The Scotsman

Sir Billy’s an inspiratio­n

-

Sir Billy Connolly is a cultural giant, a thundering creative force whose comedy has made him an internatio­nal star and influenced generation­s of stand-ups who followed in his footsteps.

Anyone who has ever seen Sir Billy perform will have understood they were witnessing one of the giants of an often unfairly under-rated art form.

In recent years, however, the comedian has adopted a lower profile. A diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease has transforme­d Sir Billy’s life.

It is, he says in his new autobiogra­phy, the first thing he thinks about on waking each day. And, he added, the fact it is never going to go away is the thing he finds hardest to come to grips with.

While he struggles to deal with his own diagnoses, Sir Billy wants to do something to help find a cure.

His offer to scientists working at Harvard University to find a cure for Parkison to act as a guinea pig for their research shows, we think, the calibre of the man. For decades, Sir Billy Connolly had given us the great gift of laughter. Now he offers the great gift of hope to anyone suffering from this cruellest of diseases.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom