Nan Gray

Scottish songs and singing.

"Don't Say I Told You," "A Featherbed in Scotland Is a Haystack Over Here," "Come Back and Tickler Me," 'When the Bonnie Bonnie Heather Is Blooming," and "Roaming in the Gloaming."

Nan Gray is a brunet, a bit buxom in general appearance, tut hot so built. It may be her Scotch costumes that leave this impression. While she sings Scotch songs that are Scotch and remains in Scotch dress throughout, she leaves another impression, that she at home is more Irish than Scotch. But she does the Scotch numbers quite well in more the small than the big time way, however, and sort of insured herself through accumulating a group of those catchy little Scotch melodies that somehow do carry a jingle you like. Toward the end Miss Gray sang "Don't Say I Told You," and while doing it very well, it had a bluish haze that could not be mistaken. Her songs in order given were "A Featherbed in Scotland Is a Haystack Over Here," "Come Back and Tickle Me," "When the Bonnie Bonnie Heather Is Blooming," "Don't Say I Told You " "Roaming in the Gloaming" (Lauder). Miss Gray's Scotch accent seemed to hold rather well, but it was tinctured by an Irish touch of brogue that even did it more good. Later, in the "Don't Say" number Miss Gray seemed to favor the brogue rather than the accent That is not so important maybe, but it leaves still another impression, that this girl can do two styles of acts, Scotch or Irish, doing each equally well, but whether well enough for big time is problematical. She should do on early in a small big time house and get away nicely on the better small time. She looks like an act that could make a showing on a middle western bills, according to what those bills out there play and what comes east to try out from that territory. If Miss Gray is actually new as a single, such a trip as that would not do her bit of harm. She might pick up many of the little tricks "singles" acquire for their stage promotion in vaudeville.

Variety, 54:8 (04/18/1919)