How the first ever pop star blazed a trail of innovation

May 25, 2022 11:33 AM

Yet in his own lifetime – and indeed for half a century after his death – Dibdin was no one-hit wonder, but a hugely prolific, extremely famous figure. He performed in operas and then wrote his own, composed more than a thousand songs, toured one-man shows around the country, and opened his own London theatre. He penned several novels and a five-volume history of theatre. His own autobiography also stretched to four volumes – the largest memoir of the period, and a good indication of Dibdin's remarkable facility for self-promotion.

By Holly Williams.

posted by smcg (3 comments total)

That is really neat.

It’s not so bad that his fame faded given that he had some when he wanted it, and the descent of his work through G&S means it’s alive still.
posted by clew at 12:06 PM on May 25, 2022

Every popular creative person becomes a one-hit wonder over a long enough timespan. That's if they're lucky.
posted by jscalzi at 4:15 PM on May 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

Very cool story.
posted by bleep at 8:33 PM on May 25, 2022