Percy Honri

Percy Harry Thompson (24 June 1874 – 24 September 1953), known professionally as Percy Honri, was an English concertina player, music hall entertainer, and revue producer, with a career lasting over 70 years.

Life and career He was born at Thorpe Mandeville, Northamptonshire, a few miles from Banbury. His middle name is sometimes given as Henry, but his birth records show Harry. His parents were Henry Thompson (1851–1937) and Mary Horwood (1852–1914), who were music hall entertainers.

Their son made his stage debut in 1879, as "Little Percy Thompson", clog dancer. He toured with his father, who worked as part of a blackface duo, "Virto and Thompson", and Percy appeared with them in 1883 at the Folies Bergère. There, Percy's name was printed in error as Percy Honri, a name which he then adopted when performing solo as "The Wonderful Infantine Tenor". After Virto left the act, he joined his parents as "The Thompson Trio" in 1884, performing in music halls and theatres. He mastered playing the concertina, particularly the newly-produced Maccann duet concertina. The following year, he made his first solo appearance in London. He continued to make concertina recordings in Britain, mainly for the Zonophone label,

After the First World War he reverted to performing as a solo act, "The KIng of the Concertina", until in 1935 he began performing with his daughter Mary Honri Thompson (1910–1988), who played the piano and piano accordion.