Yes just seen that. 2020 back on form after a brief respite on Friday. Remember him for his Morcambe and wise shoes and also the show he did with Mel Sykes than his singing. Sad news and RIP
Brilliant interviewer. His singing was mocked - but he had a brilliant chat show. The Graham Norton of that time.
RIP sir. a great entertainer. And loved being the butt of jokes. Morcambe and wise especially. But the Russ Abbot fishing out a Des O’Connor LP, out of the river and chucked it back in, advert, a classic Edit Sorry, memory playing tricks. Was Nearly there. As Dreamboy posted the advert. Still classic though. 16 million record sales. Fantastic achievement. His chat shows a joy. Des O’Connor Tonight. Freddie Starr. Jethro. Most of the top comedy entertainers of the time. Pure bliss. Who could forget Stan boardmans Fokkers joke. 20 million viewers per week.
RIP Des ....saw him many a time live whilst growing up as a kid .....enjoyed his act I remember seeing him in Great Yarmouth with jack Douglas aka Alf ippititimus very funny at the time ...saw him do a great charity stunt raiser using the theatre programme as the stooge Each programme carried a single bingo ticket and was limited to one programme per family the prize was supposedly a top of the range moped which was wheeled on stage I can recall my dad eagerly getting up and like many more that night dashing to one of the many ladies that suddenly appeared in the aisles selling programmes ...... Des his jovial laid backed self starts calling the numbers saying we are playing for a full house if you are lucky enough to win shout the word here and stand up....we as kids sat there with a open mouth as a buzz of excitement went around the theatre ....you could feel the tension ...suddenly my dad says I'm sweating for one number and have been for some time ...excitedly we looked on the look of confidence on his face a picture bearing in mind some 3years earlier he had won a top of the range Raleigh bicycle by keeping a balloon up in the air whilst putting on woman's oversized clothes in the fastest time on stage then sitting on the balloon to burst it..at the uncle Peter Webster show in Blackpool suddenly the number he was waiting for number 11 was called...and as he shouted HERE and rose to his feet so did everybody else in the theatre who had bought a programme Total silence and a look of bewilderment fell on the audience momentarily before everyone burst out laughing realising they'd been had.... The following year in Yarmouth again Des invites the audience to shout out questions for him to answer about himself ....by this time I'm the grand old age of 7 years and felt I'd ask a question .....just as Des is bringing his questioning to a close and the audience is settling down I in the loudest voice i could muster shouts out.....what colour underpants you got on Des ...much to my mothers embarrassment which was further escalated when they lit up myself and the family with a spot light ...to see who asked the question. To this day I havent got a clue why I shouted it but hey....happy days Condolences to all his family.. RIP Des thank you for the happy memories ...A true Star
Trying to think back. I don’t think I ever saw him live. And I have done Blackpool summer shows most of my life. Starting around 6/7. Seeing most of the great entertainers in those eras . 60’s to present. Although the variety shows are rare nowadays. Opera house. ABC. ( till it became a cinema). Grand Theatre. North, south and central piers. Doing all in a week. Great days.
Thanks Dreamboy Genuinely don’t think I ever saw that third video. Got grit in my eyes part way through. Absolute greats.
I cant recall seeing him in Blackpool either if I'm honest but Great Yarmouth he was ever present....saw most of the big stars in the 60s/ 70s Jimmy clitheroe....Arthur Askey Leslie Crowther...Barron Nights the Black Abbots with Russ as the drummer .....Dave Berry Joe Brown Vince Hill Lonnie Donegan Shadows the list is endless all shows either on the pier or the at the Regent ( think that was what it was called ) happy days
