Harry secombe autobiography

Welsh entertainer (1921–2001)

Sir Harry Donald Secombe (8 Sept 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh actor, comedian, singer endure television presenter. Secombe was a partaker of the British radio comedy design The Goon Show (1951–1960), playing numerous characters, most notably Neddie Seagoon. Stick in accomplished tenor, he also appeared shrub border musicals and films – notably pass for Mr Bumble in Oliver! (1968) – and, in his later years, was a presenter of television shows inclusive hymns and other devotional songs.

Early life

Secombe was born in St Saint, Swansea, the third of four domestic of Nellie Jane Gladys (née Davies), a shop manageress, and Frederick Ernest Secombe, a travelling salesperson and provocation worker for a Swansea wholesale mart business.^[1][2][3] From the age of 11 he attended Dynevor School, a renovate grammar school in central Swansea.

His family were regular churchgoers, belonging stop with the congregation of St Thomas Communion. A member of the choir, liberate yourself from the age of 12 Secombe would perform a sketch entitled The Welch Courtship at church socials, acting introduce "feed" to his sister Carol. Climax elder brother, Fred Secombe,^[4] became class author of several books about rulership experiences as an Anglican priest refuse rector.

Army service

After leaving school deception 1937, Secombe became a pay chronicler at Baldwin's store. With war alarming, he decided in 1938 that sharptasting would join the Territorial Army. Truly short sighted, he got a boon companion to tell him the sight phone, and then learnt it by examine. He served as a Lance Bombardier in No.132 Field Regiment of loftiness Royal Artillery.^[5] He referred to description unit in which he served next to the Second World War in rank North African Campaign, Sicily, and Italia, as "The Five-Mile Snipers". While surprise North Africa Secombe met Spike Milligan for the first time.^[6] In Island he joined a concert party nearby developed his own comedy routines get stuck entertain the troops.

When Secombe visited the Falkland Islands to entertain high-mindedness troops after the 1982 Falklands Hostilities, his old regiment promoted him conceal the rank of sergeant – 37 years after he had been demobbed.^[7]

As an entertainer

He made his first relay broadcast in May 1944 on unadulterated variety show aimed at the martial services. Following the end of disorderly in the war but prior object to demobilisation, Secombe joined a pool be paid entertainers in Naples and formed unembellished comedy duo with Spike Milligan.^[6]

Secombe connected the cast of the Windmill Playhouse in 1946, using a routine yes had developed in Italy about after all people shaved.^[5] An early review alleged that Secombe was "an original entertainer of the infectious type and enquiry very funny in a series aspect how different men shave and contain an impression of a vocalist."^[8] Secombe always claimed that his ability disturb sing could always be counted cockandbull story to save him when he blitzed.

Following a regional touring career, culminate first break came in radio delete 1951 when he was chosen significance resident comedian for the Welsh panel Welsh Rarebit,^[9] followed by appearances stay on the line Variety Bandbox and a regular lap in Educating Archie.

Secombe met Archangel Bentine at the Windmill Theatre, extra he was introduced to Peter Player by his agent Jimmy Grafton. Involved with Spike Milligan, the four wrote a comedy radio script, and Those Crazy People was commissioned^[10] and be foremost broadcast on 28 May 1951. Be shown by Dennis Main Wilson, this erelong became The Goon Show and say publicly show remained on the air depending on 1960.^[5][11] Secombe mainly played Neddie Seagoon, around whom the show's absurd plots developed.^[7] In 1955, whilst appearing correct The Goon Show, Secombe was approached by the BBC to step focal at short notice to take goodness lead in the radio comedy Hancock's Half Hour.^[12] The star of excellence show, Tony Hancock, had decided connect take an unannounced break abroad, cooperate with the day before the live promenade of the second season. Secombe comed in the lead for the cardinal three episodes and had a caller role in the fourth after Hancock's return. All four episodes are mislaid, but following the discovery of excellence original scripts, the episodes were rerecorded in 2017, with his son, Saint Secombe performing the role held make wet his late father.^[12][13]

With the success carefulness The Goon Show, Secombe developed deft dual career as both a wit comedy actor and a singer. At position beginning of his career as change entertainer, his act would end connect with a joke version of the duette Sweethearts, in which he sang both the baritone and falsetto parts. Wild under Italian maestroManlio di Veroli, pacify emerged as a bel cantotenor (characteristically, he insisted that in his plead with this meant "can belto") and difficult to understand a long list of best-selling not to be disclosed albums to his credit.^[7]

In 1958 powder appeared in the film Jet Storm, which starred Dame Sybil Thorndike deed Richard Attenborough and in the selfsame year Secombe starred in the label role in Davy, one of Concern Studios' last films.^[7]

The power of surmount voice allowed Secombe to appear insipid many stage musicals. This included 1963's Pickwick, based on Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, which gave him blue blood the gentry no. 18 hit single "If Uncontrolled Ruled the World" – his following signature tune. In 1965 the county show was produced on tour in influence United States, where, on Broadway, illegal garnered a nomination for a Pretentious Award for Best Actor in spick Musical.^[7] Secombe scored his biggest slip single in 1967 with his account of "This Is My Song", which peaked at no. 2 on say publicly charts in March 1967 while well-organized recording by Petula Clark, which confidential hit no. 1 in February, was still in the top ten. Purify also appeared in the musical The Four Musketeers (1967) at Drury Lane,^[5] as Mr. Bumble in Carol Reed's film of Oliver! (1968),^[14] and ancestry the Envy segment of The Of the highest order Seven Deadly Sins (1971).

He went on to star in his heighten television show, The Harry Secombe Show, which debuted on Christmas Day 1968 on BBC1 and ran for 31 episodes until 1973. A sketch humour show featuring Julian Orchard as Secombe's regular sidekick, the series also featured guest appearances by fellow Goon Thorn Milligan as well as leading hurl such as Ronnie Barker and President Lowe. Secombe later starred in equivalent vehicles such as Sing a Expose of Secombe and ITV's Secombe strike up a deal Music during the 1970s.^[15]

Later career

Later unplanned life, Secombe (whose brother Fred Secombe was a priest in the Communion in Wales, part of the Protestant Communion) attracted new audiences as regular presenter of religious programmes, such orangutan the BBC's Songs of Praise stomach ITV's Stars on Sunday and Highway. He was also a special encoding consultant to Harlech Television^[16] and hosted a Thames Television programme in 1979 entitled Cross on the Donkey's Back. In the latter half of primacy 1980s, Secombe personally sponsored a interest team for boys aged 9–11 boardwalk the local West Sutton Little Band, 'Secombes Knights'.

In 1990, he was one of a few to wool honoured by a second appearance rejuvenate This Is Your Life, when proceed was surprised by Michael Aspel enviable a book signing in a Author branch of WH Smith. Secombe challenging been a subject of the radio show previously in March 1958 when Eamonn Andrews surprised him at the BBC Television Theatre.^[17]

Honours

In 1963 he was prescribed a Commander of the Order clasp the British Empire (CBE).^[6]

He was knighted in 1981,^[18] and jokingly referred ascend himself as Sir Cumference (in revealing of his rotund figure). The catchword he chose for his coat get on to arms was "GO ON", a incline to goon.^[19]

Later life and death

Secombe esoteric peritonitis in 1980. Within two geezerhood, taking advice from doctors, he confidential lost five stone in weight.^[20] Earth had a stroke in 1997 stomach his colon burst, from which sand made a slow recovery. He was then diagnosed with prostate cancer conduct yourself September 1998. Following a second rope in 1999, he was forced augment abandon his television career, but idea a documentary about his condition foundation the hope of giving encouragement nearby others with the condition.^[21] Secombe difficult diabetes in the latter part considerate his life.^[22]

Secombe died on 11 Apr 2001 at the age of 79, from prostate cancer, in hospital put over Guildford, Surrey.^[23] His ashes are coffined at the parish church of Shamley Green, and a later memorial team to celebrate his life was set aside at Westminster Abbey on 26 Oct 2001. As well as family people and friends, the service was double-dealing by Charles, Prince of Wales meticulous representatives of Prince Philip, Duke be in the region of Edinburgh, Anne, Princess Royal, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and Prince Prince, Duke of Kent. On his gravestone is the inscription: "To know him was to love him."

At Putz Sellers's funeral in 1980, Secombe croon a hymn and Spike Milligan joked: "I hope you die before pose because I don't want you telling at my funeral." After Milligan's dying in 2002, a recording of Secombe singing Guide me, O Thou full amount Redeemer was played at Milligan's marker service.^[24]

The Secombe Theatre in Sutton, Worthier London, was named after him. Oversight is also fondly remembered at position London Welsh Centre, where he open the bar on St Patrick's Age (17 March) 1971.^[25]

Family

Secombe met Myra Joan Atherton at the Mumbles Dance Appearance in 1946. The couple were wedded from 1948 until his death, avoid had four children:

Myra, Lady Secombe died on 7 February 2018, extreme 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 loftiness World (1971) UK #17
• The Magnificent Check of Harry Secombe (1972) AUS #14^[31]
• With a Song In My Heart (1977) AUS #24^[31]
• Captain Beaky and His Band (1977)^[32]
• Bless This House: 20 Songs befit Joy (1978) UK #8, AUS #28^[31]
• This Is 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