Joseph Tabrar (5 November 1857 – 22 August 1931) was a prolific English writer of popular music hall songs. His song "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow" (1892) became Vesta Victoria's first major popular success.
Biography
thumb|right|[[Sheet music for Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow 1892]]
Tabrar was born in Clerkenwell, London; his father was a gas fitter, George Tabrar. Joseph Tabrar began his musical career in the church choir. By the age of 13 he was singing at Evans Music-and-Supper Rooms. He performed in music halls as a clown and acrobat as well as a musician, and for some years was a member of the Moore and Burgess Minstrels who performed regularly at St James's Hall in Piccadilly. His brother Tom and sister Lizzie also became music hall entertainers.
His 1892 song "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow" was originally written for Ada Reeve, but when Vesta Victoria heard it she immediately started to perform it, to great success. His other successes included "The Ship Went Down" (1898, performed by Harry Rickards), "For Months and Months and Months" (1909, performed by Jack Smiles), as well as many songs performed by Charles Godfrey, Marie Lloyd, George Robey, and others.
He established his office in Stamford Street, Waterloo. Over 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. In 1916, a second benefit concert was arranged to provide financial support, but it was poorly attended.