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Original Post By:
Guest_Paul Moore
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Date: 11/26/2004 |
| Billy 'Uke' Scott
Billy "Uke" Scott, who has died
aged 81, was a music hall star who
inspired three generations of
ukelele players, composing,
singing and writing a "teach-
yourself" ukelele manual.
From an instrument that many
regarded as possessing the
charisma of a viola or kazoo,
Scott would turn out songs and
tunes that amazed and delighted
audiences. His preferred choice
was the traditional wooden ukelele
because of its sweeter sound,
rather than the more strident
banjolele favoured by George
Formby - though he played both. A
popular radio performer (he was
one of the biggest variety stars
in Britain in the 1940s and
1950s), his ability received its
own tribute on BBC radio when, in
a Goon Show script of 1954, Peter
Sellers says: "Thank you, thank
you. Tonight I have included in my
repertoire Schubert's violin
sonata, guest soloist Billy 'Uke'
Scott."
A singer, songwriter and soloist,
Scott's compositions numbered more
than 100, including his signature
tune, He's Only Singing For One.
He was in demand for songs from
fellow stars such as George
Formby, Harry Seltzer and Max
Miller.
William Scott was born in
Sunderland on March 12 1923, and
made his variety debut aged 13 at
the Empire in Newcastle. His
buoyant personality and brilliant
musicianship soon made him a hit
on the Moss Empire touring
circuit, and he played from
Scotland to the South Coast
throughout the late 1940s and
early 1950s, appearing on bills
with Gracie Fields, Will Hay and
Tommy Trinder.
When television killed off
variety, Scott became a theatrical
agent, and was one of the subjects
of a TV programme, The
Impresarios, presented by Melvyn
Bragg. But the lure of performing
proved too much, and he discreetly
put the word about that he wanted
to work on stage again.
To his surprise he was not
forgotten. He played summer
seasons, pantomimes, and one-night
stands in vintage form.
In the late 1960s, he relaxed by
playing around Liverpool as a part-
time member of The Saturated
Seven, whose band uniform
consisted of an Alcoholics
Anonymous tie decorated with
Tetley tea stains.
He made several wartime British
films, including Rainbow Round the
Corner in 1943 and A Night of
Magic (1944).
Billy Scott died on November 12.
One of his final appearances was
at the Musical Hall at Ilkley in
January 2002, in a charity variety
show alongside Jimmy Cricket, the
Bachelors and and Dottie Wayne.
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Posted By:
Guest_robert wheeler - founder
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Date: 11/26/2004 |
Paul, Thank you for your sad
note. While we sometimes may
have a problem communicating with
each other because of language,
we do share serious
concern.
Your mention of “The Goon Show”
reminds me of a time when an
English acquaintance give me a
tape of an anniversary radio
performance of “The Goon Show”.
In the audience, proudly
announced, were the husband and
oldest child of the Queen. The
show was perhaps an hour??? As
the various cast members,
including Peter Sellers,
performed, the audience screamed
and laughed and slapped their
thighs.
I was not able to understand what
they found funny, until a
character, an army officer,
called for his batman.
“Pvt Parts, come here!!!!” That
was funny. The audience roared.
I laughed.
regards, robert - founder
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Posted By:
Guest_Pete
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Date: 11/26/2004 |
| Strange you found the Goon Show
script inaccesable. Do you have
the same problem with Monty
Python - much adored by all my
American pals? Maybe you need to
go back to it because there ain't
much difference between the two.
After all, surrealism is
surrealism isn't it?
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Posted By:
Guest_Uncle Rufus
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Date: 11/26/2004 |
| Yes - but no, Pete. It is really,
of course, a fish (as any fule
kno...)
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Posted By:
Guest_robert - founder
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Date: 11/26/2004 |
.....there is, as I understand
from the colonial perspective,
the possibility that “Goon” was
eareal and “Monty” was eyeal?????
(sound vis visual) .. so going
back would not be of little value
to me.>br>
Not, of course, that I would
consider acquiring Mother tongue
cultural values as personally
lumbering, considering that the
chap who gave me the “Goon” tape,
an ex-Royal Marine who learned
trumpet in a factory band in an
industrial area of the UK, a
skill that he used to great
effect while in the Queen’s
service, and later on, as a
contributor to the American jazz
scene, once told me a tale about,
and then explained in some
detail, a “knee trembler”.
My interest in that tale, was of
course, reinforced by another
Englishman, for he was an
Englishman, who told me that the
best “knee trembler” was against
a railroad trestle as a long
freight train of coal-containing
cars passed over. His name was
Sgt. Trainer, a platoon sergeant
who I lived in fear of at the
time, so who would know better?
What I can’t, even in today’s
complex world, understand, what
with all of the supreme coolness
that the tight little islands
have contributed over hundreds
and hundreds of years, how did
you lose the Empire. Maybe “you”
shouldn’t have taken a crack at
Iraq?????
regards, robert - founder
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Posted By:
Guest_A follower
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Date: 11/26/2004 |
| To see a video clip of billy
playing go to
www.formby54.freeserve.co.uk and
click on the appropiate link.
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Posted By:
Guest_Pete
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Date: 11/27/2004 |
Lose it? I think it just slipped
from our grasp whenwe weren't
looking...perhaps the only legacy
these Sceptered Isles have given
the world is the English
language.
Interesting
note: When I lived in America I
often had this comment to make
when friends pulloed me up on my
spoken English (the long ahhs at
the ends of words like Diana, a
big topic at the time)- 'But I'm
the only one here speaking
English. You guys speak
American!' And curously enough,
they never refered to
speaking 'American', it was
always speaking 'English'. Ho
humm...
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Posted By:
Guest_Dingwalls Dancer
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Date: 11/27/2004 |
| Here's an oldie for you Rob-F. If
one who speaks two languages is
bilingual, one who speaks three or
more languages is multilingual,
what do you call one who speaks but
one language?... American! Billy
was a treasure, he was a charming
and sincere fellow who's passing is
yet another signpost to those of us
left to trudge the happy road to
destiny.
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Posted By:
Guest_Bailarin de U.S.A.
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Date: 11/27/2004 |
| No chistoso. Oi el mismo chiste
acarca de los Inglesas!
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Posted By:
Guest_Meyer
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Date: 11/27/2004 |
| Funny joke, but when you think about
it, America includes many countries
with various languages.
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