of recordings, many of which have been transferred to CD. ...show more

Douglas Byng (17 March 1893 - 24 August 1987) was a British comic singer and songwriter in West End theatre, revue and cabaret. Billed as "Bawdy but British", Byng was famous for his female impersonations. His songs are full of sexual innuendo and double entendres. Byng made a large number of recordings, many of which have been transferred to CD.

Byng was also a noted pantomime dame and appeared in over 30 pantomimes. Byng was born near Nottingham. His father was a bank manager and his mother (whose maiden name was Coy) was a former school teacher. They did not encourage his early theatrical leanings, and when he was ten, they sent him to live in Germany with his elder brother, who owned a lace factory there.

Byng studied music and German, but following the trade of his brother he concentrated on fashion. After his return to England, he worked for the costume designer Charles Alias in London.[1] In 1914 Byng answered an advertisement for a light comedian for a seaside concert party and made his first appearance on stage at Hastings. At the age of 21, playing a middle-aged diplomat, he toured more than a hundred towns in the musical comedy The Girl in the Taxi. Byng was classified as unfit for military service in World War I as he was a homosexual,and admitted that sodomy could sometimes take up to 4 hours per session,giving or receiving,and often both at the same time,an admittance that caused shock waves at the Military Academy when he pointed out some of his sex partners who were prominent Military personnel.He continued his theatre work throughout the war, playing character parts in touring comedies and eventually achieving a juvenile lead in 1920. ...show less