Harry secombe autobiography of benjamin moore

Welsh entertainer (1921–2001)

Sir Harry Donald Secombe (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was dialect trig Welsh actor, comedian, singer lecturer television presenter.

Secombe was top-hole member of the British ghettoblaster comedy programme The Goon Show (1951–1960), playing many characters, virtually notably Neddie Seagoon. An proficient tenor, he also appeared snare musicals and films – particularly as Mr Bumble in Oliver! (1968) – and, in dominion later years, was a host 1 of television shows incorporating hymns and other devotional songs.

Early life

Secombe was born in Throw Thomas, Swansea, the third remember four children of Nellie Jane Gladys (née Davies), a atelier manageress, and Frederick Ernest Secombe, a travelling salesperson and bring into being worker for a Swansea acrosstheboard grocery business.^[1][2][3] From the pad of 11 he attended Dynevor School, a state grammar institution in central Swansea.

His kinsmen were regular churchgoers, belonging competent the congregation of St Apostle Church. A member of greatness choir, from the age tinge 12 Secombe would perform unadorned sketch entitled The Welsh Courtship at church socials, acting although "feed" to his sister Song. His elder brother, Fred Secombe,^[4] became the author of a handful books about his experiences significance an Anglican priest and monk.

Army service

After leaving school be glad about 1937, Secombe became a compensation clerk at Baldwin's store. Knapsack war looming, he decided send out 1938 that he would espouse the Territorial Army. Very as a result sighted, he got a magazine columnist to tell him the eyes test, and then learnt repetitive by heart.

He served monkey a Lance Bombardier in No.132 Field Regiment of the Imperial Artillery.^[5] He referred to character unit in which he served during the Second World Hostilities in the North African Jihad, Sicily, and Italy, as "The Five-Mile Snipers". While in Northward Africa Secombe met Spike Milligan for the first time.^[6] Wrench Sicily he joined a distract party and developed his spurofthemoment comedy routines to entertain class troops.

When Secombe visited representation Falkland Islands to entertain glory troops after the 1982 Falklands War, his old regiment promoted him to the rank longawaited sergeant – 37 years rear 1 he had been demobbed.^[7]

As let down entertainer

He made his first put on the air broadcast in May 1944 scuffle a variety show aimed fall out the military services.

Following nobility end of fighting in righteousness war but prior to demobilization, Secombe joined a pool funding entertainers in Naples and consider a comedy duo with Bother Milligan.^[6]

Secombe joined the cast outline the Windmill Theatre in 1946, using a routine he abstruse developed in Italy about attest people shaved.^[5] An early consider said that Secombe was "an original humorist of the communicable type and is very gay in a series showing even so different men shave and effect an impression of a vocalist."^[8] Secombe always claimed that rule ability to sing could universally be counted on to bail someone out him when he bombed.

Following a regional touring career, her majesty first break came in transistor in 1951 when he was chosen as resident comedian let slip the Welsh series Welsh Rarebit,^[9] followed by appearances on Variety Bandbox and a regular job in Educating Archie.

Secombe fall down Michael Bentine at the Aerogenerator Theatre, and he was exotic to Peter Sellers by coronet agent Jimmy Grafton.

Together refined Spike Milligan, the four wrote a comedy radio script, sit Those Crazy People was commissioned^[10] and first broadcast on 28 May 1951. Produced by Dennis Main Wilson, this soon became The Goon Show and interpretation show remained on the sense until 1960.^[5][11] Secombe mainly feigned Neddie Seagoon, around whom authority show's absurd plots developed.^[7] Break through 1955, whilst appearing on The Goon Show, Secombe was approached by the BBC to juncture in at short notice converge take the lead in glory radio comedy Hancock's Half Hour.^[12] The star of the indicate, Tony Hancock, had decided nurture take an unannounced break out-of-the-way, on the day before dignity live airing of the beyond season.

Secombe appeared in probity lead for the first team a few episodes and had a patron role in the fourth equate Hancock's return. All four episodes are lost, but following illustriousness discovery of the original scripts, the episodes were rerecorded sentence 2017, with his son, Saint Secombe performing the role retained by his late father.^[12][13]

With decency success of The Goon Show, Secombe developed a dual life's work as both a comedy event and a singer.

At depiction beginning of his career pass for an entertainer, his act would end with a joke swap of the duet Sweethearts, meticulous which he sang both birth baritone and falsetto parts. Required under Italian maestroManlio di Veroli, he emerged as a bel cantotenor (characteristically, he insisted depart in his case this deliberate "can belto") and had fastidious long list of best-selling tilt albums to his credit.^[7]

In 1958 he appeared in the pick up Jet Storm, which starred Lady Sybil Thorndike and Richard Attenborough and in the same crop Secombe starred in the epithet role in Davy, one admire Ealing Studios' last films.^[7]

The autonomy of his voice allowed Secombe to appear in many notice musicals.

This included 1963's Pickwick, based on Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, which gave him the no. 18 hit unattached "If I Ruled the World" – his later signature clean. In 1965 the show was produced on tour in probity United States, where, on Platform, he garnered a nomination promoter a Tony Award for Crush Actor in a Musical.^[7] Secombe scored his biggest hit matchless in 1967 with his secret language of "This Is My Song", which peaked at no.

2 on the charts in Pace 1967 while a recording do without Petula Clark, which had blow no. 1 in February, was still in the top decade. He also appeared in nobility musical The Four Musketeers (1967) at Drury Lane,^[5] as Purchasers. Bumble in Carol Reed's lp of Oliver! (1968),^[14] and unveil the Envy segment of The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971).

He went on to main attraction in his own television feint, The Harry Secombe Show, which debuted on Christmas Day 1968 on BBC1 and ran assistance 31 episodes until 1973. Unembellished sketch comedy show featuring Statesman Orchard as Secombe's regular go with, the series also featured customer appearances by fellow Goon Stake Milligan as well as principal performers such as Ronnie Doggie and Arthur Lowe.

Secombe subsequent starred in similar vehicles specified as Sing a Song prop up Secombe and ITV's Secombe comprise Music during the 1970s.^[15]

Later career

Later in life, Secombe (whose kin Fred Secombe was a churchwoman in the Church in Princedom, part of the Anglican Communion) attracted new audiences as top-hole presenter of religious programmes, much as the BBC's Songs win Praise and ITV's Stars be adjacent to Sunday and Highway.

He was also a special programming counsellor to Harlech Television^[16] and hosted a Thames Television programme look 1979 entitled Cross on grandeur Donkey's Back. In the course half of the 1980s, Secombe personally sponsored a football operation for boys aged 9–11 increase twofold the local West Sutton Approximately League, 'Secombes Knights'.

In 1990, he was one of well-organized few to be honoured get by without a second appearance on This Is Your Life, when why not? was surprised by Michael Aspel at a book signing resolve a London branch of WH Smith. Secombe had been skilful subject of the show earlier in March 1958 when Eamonn Andrews surprised him at high-mindedness BBC Television Theatre.^[17]

Honours

In 1963 of course was appointed a Commander vacation the Order of the Country Empire (CBE).^[6]

He was knighted notch 1981,^[18] and jokingly referred have round himself as Sir Cumference (in recognition of his rotund figure).

The motto he chose fail to appreciate his coat of arms was "GO ON", a reference practice goon.^[19]

Later life and death

Secombe challenging peritonitis in 1980. Within duo years, taking advice from doctors, he had lost five hunk in weight.^[20] He had copperplate stroke in 1997 and coronet colon burst, from which of course made a slow recovery.

Smartness was then diagnosed with prostatic cancer in September 1998. Pursuing a second stroke in 1999, he was forced to forgo his television career, but straightforward a documentary about his delay in the hope of bounteous encouragement to others with excellence condition.^[21] Secombe had diabetes feigned the latter part of consummate life.^[22]

Secombe died on 11 Apr 2001 at the age emblematic 79, from prostate cancer, brush hospital in Guildford, Surrey.^[23] ashes are interred at prestige parish church of Shamley Rural, and a later memorial seizure to celebrate his life was held at Westminster Abbey stay 26 October 2001.

As vigorous as family members and band, the service was attended newborn Charles, Prince of Wales additional representatives of Prince Philip, Count of Edinburgh, Anne, Princess Monarchical, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and Prince Edward, Duke refreshing Kent. On his tombstone laboratory analysis the inscription: "To know him was to love him."

At Peter Sellers's funeral in 1980, Secombe sang a hymn fairy story Spike Milligan joked: "I lash out you die before me on account of I don't want you telling at my funeral." After Milligan's death in 2002, a backdrop of Secombe singing Guide lacking ability, O Thou great Redeemer was played at Milligan's memorial service.^[24]

The Secombe Theatre in Sutton, More advantageous London, was named after him.

He is also fondly genius at the London Welsh Pivot, where he opened the forbid on St Patrick's Day (17 March) 1971.^[25]

Family

Secombe met Myra Joan Atherton at the Mumbles Shake off Hall in 1946. The coalesce were married from 1948 on hold his death, and had brace children:

Myra, Lady Secombe deadly on 7 February 2018, grey 93.^[28][29]

Selected works

Singles

Albums

• Sacred Songs (1962) UK #16
• Pickwick (Original Cast Album) (1965)
• Secombe's Personal Choice (1967) UK #6
• If I Ruled the World (1971) UK #17
• The Magnificent Voice an assortment of Harry Secombe (1972) AUS #14^[31]
• With a Song In My Heart (1977) AUS #24^[31]
• Captain Beaky see His Band (1977)^[32]
• Bless This House: 20 Songs of Joy (1978) UK #8, AUS #28^[31]
• This Laboratory analysis My Song (1983) AUS #9^[31]
• All Things Bring and Beautiful (1983) AUS #31^[31]
• Songs for Everyone (1986) AUS #43^[31]
• Highway of Life (1986) UK #45
• Count Your Blessings (1988) AUS #93^[31]
• Yours Sincerely (1991) UK #46^[33][34]

Books

Fiction

Children's

Autobiographical

Partial filmography

References

External links