Amazed at how many people he wrote gags for including Billy Connolly. A top comedy writer and performer who had a great career from the variety shows of the 50's to TV and loved to hear him on the radio over the last few decades. Respected by comedians young and old.
A genuine long lasting talent of screen, radio and gag writing...mostly associated with writing but held his own on a series called Jokers Wild with the likes of Les Dawson back in the day.
Lovely story from our own Charlie Connelly on Facebook:
Lots of love for Barry Cryer today and people sharing stories of him just being a sounder. Here’s mine, about how he gave me the best moment of what I laughably call my career.
It’s the mid-2000s and I’m a guest speaker at a lunch at London’s swanky Simpson’s in the Strand. Very posh. The speakers are me, Kate Adie and Michael Winner. Not an intimidating prospect at all, as you’ll appreciate. Ulp.
We sit down and I have Kate Adie on one side of me, and on the other is Barry Cryer. I'm a big fan, ISIHAC, Kenny Everett, all that stuff. He doesn’t know me from Adam but is immediately interested in me, what I do, why I’m there, the whole thing.
We talk about Andre Previn on Morecambe and Wise, and Previn’s timing on the “I’ll just get my baton, it’s in Chicago” line, and Barry Cryer makes me feel like my lame opinion on one of the most famous sketches in British comedy history is worth his time and attention.
Then he leans forward and calls to my neighbour on the other side.
“Kate,” he says, “do you know that you’re the punchline to a north country comedians’ joke?”
Kate looks suspicious. “No,” she says hesitantly.
“Do you want to hear it?” asks Barry as I lean back, watching this exchange. Kate Adie rolls her eyes, but they're twinkling.
“I suppose so,” she sighs.
“Well, they get up on stage and say, oh, what a lovely audience. Better than the place I played last night. I’m not saying it was rough but Kate Adie was collecting the glasses.”
That familiar bronchial chuckle. Kate Adie rolls her eyes again, but she’s laughing.
Anyway, to the best moment of what I laughably call my career. The time comes for the speeches and I’m first up, wanging on about the shipping forecast. Everyone’s had a few at that stage so it’s a pretty friendly crowd and I get a few chuckles. Phew. I finish with quite a decent joke, for me anyway, which gets a decent laugh, one that dissolves into a round of applause and I drop back onto my chair, relieved. I’m no stand-up comedian but I’ve done all right, pretty much all I can hope for.
As I sit down, a bit flushed, the applause dying away, I’m aware that someone is thumping me repeatedly on the back.
It’s Barry Cryer.
“Brilliant,” he’s hooting at me. “Brilliant! Such timing!”
I was not brilliant. I was far from brilliant and my timing is absolutely not worthy of praise. He was just being kind. He had no particular reason to be so kind to me, I was just a nobody, the first on the bill at one of countless events he attended, our paths would likely never cross again.
Yet he still made me feel like I belonged up there, that what I was doing that day mattered to him and he was interested. Barry Cryer made me feel a million dollars.
After the lunch he took Kate Adie and I to the bar and told us brilliant stories for the rest of the afternoon, none of which I can remember because of all the gin and tonic.
I remember the important bit though. That Barry Cryer was incredibly kind to me and gave me the best moment of what I laughably call my career just out of his natural warmth and goodness.
A really funny and intelligent comic. Had the pleasure to have dinner with him about 20 years ago, even at the table he had us absolutely crying with laughter! A pleasure to meet and a genuinely nice guy....RIP Sir and thanks for the laughs!
Very sad. He was a genius. As mentioned before Hampshire and Dougal was wonderful whether the radio series or as part of ISIHAC. Fortunate to see him a few times. He will be greatly missed. RIP.
Genios is a word banded around very easily these days. Barry was a genius, one that is knited into the fabric of great British comedy, RIP Barry you will long be remembered.
Never mainstream but always on our screens. That may sound an oxymoron but it's true. I just flicked through the TV channels and there was Barry Cryer, this time on a tribute to Joan Rivers.
Obviously a comedian's comedian, he'll be sadly missed.
He made it look effortless and he spanned the ages, never went out of fashion, which is easy when you're that funny. I never heard him criticize or put down another comedian - that shows to me that he was at ease and not threatened by anyone else's talent.
I note the family mentioned that Barry told a joke about the Archbishop of Canterbury to a nurse just before he died - perhaps that wasn't the best timing - but I reckon St Peter will let him through anyway.
Comments
A top comedy writer and performer who had a great career from the variety shows of the 50's to TV and loved to hear him on the radio over the last few decades.
Respected by comedians young and old.
RIP Barry Cryer
A huge influence on British comedy.
RIP.
RIP
A very funny man RIP
His jokes just got funnier & moved with the times.
Loved by all ages.
A very sad day.
Cheers Baz, gawd bless ya ♥️
Lots of love for Barry Cryer today and people sharing stories of him just being a sounder. Here’s mine, about how he gave me the best moment of what I laughably call my career.
RIP
He will be greatly missed.
RIP.
Barry was a genius, one that is knited into the fabric of great British comedy, RIP Barry you will long be remembered.
RIP Barry.
Lovely story from Charlie Connelly. Thanks for putting it up @Algarveaddick
He will be greatly missed
Very sad day. RIP