Spike Milligan

 

Terence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan KBE
known as Spike Milligan. Born 16 April 1918 died 27 February 2002

 

Spike was born in India to an Irish born officer, serving in the British Army and although Spike served in the Royal Artillery in World War II in North Africa and in Italy, where he was hospitalized for shell shock and he lived in England for most of his life, he was declared stateless in 1960, and took Irish citizenship.

For most of his life he suffered from bipolar disorder and had many mental breakdowns

He is most famous for being a member of The Goons with Peter Sellers, Harry Seacombe and Michael Bentine and together with Eric Sykes , wrote most of The Goon Show scripts 

In 1994, on television, Milligan called The Prince of Wales a "little grovelling bastard" and then later faxed the prince "I suppose a knighthood is out of the question?".
Despite this, an honorary knighthood was bestowed on him in 2000.

He was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians in 2005.

A very funny and troubled man, whose humour I enjoyed and even to this day what was to become almost the Goons Theme tune still rattles around my head when I am in one of those moods:

The Ying Tong song

##
Ying tong, ying tong, ying tong, ying tong, ying tong yiddle i po,
Ying tong, ying tong, ying tong yiddle i po, yiddle i po,
Ying tong, ying tong, ying tong, ying tong, ying tong yiddle i po,
Ying tong, ying tong, ying tong yiddle i po, yiddle i po.
Yiiiing, tongy tongy tongy, yiddy diddy diddy da doh, ying diddy,
Ying tong diddle, yiddledy boo,
Ying tong, ying tong, ying tong yiddle, ying tong yiddle i po,
Ying tong, ying tong, ying tong yiddle i po, yiddle i po, oh! ##

The Ying Tong song reached number 3 in the hit parade in September 1956

Here are some on his famous one liners

After five days in hospital, I took a turn for the nurse.

Money couldn't buy you friends, but you get a better class of enemy.

I have the body of an eighteen year old.  I keep it in the fridge.

I speak Esparanto like a native

How long was I in the army? Five foot eleven.

All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy

One day the "Don't Knows" will get in and then where will we be?

Chopsticks are one of the reasons the Chinese never invented custard.

Her mother was a cultivated woman - she was born in a greenhouse.

Apéritif: French for a set of dentures.

A neat desk is the sign of a sick mind

And the last laugh

on his tombstone “I told you I was ill"

Images wikipedia.org
and losthemisphere.wordpress.com