KENNY EVERETTKenny Everett, who died on 4 April, 1995, was a British radio DJ turned television comedian whose shamelessly frivolous broadcasts made him one of the most popular and controversial entertainers of the era.In his arsenal of anarchic comedy was a raft of characters brought to life by caricature costumes and a mastery of video and audio effects.Despite his beard, he often dressed as a woman and was also known for parodying the pop acts of the day – even though many of them were eager to appear as guests on his shows.He was born Maurice Cole on Christmas Day 1944 in the Seaforth area of Merseyside. With ambitions to go into broadcasting he sent a tape to the BBC at 18 and was offered a presenting job on the Light Programme, but instead opted for a slot with pirate station Radio London, hosting one of the most popular shows with Dave Cash.He briefly moved to Radio Luxembourg before joining the fledgling Radio 1 where his first assignment was to shadow The Beatles as they promoted Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the start of a good friendship between him and the band.Taking his lead from Spike Milligan, he established his own brand of madcap radio comedy with daft voices and manic use of sound effects. As well as the sketches, he played music and unlike other DJs would often select the worst records of the day rather than the best.In 1973 he moved to the newly licensed Capital Radio, giving himmore popularity. In 1978 Thames Television commissioned the Kenny Everett Video Show, which, like the radio shows, mixed musical performances with sketches.In 1981 he returned to the BBC with new television and radio shows. By 1988 a new generation of comedians were stealing the headlines from Kenny and his television show ended, but he continued to present on Capital Gold until his death at the age of just 50.Despite being married in the late 1980s, he came out as gay in 1989 and for the last few years of his life he was an active gay rights campaigner.
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