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Biography
Use dmy dates|date=April 2012Infobox person| image = Harry secombe.jpeg| caption =| name = Harry Secombe| birth_date = Birth date|1921|9|8|df=y| birth_place = Swansea , Wales | death_date = Death date and age|2001|4|11|1921|9|8|df=y| death_place = Guildford , Surrey , England | birth_name = Harry Donald Secombe| occupation = Singer, actor, comedian| years_active = 1951-2001| spouse = Myra Atherton (1948-2001)| parents = Frederick Secombe Nellie (née Davies)| children = Jennifer, Andy Secombe|Andy , David and Katy| relatives = Fred Secombe (brother)| religion = Anglican | nationality = Welsh People|Welsh | education =| television = The Goon Show Highway (TV series)|Highway Sir Harry Donald Secombe , Order of the British Empire|CBE (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh people|Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon , the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show (1951–60). He also appeared in musical theater|musicals and, in his later years, was a prominent presenter of television shows incorporating hymn s and other devotional songs.
Early life
Secombe was born in a council house in the St Thomas, Swansea|St Thomas district of Swansea , the third of four children of Nellie Jane Gladys (née Davies), a shop manageress, and Frederick Ernest Secombe, a grocer. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/halloffame/showbiz/harrysecombe.shtml BBC - South West Wales - Hall of Fame http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-73159491.html Sir Harry Secombe: 1921-2001: I married him, christened and wed his kids. Now I must do this last one.. lay him to rest; VICAR FRED FACES TEARS AT FUNERAL OFBROTHER.(News) - T...cite book|last=Secombe|first=Harry|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=Arias & raspberries: the autobiography of Harry Secombe. 'The raspberry years'., Volume 1|publisher=Robson|year=1989|location=|page=21|month=|url=|isbn=0-86051-624-5cite book|last=Gale|first=Steven H.|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=Encyclopedia of British humorists|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=1995|location=|page=926|month=|url=|isbn=0-8240-5990-5 From the age of 11 he attended Dynevor School, Swansea|Dynevor School , a state secondary school in central Swansea.
His family were regular church-goers, belonging to the congregation of St Stephen's Church in Danygraig . A member of the choir, Secombe would - from the age of 12 - perform a sketch entitled The Welsh Courtship at church socials, acting as "feed" to his sister Carol. His elder brother, Fred Secombe , was the author of several books about his experiences as an Anglican priest and rector.
British Army
After leaving school in 1937, Secombe became a pay clerk at Baldwin's store. In 1938 he joined the Territorial Army (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army , serving as a Lance Bombardier in the Royal Artillery . He would refer to the unit in which he served during World War II in the North African Campaign , Allied invasion of Sicily|Sicily , and Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italy , as "The Five-Mile Snipers".
When Secombe visited the Falkland Islands|Falklands to entertain the troops after the 1982 Falklands war|war in the islands , his old regiment promoted him to the rank of sergeant – 37 years after he had been demobilization|demobbed .
As an entertainer
Secombe joined the cast of the Windmill Theatre in 1946, using a routine he had made up in Italy about how people shaved. Secombe always claimed that his ability to sing could always be counted on to save him when he bombed. Both Milligan and Sellers credited him with keeping the act on the bill when club owners had wanted to sack them.Citation needed|date=October 2008 After a regional touring career, his first break came in radio when he was chosen as resident comedian for the Welsh series Welsh Rarebit (radio programme)|Welsh Rarebit , followed by appearances on Variety Bandbox and a regular role in Educating Archie .
Secombe met Michael Bentine at the Windmill Theatre, and was introduced to Peter Sellers by his agent Jimmy Grafton . Together with Spike Milligan , the four wrote a comedy radio script entitled Crazy People . Produced by the BBC's Peter Ross, this was eventually to turn into The Goon Show . First broadcast on 28 May 1951, the show remained on the air until 1960. Secombe was notable for playing Neddie Seagoon , the focus of many of the show's absurd plots.
While the success of The Goon Show meant that he needed to do no other work, Secombe continued to develop a dual career as both a comedy actor and a singer. At the beginning of his career as an entertainer, his act would end with a joke version of the duet Sweethearts (song)|Sweethearts , in which he sang both the baritone and falsetto parts. Trained under Italian maestro Manlio di Veroli , he emerged as a bel canto tenor (characteristically, he insisted that in his case this meant "can belto") and had a long list of best-selling record albums to his credit.cite web|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/halloffame/showbiz/harrysecombe.shtml|title=Sir Harry Secombe|publisher=BBC Wales|accessdate=2 March 2009
In 1958 he appeared in the film Jet Storm , which starred Sybil Thorndike|Dame Sybil Thorndike and Richard Attenborough|Sir Richard Attenborough and in the same year Secombe starred in the title role in Davy (film)|Davy , one of Ealing Studios ' final films.
The power of his voice allowed Secombe to appear in many stage Musical theater|musicals . This included 1963's Pickwick (musical)|Pickwick , based on Charles Dickens|Dickens ' The Pickwick Papers , which gave him the number eighteen hit single " If I Ruled the World " - his later signature tune. In 1965 the show was produced on tour in the United States, where on Broadway theatre|Broadway he garnered a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He also appeared in 1967's The Four Musketeers, as Mr. Bumble in Carol Reed 's 1968 film of Lionel Bart 's Oliver& #33; (film)|Oliver! , and in the Envy segment of The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins .
He would go on to star in his own show, The Harry Secombe Show , which debuted on Christmas Day 1968 on BBC One and ran for thirty one episodes until 1973. A sketch comedy show featuring Julian Orchard as Secombe's regular sidekick , the series also featured guest appearances by fellow Goon Spike Milligan as well as leading performers of the time such as Ronnie Barker and Arthur Lowe . Secombe later starred in similar vehicles such as Sing a Song of Secombe and ITV 's Secombe with Music during the 1970s.Jack Kibble-White & Steve Williams, The Encyclopedia of Classic Saturday Night Telly , London: 2007, pp 158-9
Later career
Later in life, Secombe (whose brother Fred Secombe was a priest in the Church in Wales , part of the Anglican Communion) attracted new audiences as a presenter of religious programmes, such as the BBC 's Songs of Praise and ITV 's Highway (TV series)|Highway . He was also a special programming consultant to ITV Wales & West|Harlech Television .cite news| url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,471984,00.html |title=Sir Harry Secombe dies |publisher=The Guardian |date=11 April 2001 |accessdate=4 June 2006 and hosted a Thames Television programme in 1979 entitled Cross on the Donkey's Back.
In 1990, he was one of the few celebrities to be honoured by a second appearance on This Is Your Life , having had a first programme produced in 1958.
Honours
He was knighted in 1981, and jokingly referred to himself as Sir Cumference (in recognition of his rotund figure). The motto he chose for his coat of arms was "GO ON", a reference to The Goon Show|goon .
Later life and death
Secombe suffered from peritonitis in 1980. The Unforgettable He had a stroke in 1997, from which he made a slow recovery. He was then diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 1998. 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.cite web| url= http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/hissecombe.htm| title=Television Heaven: Harry Secombe| accessdate=12 February 2006 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20051118201531/ http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/hissecombe.htm |archivedate = 18 November 2005 Secombe had diabetes in the latter part of his life.
Secombe died on 11 April 2001 at the age of 79, from prostate cancer, in hospital in Guildford , Surrey . http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1315879/Goon-star-Sir-Harry-Secombe-dies-aged-79.html Goon star Sir Harry Secombe dies aged 79 His ashes are interred at the parish church of Shamley Green , and a later funeral|memorial service to celebrate his life was held at Westminster Abbey on 26 October 2001. As well as family members and friends, the service was also attended by Charles, Prince of Wales and representatives of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , Anne, Princess Royal , Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent . On his tombstone is the inscription: "To know him was to love him."
The Secombe Theatre at Sutton, London bears his name in memory of this former local personality. He is also fondly remembered at the London Welsh Centre , where he opened the bar on St Patrick's Day (17 March) 1971.cite web|url= http://www.londonwelsh.org/about-us/history-of-the-centre |title=History: London Welsh Centre |publisher= London Welsh Centre |year=2009|accessdate=4& nbsp;February& nbsp;2011|work= London Welsh Centre website
Family
Secombe met Myra Atherton at the Mumbles dance hall. The couple were married from 1948 until his death, and had four children:
Jennifer Secombe, married to actor Alex Giannini . She was also her father's agent.
Andy Secombe , a voice actor|voice actor, film actor and author
David Secombe, a writer and photographer
Katy Secombe, an actress
Selected works
Singles
" On with the Motley " (1955) UK #16
" Bless This House (song)|Bless This House " (1960) UK
" If I Ruled the World " (1963) UK #18
" This Is My Song (1967 song)|This Is My Song " (1967) UK #2 Guinness Book of British Hit Singles , 7th ed., 1989
Albums
Sacred Songs (1962) UK #16
''Secombe's Personal Choice (1967) UK #6
If I Ruled the World (1971) UK #17
Bless This House: 20 Songs Of Joy (1978) UK #8 Guinness Book of British Hit Albums 1st ed., 1983 ISBN 0-85112-246-9
http://www.captainbeaky.com/index.php? option=com_content& task=blogcategory& id=13& Itemid=60 Captain Beaky and His Band
Books
citation |year=2001 |author=. |title=An Entertaining Life |series=Foreword by Royal Highness|HRH Charles, Prince of Wales |place= London |publisher= Robson Books |url= http://books.google.com/books? id=mLmlEAvqwrYC& printsec=frontcover& dq=harry+secombe#v=onepage& q& f=false |accessdate=24 August 2010 |isbn= 1-86105-471-8 Alternative ISBNs for 2004 publication: ISBN 978-1-86105-811-9; ISBN 1-86105-811-X (paperback).
The Goon Omnibus (Goon For Lunch). London: The Companion Book Club (1978)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/harry-secombe/ Harry Secombe biography from BBC Wales
Goons Persondata | NAME = Secombe, Harry | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = British entertainer | DATE OF BIRTH = 8 September 1921 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Swansea , Wales , United Kingdom|UK | DATE OF DEATH = 11 April 2001 | PLACE OF DEATH = Guildford , Surrey , England DEFAULTSORT:Secombe, Harry Category:1921 births Category:2001 deaths Category:20th-century actors Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Cancer deaths in England Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Deaths from prostate cancer Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Actors awarded British knighthoods Category:Singers awarded knighthoods Category:People from Swansea Category:Royal Artillery soldiers Category:Welsh Anglicans Category:Welsh comedians Category:Welsh film actors Category:Welsh musical theatre actors Category:Welsh radio actors Category:Welsh television actors Category:Welsh tenors Category:People educated at Dynevor School, Swansea
