Harry Secombe
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Sir Harry Donald Secombe, CBE (8 September 1921–11 April 2001) was a Welsh entertainer with a noted fine tenor singing voice and a talent for comedy.
Born at St. Thomas, Swansea, he served in the British Army during World War II in North Africa. This was where he first met Spike Milligan. In the early 1950's, they teamed together to write and produce the BBC radio comedy The Goon Show. Secombe was notable playing Neddie Seagoon, the focus of many of the show's absurd plots. He also shared his birthday, 8 September, with the other member of the trio, Peter Sellers.
Secombe appeared in many stage musicals, including Pickwick (1963, based on Dickens's The Pickwick Papers) and The Four Musketeers (1967), and had several chart successes, the song most associated with him being "If I Ruled the World" (from Pickwick). He also appeared as Mr. Bumble in Carol Reed's film of Lionel Bart's Oliver! (1968), and in the Envy segment of The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins.
Later in life, Secombe (whose brother Fred Secombe was a vicar) attracted new audiences as a presenter of religious programmes, such as the BBC's Songs of Praise and ITV's Highway. He was also a special programming consultant to Harlech Television.[1]
He was knighted in 1981, and jokingly referred to himself as Sir Cumference (in recognition of his rotund figure). Comedian Vic Reeves mentioned Secombe in his 1991 song Meals On Wheels ("Harry Secombe wants his pie and peas").
Secombe suffered a stroke in 1997, from which he made a slow recovery, only to be diagnosed with prostate cancer the following September. After suffering a second stroke in 1999, he was forced to abandon his television career, but made a documentary about his condition in the hope of giving encouragement to other sufferers.[2]
Secombe and his wife, Myra Atherton, had four children:
- Jennifer Secombe, married to actor Alex Giannini. She was also her father's agent.[1]
- Andy Secombe, an accomplished voice and film actor, as well as an author
- David Secombe, a writer and photographer
- Katy Secombe, an actress
His niece, Joan Secombe, is a head of house at Bishop Luffa school, in Chichester.
He died at the age of 79, from prostate cancer, at his home in England.
[edit] Singles
- On with the Motley (1955) UK #16
- If I Ruled the World (1963) UK #18
- This Is My Song (1967) UK #2[3]
[edit] Albums
- Sacred Songs (1962) UK #16
- Secombe's Personal Choice (1967) UK #6
- If I Ruled the World (1971) UK #17
- 20 Songs of Joy (1978) UK #8[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Sir Harry Secombe dies", The Guardian, 2001-04-11. Retrieved on 2006-06-04.
- ^ Television Heaven: Harry Secombe. Retrieved on 2006-02-12.
- ^ Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, 7th ed., 1989
- ^ Guinness Book of British Hit Albums 1st ed., 1983 ISBN 0-85112-246-9
[edit] External links
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| The Goons |
| Michael Bentine • Spike Milligan • Harry Secombe • Peter Sellers |
| Other Contributors |
| Ray Ellington • Max Geldray • Wallace Greenslade • Larry Stephens • Wally Stott • Eric Sykes • Andrew Timothy |
| Radio & TV Series |
| The Goon Show • The Telegoons |
| Films |
| Let's Go Crazy • Penny Points to Paradise • Down Among the Z Men • The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn • The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film |
| Characters |
| Cast members and their Characters • Major Bloodnok • Bluebottle • Henry Crun and Minnie Bannister • Eccles • Hercules Grytpype-Thynne • Count Jim Moriarty • Neddie Seagoon |
| General information |
| Episodes and archiving • Running Jokes • Trivia |
Categories: Welsh male singers | Welsh radio actors | Welsh film actors | Welsh musical theatre actors | Welsh television actors | Welsh comedians | Knights Bachelor | British Army soldiers | People from Swansea | Commanders of the Order of the British Empire | Prostate cancer deaths | 1921 births | 2001 deaths
