SIR HARRY SECOMBEComedian, singer and television presenter Sir Harry Secombe, who wowed the young Prince Charles with his anarchy and received a knighthood late in life, died at his Surrey home on 11 April, 2001, aged 79.He was best known for The Goon Show in the 1950s radio comedy boom, butalso presentedthe religious television programme Highway, for 10 years.Universally liked and admired, especially within his profession, it is well documented that he maintained an easy relationship with both colleagues and rivals throughout his long showbiz career.He made an early impact on the nation through The Goons, (alongside Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, and Michael Bentine), in which he played the Neddie Seagoon character who frequently brought the house down with comical raspberry blowing.One of four children, Harry Donald Secombe was born on 8 September, 1921, in Swansea, the son of a travelling salesman.He joined the Territorial Army before the outbreak of the Second World War and served for seven years, seeing action in Tunisia and Italy. It was in Tunisia he met Spike Milligan.His comic acting developed during that time, and as well as devising a now-famous sketch on the right way to shave, started to entertain US air base troops in Italy.The shaving routine took him to the Windmill Theatre on demobilisation, and he was later part of the Junior Crazy Gang (1949), which became The Goons (1951).Sir Harry had a fine singing voice, and his version of If I Ruled the World became his signature tune. He had several chart singles and albums, and appeared extensively in popular musical theatre, as well as enjoying a limited film career. He became a TV star in his own right thanks to his singing.There was a change of tack when in 1983 he was asked to present religious affairs show Highway, which ran for 10 years. After its demise he went on to Sunday With Secombe for Scottish TV and then in the 1990s guest presented Songs of Praise for the BBC.He even wrote two comic novels, Twice Brightly (1974) and Welsh Fargo (1981), as well as his autobiography and a number of stories for children.The entertainer was made a CBE in 1963 and knighted in 1983 for services to entertainment and charity, testament to his longevity, and continued working in the public eye until 1998, when he announced he was undergoing radiotherapy for prostate cancer.He retired in 1999 following a stroke.His wife Myra, who he met in 1946 before he became a household name, supported him throughout, and together they had four children, Andrew, Katy, Jennifer and David.His career was perhaps best summed-up by the man himself, who, at a Variety Club lunch to mark 25 years in showbusiness, said: "Anyone who, for 25 years, has built a career on such tenuous foundations as a high-pitched giggle, a raspberry and a sprinkling of top 'Cs' needs all the friends he can get.”
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