Bill Waddington
Encyclopedia
Bill Waddington was an English
music hall performer and comedian who was born in Oldham
, Lancashire
. In later life he achieved stardom
as the pompous ex serviceman Percy Sugden
in Granada Television
's long running soap opera
, Coronation Street
.
Waddington was born at Oldham on June 10, 1916, the son of a builder. He played the ukulele and became a member of a group called The Blue Pencils, recruited to entertain forces during WW2.
After the war "Waddy" became a comedian, often appearing on the same bill as Jill Summers
, who would eventually play Phyllis Pearce - Percy Sugden's foil - in Granada TV's Coronation Street
. In 1955 Bill was chosen for the Royal Variety Performance, and when American stars such as Frankie Laine, Lena Horne, Billy Daniels and Dorothy Lamour toured Britain, he was the opening comedian in their shows. His agent was Lew Grade.
Waddington appeared in more than 800 variety and comedy programmes on radio, and made his mark on television, starring with Margaret Lockwood as early as 1946. In the 1970s he enjoyed a stage partnership with Sid James, only ended by James's death in 1976.
He appeared as a magician in Victoria Wood
's first play Talent
for Granada Television
in 1979.
Bill played his best known role of cantankerous pensioner Percy Sugden on Coronation Street from August 1983 until quitting the serial in October 1997.
In 1995, he released a cover of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
" along with the rest of the Coronation Street cast, the single reached #35 on the UK Singles Chart
.
In later life Bill became brother-in-law to The Chuckle Brothers
when he married their sister Sheila. He died in Rotherham
General Hospital on the morning of September 9, 2000 at the age of 84 after a 50-year acting career. He had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease
. Bill had two daughters.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
music hall performer and comedian who was born in Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. In later life he achieved stardom
Stardom
Stardom is a 2000 Canadian film written by J.Jacob Potashnik & Denys Arcand and directed by Denys Arcand and starring Jessica Paré and Dan Aykroyd. It tells the story of a young girl who tries to cope with her rise to stardom after being discovered by a fashion agency...
as the pompous ex serviceman Percy Sugden
Percy Sugden
Percy Sugden is a fictional character in the British soap opera, Coronation Street, played by Bill Waddington. He appeared between 1983 and 1997.-Creation:...
in Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
's long running soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
Waddington was born at Oldham on June 10, 1916, the son of a builder. He played the ukulele and became a member of a group called The Blue Pencils, recruited to entertain forces during WW2.
After the war "Waddy" became a comedian, often appearing on the same bill as Jill Summers
Jill Summers
Honour Margaret Rosell Santoi Fuller, better known as Jill Summers , was a British music hall performer and comedienne born in Eccles, Lancashire...
, who would eventually play Phyllis Pearce - Percy Sugden's foil - in Granada TV's Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. In 1955 Bill was chosen for the Royal Variety Performance, and when American stars such as Frankie Laine, Lena Horne, Billy Daniels and Dorothy Lamour toured Britain, he was the opening comedian in their shows. His agent was Lew Grade.
Waddington appeared in more than 800 variety and comedy programmes on radio, and made his mark on television, starring with Margaret Lockwood as early as 1946. In the 1970s he enjoyed a stage partnership with Sid James, only ended by James's death in 1976.
He appeared as a magician in Victoria Wood
Victoria Wood
Victoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
's first play Talent
Talent (1978 play)
Talent is a play written by Victoria Wood, first performed in 1978. It centres around two friends, one of whom is about to enter a talent contest in a run down nightclub. Commissioned for the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, it received much acclaim and transferred to a London run in 1979. That same...
for Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
in 1979.
Bill played his best known role of cantankerous pensioner Percy Sugden on Coronation Street from August 1983 until quitting the serial in October 1997.
In 1995, he released a cover of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is a popular song written by Eric Idle that was originally featured in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian and has gone on to become a common singalong at public events such as football matches as well as funerals.-History:Whilst trying to come up...
" along with the rest of the Coronation Street cast, the single reached #35 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
In later life Bill became brother-in-law to The Chuckle Brothers
Chuckle Brothers
Barry Elliott and Paul Elliott , better known as the Chuckle Brothers, are British comedians. They are best known for their work on their BBC show ChuckleVision, which celebrated its 21st anniversary in March 2010 with a tour called An Audience with the Chuckle Brothers, which started in January...
when he married their sister Sheila. He died in Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
General Hospital on the morning of September 9, 2000 at the age of 84 after a 50-year acting career. He had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. Bill had two daughters.