View source for Tommy Cannon

{{Short description|English comic and singer}}
{{About|the comic|the author|Thomas Cannon}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| image              = Tommy Cannon.jpg
| caption            = Cannon in 2013
| name               = Tommy Cannon
| birth_name         = Thomas Derbyshire
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1938|06|27}}
| birth_place        = [[Oldham]], Lancashire, England
| death_date         = 
| othername          = 
| occupation         = Comic, actor, singer
| yearsactive        = 1972–present
| website            = 
| education          = 
| alma mater         = 
| children           = 5
}}

'''Thomas Derbyshire''' (born 27 June 1938), known professionally as '''Tommy Cannon''', is an English comic, actor and singer. He is best known as the straight man of the comic [[double act]] [[Cannon and Ball]], until [[Bobby Ball]]'s death in 2020, in TV programmes such as ''[[The Cannon and Ball Show]]''.

==Cannon and Ball==
{{main article|Cannon and Ball}}
Cannon was one half of comedy duo [[Cannon and Ball]] opposite his friend and colleague [[Bobby Ball]] (real name Robert Harper) before his death. They first appeared on television in 1968 on the talent show ''[[Opportunity Knocks (UK TV series)|Opportunity Knocks]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.memorabletv.com/episodes/opportunity-knocks-monday-17-april-1972-with-cannon-and-ball-hughie-green/ |work=Memorable TV |title=Opportunity Knocks: Cannon & Ball |accessdate= 6 November 2020}}</ref> The duo's prime-time Saturday-night television series ''[[The Cannon and Ball Show]]'' was one of [[LWT]]'s most successful series, with consistently high viewing ratings over 12 years. They starred in the film ''[[The Boys in Blue]]'' together in 1982 and guest starred in the [[Eric Sykes]] slapstick film ''Mr H is Late'' in 1988. Other notable guest appearances were on ''[[The Kenny Everett Television Show]]'' in 1982 and ''[[Shooting Stars (British TV series)|Shooting Stars]]'' in 1996.

On 28 October 2020, Cannon's comedy partner Bobby Ball died at [[Blackpool Victoria Hospital]] after testing positive for [[COVID-19]].<ref>[http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/books/christianity-for-beginners Christianity for Beginners] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213062019/http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/books/christianity-for-beginners |date=13 December 2010 }}</ref>

==Television==
In late 2005, Cannon and Ball appeared in the fifth series of reality show ''[[I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British series 5)|I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Busk-Cowley |first=Mark |title=I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!: The Inside Story |publisher=[[Bantam Press]] |date=2014 |pages=140 |isbn=978-0593073483}}</ref>

In 2012, Cannon and Ball appeared in the third celebrity series of ''[[Coach Trip]]''.

Cannon and Ball star in the [[Safestyle UK]] television advertisements. He made a one-off guest appearance in the 2014 Christmas special of ''[[Not Going Out]]'' on BBC One.

Cannon was cast in ITV soap opera ''[[Emmerdale]]'' as pensioner [[List of Emmerdale characters (2019)#Derek Malone|Derek]] in 2019. He appears in multiple episodes and features in a story that has "serious consequences" for regular characters.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Phillipson |first1=Daisy |title=Emmerdale announces two new characters arriving this month |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a28903295/emmerdale-announces-two-new-characters-september/ |accessdate=21 September 2019 |work=[[Digital Spy]] |date=3 September 2019}}</ref> The character was killed off at the conclusion of Cannon's guest stint.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Jess |title=Emmerdale lines up new death storyline as the Sharmas and Dingles receive a shock |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a29202413/emmerdale-death-derek-storyline-sharmas-dingles/ |accessdate=26 September 2019 |work=[[Digital Spy]] |date=24 September 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Cannon's first marriage was to Margaret; they had two daughters, Jeanette (born 1961) and Julie (1964). The couple later [[divorce]]d.<ref>[http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/magazines/war-cry Cannon and Ball bounce back] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726180135/http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/magazines/war-cry |date=26 July 2009 }}</ref> He lives in [[York]] with his second wife Hazel,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-tommy-cannon-amp-bobby-ball-429515.html|title=How we met: Tommy Cannon & Bobby Ball – Profiles – News – The Independent|date=24 December 2006|work=The Independent}}</ref> by whom he has three children: Kelly-Anne (born 1991),<ref>[http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/magazines/sunday-nov-1992 Sunday magazine, November 1992] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726013211/http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/magazines/sunday-nov-1992 |date=26 July 2009 }}</ref> Zoe Louise (born 1993) and Luke Thomas<ref>[http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/profile Cannon & Ball profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225172935/http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/profile |date=25 February 2010 }}</ref> (born 1996).<ref>[http://www.findmypast.com/BirthsMarriagesDeaths.jsp Births England and Wales 1984–2006]</ref>

He served as Chairman of [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale Football Club]] for a term until 1988.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rochdale FC|url=https://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/rochdale-fc/|website=Comedy Kings|access-date=17 October 2021}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb name|0134273}}
* {{Discogs artist|Cannon & Ball}} as 'Cannon & Ball'

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Tommy}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:English stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English television personalities]]
[[Category:Male actors from Oldham]]
[[Category:English Christians]]
[[Category:I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British TV series) participants]]