William Parrott was born in
Hull, Yorkshire. He sang in clubs and small halls in the
north of England from the age of ten, and then served in the Army during the
Boer War. After leaving military service he worked as a policeman, but continued to perform and made his first stage appearance in London in 1902,
billed as Jock McIver, "Scottish Comedian and Vocalist". In 1906 he performed as Will McIvor . In the
1911 census, he was recorded as Will McIvor, music hall artiste, lodging in
Putney, London with Minnie Lindley. She had been born in
Batley into a prominent
West Riding family, the daughter of Ann and Joseph Talbot . According to press obituaries, she had been wedded to William Lindley, with three young daughters, before marrying O'Farrell, and they remained married for about forty years. After several years of modest success as Will (or Jock) McIver, At one point he was billed as "The greatest Irish entertainer of all time". From about 1920, he made many recordings, mostly for
Imperial Records, including "That Old Fashioned Mother Of Mine" (1920), "
My Mammy" (1924), and "
Charmaine" (1927). He made his first radio broadcast in 1927, and appeared frequently on
BBC radio variety shows in later years. He made a successful living prior to 1928, when he was worth £10,000 (), and in 1930 he served as 'King Rat' of the show business charity, the
Grand Order of Water Rats. The
worldwide depression severely reduced his income from the theatre, and he was bankrupt by 1933. He acted in several films; notably,
Born Lucky (1933),
Rose of Tralee (two films, of
1937 and of
1942) and
Little Dolly Daydream (1938). In 1938, he appeared in two episodes of the
BBC Television live variety show Cabaret. In 1939, he appeared with
Hetty King,
Harry Tate,
G. H. Elliott and others in the show
Their Names Made Variety, first performed at the
Holborn Empire which then toured nationally. During the Second World War, he worked for the
Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). After the end of the war, he again toured as part of a variety package of old-time music hall stars, in
Thanks for the Memory, produced by
Don Ross. According to
Richard Anthony Baker, O'Farrell insisted on top billing and the best dressing room, but after this was refused he toured nonetheless. As part of the show, O'Farrell performed in the 1948 Royal Variety Performance. By the time of his wife's death in 1949, the two were living in a flat at Gordon Mansions,
Fitzrovia. He died at
University College Hospital, London, in 1952, aged 74. == Partial discography ==