Gracie Fields was a highly successful, singer and entertainer and actress.  She lived in this house, Blue Tiles’, when she had it built between 1931 1nd 1935.

She was born in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1898. She performed in music halls from childhood. She gained fame from playing the role of Sally Perkins in a touring revue called ‘Mr Tower of London’ (1918-25).  In the 1920s she performed in London almost continuously and rose to become one of the greatest stars of the era. She was hugely popular across the country  with an act of comedy songs, including ‘The Biggest Aspidistra in the World’ and ballads such as ‘My Blue Heaven’. By 1928 she was affectionately known as our Gracie.

She gave five command performances between 1928 and 1964. She worked in radio, film and television and became internationally famous.  In 1937 she signed a deal with Twentieth Century Fox that was billed ‘as the highest salary ever paid to a human being’.  The following year she was awarded a CBE and the ‘Freedom of Rochdale’.  During the war she performed to troops around the world.  She made her final appearance in London in 1978  at the Royal Variety Performance.  In 1979 she was made a Dame, she died later that year in Capri.