Charlie Williams (comedian) - Revision history

Kurt at 16:59, 20 February 2023

2023-02-20T16:59:36Z

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	\| image = Charliewilliams.jpg		\| image = Charliewilliams.jpg
	\| caption = Charlie Williams appearing on ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)\|The Comedians]]'' in the 1970s.		\| caption = Charlie Williams appearing on ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)\|The Comedians]]'' in the 1970s.
	\| ~~fullname~~ = Charles Adolphus Williams		\| full_name = Charles Adolphus Williams
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1927\|12\|23\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1927\|12\|23\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[Royston, South Yorkshire\|Royston]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England		\| birth_place = [[Royston, South Yorkshire\|Royston]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2006\|09\|02\|1927\|12\|23\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2006\|09\|02\|1927\|12\|23\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley\|Barnsley]], [[Yorkshire]], England		\| death_place = [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley\|Barnsley]], [[Yorkshire]], England
	\| position = [[Defender (football)\|Centre half]]		\| position = [[Defender (football)\|Centre half]]
	\| youthclubs1 = [[Upton Colliery F.C.\|Upton Colliery]]		\| youthclubs1 = [[Upton Colliery F.C.\|Upton Colliery]]
	\| clubs1 = [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.\|Doncaster Rovers]]		\| clubs1 = [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.\|Doncaster Rovers]]
	\| years1 = 1948–1959		\| years1 = 1948–1959
	\| caps1 = 151		\| caps1 = 151
	\| goals1 = 1		\| goals1 = 1
	\| clubs2 = [[Skegness Town A.F.C.\|Skegness Town]]		\| clubs2 = [[Skegness Town A.F.C.\|Skegness Town]]
	\| years2 = 1959–196?		\| years2 = 1959–196?

	}}		}}
	'''Charles Adolphus Williams''', [[Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (23 December 1927 – 2 September 2006) was an English professional [[association football\|footballer]] who was one of the first [[Black British\|black]] players in British football after the [[Second World War]],<ref name="guardian">[[Stephen Bourne (writer)\|Bourne, Stephen]],		'''Charles Adolphus Williams''', [[Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (23 December 1927 – 2 September 2006) was an English professional [[association football\|footballer]] who was one of the first [[Black British\|black]] players in British football after the [[Second World War]],<ref name="guardian">[[Stephen Bourne (writer)\|Bourne, Stephen]],

Kurt at 16:54, 20 February 2023

2023-02-20T16:54:43Z

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	{{Infobox football biography		{{Infobox football biography
	\|~~honorific_suffix~~ = [[Order of the British Empire\|MBE]]		\| name = Charlie Williams {{Small\|[[Order of the British Empire\|MBE]]}}
	~~\| name = Charlie Williams~~
	\| image = Charliewilliams.jpg		\| image = Charliewilliams.jpg
	\| caption = Charlie Williams appearing on ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)\|The Comedians]]'' in the 1970s.		\| caption = Charlie Williams appearing on ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)\|The Comedians]]'' in the 1970s.
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	\| death_place = [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley\|Barnsley]], [[Yorkshire]], England		\| death_place = [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley\|Barnsley]], [[Yorkshire]], England
	\| position = [[Defender (football)\|Centre half]]		\| position = [[Defender (football)\|Centre half]]
	\| ~~youthyears1~~ ~~= \| youthclubs1~~ = [[Upton Colliery F.C.\|Upton Colliery]]		\| youthclubs1 = [[Upton Colliery F.C.\|Upton Colliery]]
	\| clubs1 = [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.\|Doncaster Rovers]]		\| clubs1 = [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.\|Doncaster Rovers]]
	\| years1 = 1948–1959		\| years1 = 1948–1959
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	\| clubs2 = [[Skegness Town A.F.C.\|Skegness Town]]		\| clubs2 = [[Skegness Town A.F.C.\|Skegness Town]]
	\| years2 = 1959–196?		\| years2 = 1959–196?
	~~\| caps2 =~~
	~~\| goals2 =~~
	}}		}}
	'''Charles Adolphus Williams''', [[Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (23 December 1927 – 2 September 2006) was an English professional [[association football\|footballer]] who was one of the first [[Black British\|black]] players in British football after the [[Second World War]],<ref name="guardian">[[Stephen Bourne (writer)\|Bourne, Stephen]],		'''Charles Adolphus Williams''', [[Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (23 December 1927 – 2 September 2006) was an English professional [[association football\|footballer]] who was one of the first [[Black British\|black]] players in British football after the [[Second World War]],<ref name="guardian">[[Stephen Bourne (writer)\|Bourne, Stephen]],

Kurt at 16:50, 20 February 2023

2023-02-20T16:50:27Z

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	~~{{short description\|English footballer (1927–2006)}}~~
	~~{{About\|the British comedian\|other people called Charles or Charlie Williams\|Charles Williams (disambiguation){{!}}Charles Williams}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=December 2019}}~~
	{{Infobox football biography		{{Infobox football biography
	\| ~~name~~ = ~~Charlie Williams<br><small>~~[[Order of the British Empire\|MBE]]~~</small>~~		\|honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire\|MBE]]
	\| image = Charliewilliams.jpg		\| name = Charlie Williams
	\|caption = Charlie Williams appearing on ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)\|The Comedians]]'' in the 1970s.		\| image = Charliewilliams.jpg
	\| fullname = Charles Adolphus Williams		\| caption = Charlie Williams appearing on ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)\|The Comedians]]'' in the 1970s.
			\| fullname = Charles Adolphus Williams
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1927\|12\|23\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1927\|12\|23\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[Royston, South Yorkshire\|Royston]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England		\| birth_place = [[Royston, South Yorkshire\|Royston]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2006\|9\|2\|1927\|12\|23\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2006\|09\|02\|1927\|12\|23\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley\|Barnsley]], [[Yorkshire]], England		\| death_place = [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley\|Barnsley]], [[Yorkshire]], England
	\| position = [[Defender (football)\|Centre half]]		\| position = [[Defender (football)\|Centre half]]
	\| youthyears1 = \| youthclubs1 = [[Upton Colliery F.C.\|Upton Colliery]]		\| youthyears1 = \| youthclubs1 = [[Upton Colliery F.C.\|Upton Colliery]]
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	*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/comediansthe_7771505.shtml BBC Guide to Comedy – The Comedians] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625041337/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/comediansthe_7771505.shtml \|date=25 June 2007 }}		*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/comediansthe_7771505.shtml BBC Guide to Comedy – The Comedians] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625041337/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/comediansthe_7771505.shtml \|date=25 June 2007 }}
	*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010301205022/http://www.ayup.co.uk/gods/gods0-4.html Ayup! Magazine tribute]		*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010301205022/http://www.ayup.co.uk/gods/gods0-4.html Ayup! Magazine tribute]

	~~{{Doncaster Rovers F.C. Hall of Fame}}~~

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Charlie}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Charlie}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2023-02-20T16:44:33Z

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← Older revision	Revision as of 11:44, 20 February 2023
(No difference)

en>OGBC1992: /* Later life */ cited MBE

2023-01-11T20:50:20Z

Later life: cited MBE

New page

{{short description|English footballer (1927–2006)}}
{{About|the British comedian|other people called Charles or Charlie Williams|Charles Williams (disambiguation){{!}}Charles Williams}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Charlie Williams<br><small>[[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]</small>
| image = Charliewilliams.jpg
|caption = Charlie Williams appearing on ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)|The Comedians]]'' in the 1970s.
| fullname = Charles Adolphus Williams
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|12|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Royston, South Yorkshire|Royston]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|9|2|1927|12|23|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley|Barnsley]], [[Yorkshire]], England
| position = [[Defender (football)|Centre half]]
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = [[Upton Colliery F.C.|Upton Colliery]]
| clubs1 = [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]]
| years1 = 1948–1959
| caps1 = 151
| goals1 = 1
| clubs2 = [[Skegness Town A.F.C.|Skegness Town]]
| years2 = 1959–196?
| caps2 =
| goals2 =
}}
'''Charles Adolphus Williams''', [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (23 December 1927 – 2 September 2006) was an English professional [[association football|footballer]] who was one of the first [[Black British|black]] players in British football after the [[Second World War]],<ref name="guardian">[[Stephen Bourne (writer)|Bourne, Stephen]],
[https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries/story/0,,1864084,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 4 September 2006.</ref> and later became Britain's first well-known black [[stand-up comedy|stand-up comedian]].<ref name="times">[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2341496.html Obituary], ''[[The Times]]'', 4 September 2006.</ref>

He became famous from his appearances on [[Granada Television]]'s ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)|The Comedians]]'' and [[Associated TeleVision|ATV]]'s ''[[The Golden Shot]]'', delivering his [[catchphrase]], "me old flower" in his broad [[Yorkshire accent]].

==Early life and football career==

Williams was born in [[Royston, South Yorkshire|Royston]], a small mining village in [[Barnsley]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]]. His father, also Charles, had come to [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]] in 1914 from [[Barbados]],<ref name="guardian"/><ref name="times"/><ref name="telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1527951/Charlie-Williams.html Obituary], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 4 September 2006.</ref> and enlisted in the [[Royal Engineers]].<ref name="times"/><ref name="telegraph"/>

After the [[First World War]], his father settled in Royston, where he sold groceries from a horse and cart, and married a local woman, Frances Cook. His father had been forced to give up his job as a [[greengrocer]] as a result of [[trench foot]] acquired in France, and depended on [[National Assistance Act 1948|National Assistance]].<ref name="telegraph"/>

After leaving school aged 14 (when, according to his autobiography ''Ee-I've Had Some Laughs'', his father died), Williams worked at [[Upton, West Yorkshire|Upton]] Colliery during the [[Second World War]], a [[reserved occupation]]. He played football for the [[colliery]] team, before turning professional, and signing for [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]] in 1948, having also considered [[York City]] and [[Nottingham Forest]] , aged 19. A [[Defender (association football)#Centre back|centre-half]], he played for the first team in 1950, but then remained in the reserves until 1955, when he became an established first team player for four years.

He played 171 times for Rovers in total, but scored only one goal, in a Second Division game away to [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]] on 24 March 1956.<ref name="times"/><ref name="telegraph"/> In his own words, "I was never a fancy player, but I could stop them buggers that were."<ref name="times"/><ref name="telegraph"/> He ended his career with [[Skegness Town F.C.|Skegness Town]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Neil|title=Doncaster Rovers player details|url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/doncaster/doncaster.html|accessdate=21 October 2010}}</ref> in the [[Midland Football League (1889)|Midland League]].

He married twice. He was first married to Audrey Crump on [[April Fool's Day]], 1 April 1957. They had two children. He later married a second time, to Janice, who survived him.

==Showbusiness career==
{{rquote|right|You have to understand that was perfect for the time that he appeared. It was a brilliant thing, this black Yorkshireman who played football with Doncaster Rovers, who'd had the wartime experience of white Yorkshire people, who talked like them, who thought like them, but who just happened to be black. And when he came along it was astounding to hear this bloke talking like "Eh up, flower, eh. Hey, have you ever been to supermarket where they have the broken biscuits?". I think it was a huge culture shock for people. And Charlie exploited this to the full.|[[Lenny Henry]] in ''Windrush – The Irresistible Rise of Multiracial Britain''<ref name="windrush">{{Cite book|author1=Phillips, Mike|author-link=Mike Phillips (writer)|author2=Trevor Phillips|author2-link=Trevor Phillips|title=Windrush – The Irresistible Rise of Multiracial Britain|publisher=[[Harper-Collins]]|year= 1998|isbn=0-00-653039-7}}</ref>}}
Following his retirement from football in 1959, Williams tried his hand as a singer in local [[working men's club]]s, but it was his comic chat between the songs that was best received, so he decided to move into comedy full-time. He eventually became Britain's first well-known black television comedian.<ref name="guardian"/><ref name="telegraph"/> He came to prominence from 1971, when he began appearing regularly on ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)|The Comedians]]''. The show broadcast stand-up routines from relatively unknown but often very experienced club comedians, including [[Frank Carson]], [[Mike Reid (actor)|Mike Reid]] and [[Bernard Manning]]. The novel combination of a black man with a [[Yorkshire dialect and accent|Yorkshire accent]] and his first-hand experience of life in the British [[working class]] made him unmistakable.

Williams' comedy was often at his own expense, and particularly his colour. He used to respond to [[heckler|heckling]] by saying: "If you don't shut up, I'll come and move in next door to you".<ref name="guardian"/><ref name="times"/><ref name="telegraph"/><ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1359832.ece Obituary] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061008114336/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1359832.ece |date=8 October 2006 }}, ''[[The Independent]]'', 4 September 2006.</ref> Like other popular comedians of his era, his comedy included jokes about "[[List of ethnic slurs#Paki|Paki]]s" and "[[List of racial slurs#Coon|coon]]s".<ref name="telegraph"/> His reinforcement of his audience's prejudices and negative race stereotypes was perhaps a necessary product of the environment and time in which his career began, typified by a resurgent [[British National Front|National Front]], a [[minstrel show|minstrelsy]] [[variety show]] in the form of ''[[The Black and White Minstrel Show]]'' on the BBC, and the [[sitcom]] ''[[Love Thy Neighbour (1972 TV series)|Love Thy Neighbour]]'', made by [[Thames Television]] for the National [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] network. Williams in fact appeared as himself in an episode of the latter series.

Nevertheless, he was a role model for a new generation of British black comedians, such as [[Lenny Henry]] and [[Gary Wilmot]],<ref name="BBCnews">{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5309634.stm | title=Comic Charlie Williams dies at 78 | work=[[BBC News]] | date=3 September 2006}}</ref> growing up in the 1970s, when almost all others were white. Broadcaster [[Dotun Adebayo]] wrote a 2012 play, ''Skinteeth'' on the theme of Williams' comedy perpetuating 1970s stereotypes of black people.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130421024842/http://www.inharingey.co.uk/newsdetail.html?id=380 'Skinteeth' a new play starring Dotun Adebayo]</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/10229499.Skinteeth__a_new_play_by_Dotun_Adebayo__confronts_the_politically_incorrect_comics_that_blighted_British_television_comedy_in_the_1970s/| title=Skinteeth, a new play by Dotun Adebayo, confronts the politically incorrect comics that blighted British television comedy in the 1970s | date=14 February 2013 | first=George | last=Nott | accessdate=3 January 2019 }}</ref>

He reached the pinnacle of his comedy career in the early 1970s. In 1972, he spent a six-month season at the [[London Palladium]]; presented his own show, ''It's Charlie Williams'', on Granada Television; was a subject on ''[[This Is Your Life (UK TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'', when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]] at the [[Batley Variety Club]]; and appeared at the [[Royal Variety Performance]].

In 1973, he presented a one-off special ''Charlie Williams Show'' on [[BBC2]],<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/charliewilliamss_1299000579.shtml ''The Charlie Williams Show''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125023223/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/charliewilliamss_1299000579.shtml |date=25 January 2007 }} from the [[BBC]] Guide to Comedy.</ref> and published an [[autobiography]], ''Ee-I've Had Some Laughs''. He was popular enough at this time to be featured as the star of his own one page comic strip in [[IPC Media|IPC]]'s ''[[Shiver and Shake]]'' comic at this time. He was also the host of [[Associated TeleVision|ATV]]'s popular [[game show]] ''[[The Golden Shot]]'', along with hostess Wendy King, for a six-month period from late 1973 to early 1974, although he often struggled to hold together a fast moving live show, and it ultimately had a detrimental effect on his career.

In 1976, Williams toured [[Rhodesia]], and appeared before audiences at packed nightclubs in [[Harare|Salisbury]]. At that time, the [[white minority rule]] government of Rhodesia had [[Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence|unilaterally declared independence from Britain]], which had severed all ties with the Rhodesian government.<ref name="Youtube">{{Cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S2NKlMW0vc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/0S2NKlMW0vc |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|publisher=YouTube| title=Rhodesia 1976 | date=31 October 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, his brand of humour was becoming old-fashioned, and his career declined. He caused offence to some, and was praised by others, for defending the [[Robertson's]] [[Golliwog]] [[trade mark]], and for saying that [[Modern immigration to the United Kingdom|immigrants to the United Kingdom]] should conform to the British way of life.<ref name="times"/><ref name="telegraph"/>

He retired after a final tour in 1995.

==Recordings==

In 1972 and 1973 Williams released two singles, ''That's what I shoulda said'' (1972) and ''Smile'' (1973), released on [[Columbia Graphophone Company|Columbia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Charlie Williams [UK] Discography - UK - 45cat|url=https://www.45cat.com/artist/charlie-williams-uk|access-date=2021-02-27|website=www.45cat.com}}</ref> In 1973, he also had an album issued by the label, ''You Can't Help Liking.......Charlie Williams''.<ref>{{Citation|title=Charlie Williams – You Can't Help Liking.......Charlie Williams (1973, Vinyl)|url=https://www.discogs.com/Charlie-Williams-You-Cant-Help-LikingCharlie-Williams/release/3304322|language=en|access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref>

In 1974, he released the pop single ''Ta Luv'', on the [[Pye Records]] label, a song taken from ''[[The Good Companions (musical)|The Good Companions]]'' musical.

==Later life==
Williams was appointed a [[Order of the British Empire|Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the [[1999 New Year Honours]] "for charitable services to the community in Yorkshire."<ref>UK list: {{London Gazette |date=31 December 1998 |supp=1 |issue=55354 |pages=23}}</ref> He was given a lifetime achievement award at the ''Black Comedy Awards'' in 2000, where it was recognised that he had "broken down barriers".<ref name="times"/> In 2004, he was voted Doncaster Rovers' "all-time cult hero" by viewers of the [[BBC]]'s ''[[Football Focus]]'' programme.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/football_focus/3659456.stm | title=Doncaster's cult heroes | work=[[BBC Sport]] | date=16 September 2004}}</ref> Williams suffered from [[Parkinson's disease]] in his later life,<ref name="chortle">{{cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2006/09/03/4447/charlie_williams_dies|title=Charlie Williams dies|date=3 September 2006|publisher=[[Chortle]]|accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref> and died on 2 September 2006, aged 78.<ref name="bbcnews">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5309634.stm|title=Comic Charlie Williams dies at 78|date=3 September 2006|publisher=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=25 June 2018}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0930246}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060521044108/http://www.doncasterroversfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FamousPlayers/0%2C%2C10329~571675%2C00.html Doncaster Rovers – Famous Players – Charlie Williams]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070514225340/http://www.blackpresence.co.uk/detail.php?recordID=112 Black British History – Charlie Williams]
*[http://www.donny.co.uk/rovers/charlie.php Charlie Williams Donny Joke Box]
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/comediansthe_7771505.shtml BBC Guide to Comedy – The Comedians] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625041337/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/comediansthe_7771505.shtml |date=25 June 2007 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010301205022/http://www.ayup.co.uk/gods/gods0-4.html Ayup! Magazine tribute]

{{Doncaster Rovers F.C. Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Charlie}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:Black British male comedians]]
[[Category:Black British sportspeople]]
[[Category:British people of Barbadian descent]]
[[Category:Comedians from Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease]]
[[Category:Neurological disease deaths in England]]
[[Category:Doncaster Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:English footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from South Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People from Royston, South Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Skegness Town A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Upton Colliery F.C. players]]
[[Category:Association football defenders]]
[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]
[[Category:21st-century English comedians]]