DON ESTELLEDon Estelle, who died on 2 August, 2003, at the age of 70, made his name as the character Lofty in 1970s sitcom ‘It Ain't Half Hot Mum’.Set in Burma during the Second World War, Mr Estelle played a camp military entertainer in the successful show for eight years.Away from the small screen Mr Estelle was a fine all round entertainer, using his powerful tenor voice to top the UK charts in 1975, when he and co-star, Windsor Davies, released a semi-comic version of ' Whispering Grass '.Don Estelle was born on 22 May, 1933, in Manchester. As a boy he was evacuated to Darwen, near Blackburn, during the Second World War and became a boy soprano at the local Holy Trinity church.Upon returning to Manchester Mr Estelle was given voice training by a relative of Ralph Vaughan Williams', and first appeared on stage with the Manchester Kentucky Minstrels.In 1962 Mr Estellemet an entertainer by the name of Windsor Davies, at The Garrick Theatre, London, and the pair embarked on a double act tour of theatres and clubs nationally for four years.Cameo appearances followed in ‘Coronation Street’, where he met Arthur Lowe, who played Captain Mainwaring in ‘Dad's Army’. Lowe suggested that Mr Estelle should contact the programme’s writers, David Croft and Jimmy Perry, to ask if they had any comedy work available for a 4ft 9in tall actor.After five appearances in ‘Dad's Army’, Mr Estelle was cast as Gunner ‘Lofty’ Sugden in Croft and Perry's new series, ‘It Ain't Half Hot Mum’, in 1973.He was reunited on set with his former partner, Davies, who played a bullying sergeant-major. The show became an instant hit, although its repressed homosexuality and questionable attitude toward Indians meant it was not to everyone’s taste.In 1975 his partnership with Davies flourished further with the release of the 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' soundtrack album. They performed a cover version of the ‘Ink Spots’ ‘Whispering Grass’ on the album and the single rocketed to the top of the UK Pop charts, eventually selling more than a million copies.After 56 episodes ‘It Ain't Half Hot Mum’ ended in 1981. Mr Estelle continued to make appearances on television, in programmes such as the 'Benny Hill Show' and the 'Ronnie Corbett Show', as well as a cameo in the 1985 film, 'Santa Claus'.He also continued to act in the theatre, regularly treading the boards in pantomimes or summer shows, whilst also touring extensively for concerts in New Zealand and Australia during the 1990s.Mr Estelle’s last notable role on television came in the first series of the BBC comedy ‘The League of Gentlemen’, in which he played a zookeeper.Much of his final years were spent in Christchurch, New Zealand, and he only returned to the UK just weeks before his death.Mr Estelle died following a long illness in Rochdale Infirmary, Lancashire, and was survived by his wife Elizabeth.
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