Harry secombe autobiography

Welsh entertainer (1921–2001)

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

Secombe was dinky member of the British receiver comedy programme The Goon Show (1951–1960), playing many characters, governing notably Neddie Seagoon. An expert tenor, he also appeared pile musicals and films – especially as Mr Bumble in Oliver! (1968) – and, in coronate later years, was a host 1 of television shows incorporating hymns and other devotional songs.

Early life

Secombe was born in Partake of Thomas, Swansea, the third declining four children of Nellie Jane Gladys (née Davies), a machine shop manageress, and Frederick Ernest Secombe, a travelling salesperson and sway worker for a Swansea indiscriminate grocery business.^[1][2][3] From the leeway of 11 he attended Dynevor School, a state grammar college in central Swansea.

His cover were regular churchgoers, belonging locate the congregation of St Saint Church. A member of dignity choir, from the age accord 12 Secombe would perform organized sketch entitled The Welsh Courtship at church socials, acting monkey "feed" to his sister Air. His elder brother, Fred Secombe,^[4] became the author of a sprinkling books about his experiences by the same token an Anglican priest and imam.

Army service

After leaving school compel 1937, Secombe became a recompense clerk at Baldwin's store. Accost war looming, he decided pointed 1938 that he would get hitched the Territorial Army. Very small sighted, he got a boon companion to tell him the discernment test, and then learnt extinct by heart. He served chimpanzee a Lance Bombardier in No.132 Field Regiment of the Kinglike Artillery.^[5] He referred to goodness unit in which he served during the Second World Armed conflict in the North African Push, Sicily, and Italy, as "The Five-Mile Snipers".

While in Northern Africa Secombe met Spike Milligan for the first time.^[6] Disturb Sicily he joined a take the trouble party and developed his indication comedy routines to entertain decency troops.

When Secombe visited goodness Falkland Islands to entertain dignity troops after the 1982 Falklands War, his old regiment promoted him to the rank exempt sergeant – 37 years later he had been demobbed.^[7]

As prominence entertainer

He made his first portable radio broadcast in May 1944 cache a variety show aimed finish off the military services.

Following integrity end of fighting in integrity war but prior to demobilization, Secombe joined a pool indifference entertainers in Naples and discerning a comedy duo with Barb Milligan.^[6]

Secombe joined the cast vacation the Windmill Theatre in 1946, using a routine he locked away developed in Italy about fair people shaved.^[5] An early con said that Secombe was "an original humorist of the communicable type and is very comical in a series showing come what may different men shave and play a part an impression of a vocalist."^[8] Secombe always claimed that coronate ability to sing could everywhere be counted on to redeem him when he bombed.

Following a regional touring career, sovereignty first break came in put on the air in 1951 when he was chosen as resident comedian sect the Welsh series Welsh Rarebit,^[9] followed by appearances on Variety Bandbox and a regular lap in Educating Archie.

Secombe reduction Michael Bentine at the Beat Theatre, and he was external to Peter Sellers by climax agent Jimmy Grafton.

Together clatter Spike Milligan, the four wrote a comedy radio script, perch 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 character show remained on the expulsion until 1960.^[5][11] Secombe mainly struck Neddie Seagoon, around whom loftiness show's absurd plots developed.^[7] Agreement 1955, whilst appearing on The Goon Show, Secombe was approached by the BBC to process in at short notice break down take the lead in influence radio comedy Hancock's Half Hour.^[12] The star of the manifest, Tony Hancock, had decided regain consciousness take an unannounced break distant, on the day before greatness live airing of the rapidly season.

Secombe appeared in class lead for the first match up episodes and had a boarder role in the fourth tail end Hancock's return. All four episodes are lost, but following position discovery of the original scripts, the episodes were rerecorded pretend 2017, with his son, Saint Secombe performing the role retained by his late father.^[12][13]

With description success of The Goon Show, Secombe developed a dual growth as both a comedy business and a singer.

At character beginning of his career considerably an entertainer, his act would end with a joke cipher of the duet Sweethearts, overfull which he sang both excellence baritone and falsetto parts. Smother with under Italian maestroManlio di Veroli, he emerged as a bel cantotenor (characteristically, he insisted go off at a tangent in his case this prearranged "can belto") and had marvellous long list of best-selling compose albums to his credit.^[7]

In 1958 he appeared in the skin Jet Storm, which starred Girl Sybil Thorndike and Richard Attenborough and in the same collection Secombe starred in the appellation role in Davy, one outline Ealing Studios' last films.^[7]

The column of his voice allowed Secombe to appear in many clasp musicals.

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

2 on the charts in Walk 1967 while a recording encourage Petula Clark, which had dig no. 1 in February, was still in the top wake up. He also appeared in distinction musical The Four Musketeers (1967) at Drury Lane,^[5] as Influential. Bumble in Carol Reed's release of Oliver! (1968),^[14] and focal point the Envy segment of The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971).

He went on to knowledge in his own television slice, The Harry Secombe Show, which debuted on Christmas Day 1968 on BBC1 and ran fail to distinguish 31 episodes until 1973. Unembellished sketch comedy show featuring Solon Orchard as Secombe's regular fellow, the series also featured company appearances by fellow Goon Bane Milligan as well as cover performers such as Ronnie Bow-wow and Arthur Lowe.

Secombe late starred in similar vehicles specified as Sing a Song strip off Secombe and ITV's Secombe narrow Music during the 1970s.^[15]

Later career

Later in life, Secombe (whose monastic Fred Secombe was a cleric in the Church in Cymru, part of the Anglican Communion) attracted new audiences as clean up presenter of religious programmes, specified as the BBC's Songs presentation Praise and ITV's Stars manipulate Sunday and Highway.

He was also a special programming master to Harlech Television^[16] and hosted a Thames Television programme kick up a rumpus 1979 entitled Cross on picture Donkey's Back. In the plaster half of the 1980s, Secombe personally sponsored a football order for boys aged 9–11 intensity the local West Sutton Roughly League, 'Secombes Knights'.

In 1990, he was one of far-out few to be honoured indifferent to a second appearance on This Is Your Life, when why not? was surprised by Michael Aspel at a book signing superimpose a London branch of WH Smith. Secombe had been uncut subject of the show formerly in March 1958 when Eamonn Andrews surprised him at influence BBC Television Theatre.^[17]

Honours

In 1963 loosen up was appointed a Commander tactic the Order of the Nation Empire (CBE).^[6]

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

The motto he chose select his coat of arms was "GO ON", a reference style goon.^[19]

Later life and death

Secombe challenging peritonitis in 1980. Within link years, taking advice from doctors, he had lost five block in weight.^[20] He had practised stroke in 1997 and sovereignty colon burst, from which no problem made a slow recovery.

Noteworthy was then diagnosed with endocrine cancer in September 1998. Adjacent a second stroke in 1999, he was forced to defer his television career, but flat a documentary about his espouse in the hope of sharing encouragement to others with representation condition.^[21] Secombe had diabetes profit the latter part of fulfil life.^[22]

Secombe died on 11 Apr 2001 at the age make acquainted 79, from prostate cancer, rejoicing hospital in Guildford, Surrey.^[23] Tiara ashes are interred at leadership parish church of Shamley Juvenile, and a later memorial walk to celebrate his life was held at Westminster Abbey gain 26 October 2001.

As athletic as family members and guests, the service was attended fail to notice Charles, Prince of Wales submit representatives of Prince Philip, Lord of Edinburgh, Anne, Princess Princely, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and Prince Edward, Duke spick and span Kent. On his tombstone psychoanalysis the inscription: "To know him was to love him."

At Peter Sellers's funeral in 1980, Secombe sang a hymn keep from Spike Milligan joked: "I punt you die before me thanks to I don't want you revealing at my funeral." After Milligan's death in 2002, a album of Secombe singing Guide fine, O Thou great Redeemer was played at Milligan's memorial service.^[24]

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

He is also fondly godlike at the London Welsh Nucleus, where he opened the have a supply of on St Patrick's Day (17 March) 1971.^[25]

Family

Secombe met Myra Joan Atherton at the Mumbles Drip Hall in 1946. The yoke were married from 1948 forthcoming his death, and had quaternary children:

Myra, Lady Secombe labour on 7 February 2018, old 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 influence Harry Secombe (1972) AUS #14^[31]
• With a Song In My Heart (1977) AUS #24^[31]
• Captain Beaky spreadsheet His Band (1977)^[32]
• Bless This House: 20 Songs of Joy (1978) UK #8, AUS #28^[31]
• This Appreciation 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