Sims Reeves, the one-time famous Scottish vocalist, is another star of whom I entertain lively recollections. When he was in his hey-day, he was quite the greatest “draw” amongst solo artistes in the West of Scotland. But he was a gey difficult customer to handle, and often enough landed the organisers of the concerts for which he was booked in a sore pickle. I remember him as a man of many peculiarities which, how-ever pleasing they might have been to himself, were a source of considerable annoyance to others.... [H]is greatest peculiarity was that he would never sing in public unless he was in perfect voice—and only he was permitted to be the judge. It was this latter idiosyncracy that so often gave concert organisers heartburn. He was never done disappointing them, and, indeed, things became so bad latterly that the great fear with concert promoters was not that Sims Reeves would fail to turn up, but that he would positively appear and so spoil all their arrangements for announcing that he wouldn’t!.... Reeves’ favourite songs were “Come into the Garden Maud," and “My Pretty Jane,” and as far as I know he was in the habit of getting £40 to £50 a night, which usually meant him singing a matter of three or four ballads.... On one occasion he sang “Come into the Garden Maud” to a Glasgow audience, and so enthusiastic were his listeners that, like Oliver Twist, they daringly asked for more. They shouted for “My Pretty Jane,” as an encore, applauded incessantly, and would not resume their places. Meanwhile Sims Reeves had left the platform, and now stood in the ante-room with his coat on, ready for the road. He was quite unconcerned. The secretary of the meeting, anxious to placate the roaring patrons, hastily sought him out there and asked him what his terms would be for another song, say, “My Pretty Jane.” Sims Reeves said five guineas, and the money was paid over forthwith. The crowded hall nearly collapsed with enthusiasm when the singer reappeared on the platform. But the unexpected was in store for them. After singing one verse only of his ballad, Sims Reeves walked off and left the hall unseen! In vain the audience clamoured for his return.... Presently, however, it leaked out that Sims Reeves had left the building, and in their fury at the manner in which they had been tricked, as they thought, they then set about smashing up the furniture. << less