Don Estelle
Encyclopedia
Don Estelle was a British
actor and singer.
Born Donald Edwards in Crumpsall
, Manchester
, he was brought up in a house on Russell Street, Crumpsall. During World War II
, at the age of eight, he was evacuated
to Darwen
, Lancashire
, twenty miles away from his home town, to escape the German bombing
of the city. It was here that he found his voice as a treble
at the local Holy Trinity Parish Church (now called St Peter's) and, on returning home after the war, carried on singing at St Mary's Church, Crumpsall. He later joined a charity group, the Manchester Kentucky Minstrels, and with them, performed the Mario Lanza
hit "Granada
" in the talent show What Makes a Star? in 1954 at BBC Radio
's northern studios in Manchester.
He gained theatre experience by singing one song 12 times a week in the show The Backyard Kids at the Hulme
Hippodrome in Manchester
. He later toured the Northern club circuit where he met the comedy actor Windsor Davies
with whom he teamed up and toured the UK for four years. In the 1960s he had some cameo roles in Coronation Street
and Dad's Army
and eventually landed the perfect role for his talents playing the part of Gunner 'Lofty' Sugden in the 1970s British sitcom
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
. The character was dubbed with the ironic nickname of "Lofty" on account of Don Estelle's small stature (4 feet, 9 inches). He had a powerful tenor voice and as a spin-off from the series Estelle, and his co-star Windsor Davies
, had a number one hit in the UK
in 1975 with a semi-comic version of Whispering Grass
. He also acted in the films Not Now Comrade, A Private Function
(1984) and Santa Claus: The Movie
(1984).
In the first series of The League of Gentlemen
he made brief appearances in two episodes as Little Don, keeper of the Roundabout Zoo (a zoo on the island of a roundabout intersection).
In 2001, he appeared in one episode of Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting
as "Little Don" of the "East End Art Mafia".
In his privately-published autobiography Sing Lofty: Thoughts Of A Gemini, Estelle was extremely bitter about the state of modern-day entertainment, attacking those who refused to repeat It Ain't Half Hot Mum
as "tight-crutched, white-trousered morons". And, in the words of his obituary in The Independent
, "in recent years Estelle cut a slightly sorry figure, dressed in his 'Lofty' outfit, setting out a stall of his tapes and singing to passers-by in shopping centres. Similarly, he played a dirty old man in the promotional video for The Sun
Page Three Girl Jo Hicks' single "Yakety Sax
" (2001), The Benny Hill Show
theme." One of the stalls he performed at was to be found for a time in the Boston
, Lincolnshire
branch of Woolworths
. He could also be seen performing in Cwmbran
town centre in South Wales.
Estelle spent his last years in Christchurch
, New Zealand
, where he spent countless hours working with the founder of 10 piece blues band, Blutopia. (Malcolm Bishop) "Lofty was looking for someone to believe in and bless in their own career and he picked me! He was extremely generous with time and resources." Malcolm recalls sitting with Estelle until 4am the night before he returned to the UK, during which Don passionately imparted unforgettable wisdom before returning home. Estelle returned to the UK only weeks before his death. He died in Rochdale
Infirmary, on 2 August 2003 and was buried in his adopted home town of Rochdale, with the oversized pith helmet in which he found fame as Gunner "Lofty" Sugden. He was survived by his wife Elizabeth.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
actor and singer.
Born Donald Edwards in Crumpsall
Crumpsall
Crumpsall is a suburban area and electoral ward of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is about north of Manchester city centre...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, he was brought up in a house on Russell Street, Crumpsall. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, at the age of eight, he was evacuated
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
to Darwen
Darwen
Darwen is a market town and civil parish located within Lancashire, England. Along with its northerly neighbour, Blackburn, it forms the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen — a unitary authority area...
, 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...
, twenty miles away from his home town, to escape the German bombing
Manchester Blitz
The Manchester Blitz was the heavy bombing of the city of Manchester and its surrounding areas in North West England during the Second World War by the Nazi German Luftwaffe...
of the city. It was here that he found his voice as a treble
Boy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
at the local Holy Trinity Parish Church (now called St Peter's) and, on returning home after the war, carried on singing at St Mary's Church, Crumpsall. He later joined a charity group, the Manchester Kentucky Minstrels, and with them, performed the Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
hit "Granada
Granada (song)
"Granada" is a Mexican song written in 1932 by Agustín Lara. The song is about the Spanish city of Granada and has become a "standard" in music repertoire....
" in the talent show What Makes a Star? in 1954 at BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
's northern studios in Manchester.
He gained theatre experience by singing one song 12 times a week in the show The Backyard Kids at the Hulme
Hulme
Hulme is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. Located immediately south of Manchester city centre, it is an area with significant industrial heritage....
Hippodrome in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. He later toured the Northern club circuit where he met the comedy actor Windsor Davies
Windsor Davies
Windsor Davies is a British actor, well known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the 1970s/1980s British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.-Early life and career:...
with whom he teamed up and toured the UK for four years. In the 1960s he had some cameo roles in 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...
and Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
and eventually landed the perfect role for his talents playing the part of Gunner 'Lofty' Sugden in the 1970s British sitcom
British sitcom
A British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army...
. The character was dubbed with the ironic nickname of "Lofty" on account of Don Estelle's small stature (4 feet, 9 inches). He had a powerful tenor voice and as a spin-off from the series Estelle, and his co-star Windsor Davies
Windsor Davies
Windsor Davies is a British actor, well known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the 1970s/1980s British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.-Early life and career:...
, had a number one hit in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1975 with a semi-comic version of Whispering Grass
Whispering Grass
"Whispering Grass " is a popular song written by Fred Fisher and his daughter Doris Fisher. The song was first recorded by Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra in 1940. The Ink Spots also recorded it the same year....
. He also acted in the films Not Now Comrade, A Private Function
A Private Function
A Private Function is a 1984 British comedy film starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. The film was predominantly filmed in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding, West Yorkshire. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival....
(1984) and Santa Claus: The Movie
Santa Claus: The Movie
Santa Claus: The Movie is a 1985 British/American Christmas film starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. It is the last major fantasy film produced by the Paris-based father-and-son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind...
(1984).
In the first series of The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen are a group of British comedians formed in 1995, best known for their radio and television series.The League of Gentlemen may also refer to:* The League of Gentlemen ,...
he made brief appearances in two episodes as Little Don, keeper of the Roundabout Zoo (a zoo on the island of a roundabout intersection).
In 2001, he appeared in one episode of Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting
Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting
Linda Smith’s A Brief History of Timewasting was a BBC Radio 4 situation comedy series written by and starring the late Linda Smith. It ran for two series of six episodes each from July 2001 until July 2002....
as "Little Don" of the "East End Art Mafia".
In his privately-published autobiography Sing Lofty: Thoughts Of A Gemini, Estelle was extremely bitter about the state of modern-day entertainment, attacking those who refused to repeat It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army...
as "tight-crutched, white-trousered morons". And, in the words of his obituary in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, "in recent years Estelle cut a slightly sorry figure, dressed in his 'Lofty' outfit, setting out a stall of his tapes and singing to passers-by in shopping centres. Similarly, he played a dirty old man in the promotional video for The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
Page Three Girl Jo Hicks' single "Yakety Sax
Yakety Sax
"Yakety Sax" is a piece of music written by James Q. "Spider" Rich and popularized by saxophonist Boots Randolph.The composition includes pieces of assorted fiddle tunes such as "Chicken Reel", and was written for a performance at a venue called The Armory in Hopkinsville, Kentucky...
" (2001), The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill.There were various incarnations of the show between 1951 and 1991, and it aired in over 140 countries. The show is generally sketch-based with heavy use of slapstick, mime, parody and double-entendre...
theme." One of the stalls he performed at was to be found for a time in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
branch of Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
. He could also be seen performing in Cwmbran
Cwmbran
Cwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
town centre in South Wales.
Estelle spent his last years in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, where he spent countless hours working with the founder of 10 piece blues band, Blutopia. (Malcolm Bishop) "Lofty was looking for someone to believe in and bless in their own career and he picked me! He was extremely generous with time and resources." Malcolm recalls sitting with Estelle until 4am the night before he returned to the UK, during which Don passionately imparted unforgettable wisdom before returning home. Estelle returned to the UK only weeks before his death. He died in Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
Infirmary, on 2 August 2003 and was buried in his adopted home town of Rochdale, with the oversized pith helmet in which he found fame as Gunner "Lofty" Sugden. He was survived by his wife Elizabeth.