Walter William Bygraves OBE (16 October 1922 – 31 August
2012), best known by the stage name Max Bygraves, was an English comedian,
singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows,
sometimes performing comedy
sketches between songs. He made twenty Royal Variety Performance appearances and presented numerous programmes, including Family Fortunes. He was famous for his catchphrase “I wanna tell you a story”,
sketches between songs. He made twenty Royal Variety Performance appearances and presented numerous programmes, including Family Fortunes. He was famous for his catchphrase “I wanna tell you a story”,
After being born in Rotherhithe by the docks in east
London, the family moved to East Ham. He was one of six, with elder bother
Henry and four younger sisters called Lily, Patricia, Kathleen and Maureen. His
father was a professional flyweight boxer, known as Battling Tom Smith, and a
casual dockworker. Brought up Catholic, he attended St Joseph's School,
Paradise Street, Rotherhithe, and sang with his school
choir at Westminster Cathedral. Max got his first job aged 10 as a milkman’s assistant, delivering before school as well as having an evening paper round.
choir at Westminster Cathedral. Max got his first job aged 10 as a milkman’s assistant, delivering before school as well as having an evening paper round.
However, after leaving school at the age of 14, he went
into an advertising agency, WS Crawford, as a messenger boy, ferrying copy to
newspapers and popping into the Holborn Empire to see variety acts whenever he
could afford it. When the advertising industry slumped at the beginning of the
second world war, he got a job as a carpenter's apprentice and built air-raid
shelters. After being blown off a roof he was repairing during an air raid, he
decided to volunteer for the RAF in 1940 and served as an airframe fitter for
five years and. He
met a sergeant in the WAAF, Blossom Murray, and they married in 1942. Together, they had three children, Christine, Anthony and Maxine.
met a sergeant in the WAAF, Blossom Murray, and they married in 1942. Together, they had three children, Christine, Anthony and Maxine.
He appeared in well over 1,000 RAF concert parties
acquiring on the way the title of the ‘Best Act in Fighter Command’ as well as
being Aircraftsman Second Class 1212094 and doing his share of guard duties on
draughty airfields. He demonstrated his skills as an entertainer by
impersonating Frank Sinatra, the Ink Spots and Max Miller, which gave him the
nickname Max.
Max was by now performing to larger camps and becoming
known as an entertainer. After the war the BBC invited Max to join an
ex-servicemen’s show called They’re Out with other later stars such as Frankie
Howerd, Benny Hill, Jimmy Edwards, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan.
By the time the war ended, he had resolved to turn
professional. At the Grand theatre, Clapham, he was spotted by the agent Gordon
Norval, who got him six weeks' work. Further engagements followed but the going
was tough. Despite their love of Britain, he and Blossom had just decided to
emigrate to Australia when a letter arrived from the BBC asking him to repeat
the audition act he had recently given. This earned him an appearance in the
radio series They're Out,
which featured other demobbed entertainers such as Spike Milligan, Jimmy Edwards, Frankie Howerd, Harry Secombe and Benny Hill.
which featured other demobbed entertainers such as Spike Milligan, Jimmy Edwards, Frankie Howerd, Harry Secombe and Benny Hill.
In 1946 he did a touring revue, For the Fun of It, with
Howerd. He then made his first films, Bless 'em All and Skimpy in the Navy
(both 1949), and had another radio hit in the 1950s, performing in the comedy
Educating Archie, written by Eric Sykes. He made a handful of films in that
decade, taking the title role in Charley Moon (1956), in which he performed his
single Out of Town, and appearing in Lewis Gilbert's social drama A Cry from
the Streets (1958).
Meanwhile, the London Palladium had become something like
his professional home. He made his debut there in 1950, after he was seen at
the Finsbury Park Empire by the leading impresario Val Parnell and was asked to
stand in for the comedian Ted Ray at the
Palladium. He appeared in 14 shows there over a period of 10 years and eventually starred in 19 Royal Variety Performances. After the first of these, in 1950, Judy Garland asked him to appear with her at the Palace theatre in New York where, wrongly, he did not expect his cockney humour to register.
Palladium. He appeared in 14 shows there over a period of 10 years and eventually starred in 19 Royal Variety Performances. After the first of these, in 1950, Judy Garland asked him to appear with her at the Palace theatre in New York where, wrongly, he did not expect his cockney humour to register.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Bygraves appeared as a guest on
several television variety programmes, both in the UK and United States. These
included Ed Sullivan, Jack Benny and Jackie Gleason, in America, but his place
as a broadcasting icon was founded, along with several fellow artists, by
appearing as guest "tutor" to Peter Brough's ventriloquist dummy,
Archie Andrews, in the long running BBC radio show Educating Archie.
In the 50s, he had reached the Top 5 with the singles
Meet Me on the Corner, You Need Hands/Tulips from Amsterdam and Fings Ain't Wot
They Used T'Be. Often nostalgic or comedic in tone (such as You're a Pink
Toothbrush), Bygraves's recordings were also released in a series of
crowd-pleasing "singalong" albums. He picked up 31 gold discs in total..
Max by now was a known star; he had a Rolls-Royce with
the number plate MB 1.In 1977, UK Publishing House W. H. Allen published
Bygraves' comic novel The Milkman's on His Way. In
1982, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). From 1983 to 1985, Bygraves hosted Family Fortunes, taking over from his friend and fellow comedian Bob Monkhouse.
1982, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). From 1983 to 1985, Bygraves hosted Family Fortunes, taking over from his friend and fellow comedian Bob Monkhouse.
In the 1990s he bought an 84 acre property in northern
New South Wales, Australia called Attunga Park. He semi retired from the UK in
2002, with a tour finishing with a sell out concert in Bournemouth, with the
Beverley Sisters and moved to his Australian home. However Max returned in
2005, playing his final UK concerts in September 2006.
Max’s wife Blossom died at their Australian home in 2011, aged 88. Max died on 31 August 2012, aged 89, at his home in Hope Island, Queensland, Australia, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Max’s wife Blossom died at their Australian home in 2011, aged 88. Max died on 31 August 2012, aged 89, at his home in Hope Island, Queensland, Australia, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
(Compiled and edited from Wikipedia & The Guardian)
2 comments:
For “Max Bygraves - I Wanna Sing You My Hits” go here:
https://www81.zippyshare.com/v/gCrGsGkQ/file.html
1. COWPUNCHER'S CANTATA
2. BYGRAVE'S BOOGIE
3. LITTLE SIR ECHO
4. DUMMY SONG
5. BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON
6. BIG HEAD (BIG 'EAD)
7. I WISH I COULD SING LIKE JOLSON
8. YOU'RE A PINK TOOTHBRUSH
9. (THE GANG THAT SANG) HEART OF MY HEART
10. FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS
11. CHIP CHOPPER CHARLIE
12. GILLY GILLY OSSENFEFFER KATZENELLENBOGEN BY THE SEA
13. THIRD LITTLE TURNING (ON THE RIGHT)
14. MISTER SANDMAN
15. TOMORROW
16. C-R-A-Z-Y MUSIC
17. MEET ME ON THE CORNER
18. THE LITTLE LAPLANDER
19. A GOOD IDEA - SON
20. THE BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT
21. OUT OF TOWN
22. SEVENTEEN TONS
23. TRY ANOTHER CHERRY TREE
24. HEART
25. THE CRICKET SONG
26. GOOD EVENING FRIENDS
27. TULIPS FROM AMSTERDAM
28. YOU NEED HANDS
29. LITTLE TRAIN
30. GOTTA HAVE RAIN
31. (I LOVE TO PLAY) MY UKELELE
A comedian and singer, an actor, song writer, impersonator and story teller, the ever versatile Max Bygraves was a true 'Rags to Riches' success.Famous for his catchphrases some of which were turned into songs: "Big 'ead", "A Good Idea - Son" are both featured here and still sound great today. His hits throughout the '50s are all included "Heart Of My Heart", "Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer", "Mister Sandman", "Meet Me On The Corner", "Davy Crockett" and "Out Of Town". Cheerful, easy on the ear and with the invitation to sing along this is a wonderful overview of one of our nations greatest performers.
(Jasmin notes)
A big thank you to Xena Dress @ ACM2 blog for original post.
many thinks my friend Aussie
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