OVER LOSS OF COMEDY LEGEND Ken used to say you never lose your loved ones ..I keep telling myself that
run of shows in 1965, dimmed its lights in his memory. Flags in Liverpool were flown at half mast and flowers from “all the Diddy Men” were left outside Knotty Ash Primary School following his death. A book of condolence is also still being signed by well-wishers at Liverpool town hall. Anne said: “Ken had more ideas and things to do I know. But the outpouring of love and admiration for Ken from the whole country has been overwhelming. “There’s a mountain of flowers outside the house, full of heartfelt messages. We’ve had sackfuls of mail and all the cards are being opened. “They include amazing messages and letters of comfort, which I shall be able to read properly when everything has settled down.” Sir Ken became ill over Christmas, before recovering enough to perform his final stage performance at the Liverpool Echo Arena on December 28.
He then fell ill again at the beginning of January and was admitted to the city’s Heart and Chest Hospital with a severe chest infection.
The indomitable star spent more than six weeks on the ward and, despite terrible pain, he bravely battled on, spending his days writing jokes and entertaining hospital staff while vowing to get better and return to the stage.
He was finally discharged from hospital on February 27, but with his condition clearly deteriorating again, he married Anne on March 9 in a moving service at their 18th century home in the Liverpool suburb of Knotty Ash – the house where he was born and where he lived his entire life. He died there with Anne by his side.
With his trademark unruly mop of hair, buck teeth and catchphrases including “how tickled I am”, ‘Doddy’ soon became one of the UK’s bestloved comedians and was the master of the one-liner.
TEAM
His marathon live shows could last for more than five hours. He enjoyed an incredible 60-year screen and stage career and was still travelling 100,000 miles a year with Anne in their Mercedes, doing shows around the country right up to his final illness. Anne, a musician and former dancer who Sir Ken described as “his rock”, worked as a team.
She played the piano during his shows and would also sell his memorabilia – including Diddy Men hats and tickling sticks.
Born Kenneth Arthur Dodd to coal merchant Arthur, and Sarah, on November 8, 1927, Doddy grew up with his older brother Billy and sister June before leaving school at 14 to join his dad’s business, selling coal door-to-door as well as pots and pans.
He started out in showbusiness as a ventriloquist, playing working men’s clubs, before turning professional in 1954 as Professor Yaffle Chucklebutty at the Nottingham Empire.
His 42-week run entered the Guinness Book of Records as he cracked 1,500 gags in three-and-a-half hours.
As well as his phenomenal success as a comedian, Sir Ken also had 18 top 40 singles. His biggest hit, Tears, was No1 in 1965 for five weeks, selling more than 1.5million copies – the only non-Beatles hit in the five biggest songs of the 60s.
Sir Ken, a devout Christian and passionate charity supporter, also suffered unhappiness, losing first partner Anita Boutin to brain cancer in 1977 after 22 years together. He also endured a tax fraud trial, in which he was cleared.
But he found new love with Anne who he had first met when she took part in a Ken Dodd Christmas Show at Manchester Opera House in 1961.
He was awarded an OBE in 1982 for services to showbusiness and charity and knighted last year. Sir Ken also was the British Comedy Society’s first Living Legend and was handed the Freedom of Liverpool. His statue stands outside Liverpool’s Lime Street station and his image hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.
There is a mountain of cards and amazing messages LADY ANNE DODD ON THE TRIBUTES FOR KEN