Max Geldray
Encyclopedia
Max Geldray was a jazz
harmonica
player, usually credited as being the first such.
Born Max van Gelder to Jewish parents in Amsterdam, Netherlands, he was best known for his playing and occasional acting on the BBC
comedy
radio
series, The Goon Show before emigrating to the United States. The Goon Show followed a variety format, the plot of the comedy interspersed by musical performances so that each episode was broken into three segments, Geldray playing the first interlude and The Ray Ellington
Quartet playing the second. Additionally, Geldray appeared in the Hancock's 43 Minutes special at the end of the first TV series of Hancock's Half Hour
.
Geldray was distinguished by his large nose, often the subject of playful jokes on The Goon Show. For example, Geldray might be introduced with, "(and now for...) Max Geldray and his enormous Dutch conk" ("conk" in British slang is "nose"). At the instigation of fellow Goon Michael Bentine
Geldray wrote a history of his career in the music business that was published as "Goon With The Wind".
After The Goon Show ended its run in 1960 Geldray moved to the United States, eventually settling in California
, returning briefly to appear on The Last Goon Show of All
in 1972. He also worked as a counselor at the Betty Ford Detoxification Center
. He died in Palm Springs, California
at the age of 88.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player, usually credited as being the first such.
Born Max van Gelder to Jewish parents in Amsterdam, Netherlands, he was best known for his playing and occasional acting on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
series, The Goon Show before emigrating to the United States. The Goon Show followed a variety format, the plot of the comedy interspersed by musical performances so that each episode was broken into three segments, Geldray playing the first interlude and The Ray Ellington
Ray Ellington
Ray Ellington was a popular English singer, drummer and bandleader. He is best known for his appearances on The Goon Show from 1951 to 1960...
Quartet playing the second. Additionally, Geldray appeared in the Hancock's 43 Minutes special at the end of the first TV series of Hancock's Half Hour
Hancock's Half Hour
Hancock's Half Hour was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy, series of the 1950s and 60s written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sid James; the radio version also co-starred, at various times, Moira Lister, Andrée Melly, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr...
.
Geldray was distinguished by his large nose, often the subject of playful jokes on The Goon Show. For example, Geldray might be introduced with, "(and now for...) Max Geldray and his enormous Dutch conk" ("conk" in British slang is "nose"). At the instigation of fellow Goon Michael Bentine
Michael Bentine
Michael Bentine CBE was a British comedian, comic actor and founding member of the Goons. A Peruvian Briton by heritage as a result of his father's nationality, In 1971 Bentine received the Order of Merit of Peru because of his fund-raising work for the 1970 Great Peruvian...
Geldray wrote a history of his career in the music business that was published as "Goon With The Wind".
After The Goon Show ended its run in 1960 Geldray moved to the United States, eventually settling in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, returning briefly to appear on The Last Goon Show of All
The Last Goon Show of All
The Last Goon Show of All, broadcast on 5 October 1972, was a special edition of the famous BBC Radio show, The Goon Show, commissioned as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the BBC. It was simulcast on radio and television, and later released as an audio recording on long-playing...
in 1972. He also worked as a counselor at the Betty Ford Detoxification Center
Betty Ford Center
The Betty Ford Center , is a non-profit, separately licensed residential chemical dependency recovery hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, that offers inpatient, outpatient, and day treatment for alcohol and other drug addictions as well as prevention and education programs for family and children...
. He died in Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
at the age of 88.