Sam Mayo. 'The Immobile One', was born Sam Cowan but changed his name when he became professional. His brother Edward, known as Ted Cowan another Music Hall performer, recommended him.

Leslie Baker writes:

Whilst playing the Alhambra, Sandgate, Ted suggested to the Manager, Mr. Fisher, that Sam was an 'awfully good comic' and would he a suitable replacement for another artiste who was ill. Apparently Mr. Fisher did not favour the employment of relatives so Ted conjured up the name Mayo, and so it was that Sam Cowan became Sam Mayo, making his professional debut at the Alhambra Sandgate at the age of eighteen.

His original style and impromptu comedy made him a star almost overnight. By 1904 he was established on the Music Halls as Sam Mayo, The Immobile One, singing his droll songs with an expressionless face, a stooping posture and usually wearing a dressing gown and his red wig.

In 1904 he established a record by playing nine performances a night at different Music Halls in London, dashing from one to the other in cabs. He was appearing at the Bedford Music Hall in Camden Town and after the Saturday night performance he was called on stage to be presented by the Manager with a silver cigarette case inscribed "Presented to Sam Mayo by B. Pearce Lucas Esq. of the Bedford Palace to commemorate his having worked nine turns and four matinees in one week. January 21st 1905---Underneath were inscribed the times of his appearances each night ....

Bedford 6.30, Euston 6.50, Royal 7.25,
Tivoli 8.00, Gatti's 8.45, Euston 9.25,
Standard 10.00, Royal 10.25, Bedford 10.50.
With four matinees that made a grand total of 58 performances in the week.

A competent pianist, he composed over two hundred and fifty songs, several of which were recorded between 1904 and 1930. In his memoirs he recalls how he was inspired to write one of his most popular songs... "One summer's day I took my small daughter for a walk on Hampstead Heath. We sat on a seat to rest and the flies began to buzz round our heads. 'Daddy' cried she, giving me a questioning look, 'Where do flies go in the winter time?' That's how another world famous song came into being. I also wrote the answer 'I know where flies go in the winter time.’

He also claimed to hold the record of being billiards and snooker champion of the Variety profession from 1916, a record he was still prepared to defend in 1936.

Sam Mayo died on 31st March 1938, a veritable star of the Music Hall.

His obituary, published in the Times on April 2nd, 1938 records
"...Mr. Sam Mayo, the music-hall comedian whose real name was Cowan, died suddenly on Thursday evening while playing billiards. He was 56. Known as 'The Immobile One' he was an extremely individual performer".

Another contemporary newspaper, the Daily Herald, reported "Millions will regret the death yesterday of Sam Mayo, the perfecter of the now extinct technique of the standstill comedian of old variety days..."

From "Sam Mayo and the Cowans" by Leslie Baker

Details of his family are contained in the Ted Cowen page, just click the link

Other sources:

Sam appeared at Walthamstow Palace in 1905, 1906 and 1907 and was paid £10, £12, £12 for his weekly fee. His agent was Pacey & Reeves in 1905 and by 1906 he had changed to Napoli & Co.

Walthamstow Palace Commission Book

Kilgarriff lists forty eight songs for his repertoir but only twenty two for his entry in the composer and lyricist section.

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