Sandy Powell (comedian) - Revision history

Kurt: /* Radio and film */

2024-10-03T13:00:25Z

Radio and film

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:00, 3 October 2024
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	In the 1930s he began to work on the radio, always introducing his show with the [[catchphrase]] "Can you hear me, mother?". Powell said that the catchphrase originated on an occasion when he had dropped his script and was killing time at the microphone while rearranging the pages. It is also attributed to his mother's coercion and her [[hearing impairment\|hardness of hearing]], during his early career. At his next booking, the theatre manager asked him to say it again as everyone was saying it now. He also appeared in a number of films during the 1930s, usually as himself. In 1939, he was voted the fifth most popular British star at the local box office.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46303803 \|title=POPULAR PLAYERS. \|newspaper=[[The West Australian]] \|location=Perth \|date=24 February 1939 \|accessdate=24 April 2012 \|page=3 \|publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>		In the 1930s he began to work on the radio, always introducing his show with the [[catchphrase]] "Can you hear me, mother?". Powell said that the catchphrase originated on an occasion when he had dropped his script and was killing time at the microphone while rearranging the pages. It is also attributed to his mother's coercion and her [[hearing impairment\|hardness of hearing]], during his early career. At his next booking, the theatre manager asked him to say it again as everyone was saying it now. He also appeared in a number of films during the 1930s, usually as himself. In 1939, he was voted the fifth most popular British star at the local box office.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46303803 \|title=POPULAR PLAYERS. \|newspaper=[[The West Australian]] \|location=Perth \|date=24 February 1939 \|accessdate=24 April 2012 \|page=3 \|publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

	A popular figure, he worked continually on radio, television and [[pantomime]] through the 1940s and 1950s. Aged 21 at the time, [[Pat Phoenix]] was brought in to play Sandy's wife and played four parts in the film. After that he went onto a variety tour and she came with him as his wife, earning £12 a week. He performed with his Starlight company in the [[Eastbourne Pier]] theatre for over fifteen seasons in the 1950s and 1960s, earning himself the sobriquet 'Mr Eastbourne', and he was still performing occasionally up to his death in 1982. Part of his act was a comedy [[~~entriloquism~~]] act, where the dummy would fall apart. After being on stage for a few weeks with a series of awful ventriloquists, he bought a dummy himself and did his own act as a ventriloquist. When Pat Phoenix as his wife who "fed him lines" asked if the dummy could sing something, he replied "''If I know it, he can sing it!''" His real-life wife, Kay White, often appeared with him.<ref name="HuddHindin1997">{{cite book\|author1=Roy Hudd\|author2=Philip Hindin\|title=Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A who was who of Light Entertainment, 1945-60\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iydaAAAAMAAJ\|year=1997\|publisher=Robson Books\|isbn=978-1-86105-115-8\|page=47}}</ref>		A popular figure, he worked continually on radio, television and [[pantomime]] through the 1940s and 1950s. Aged 21 at the time, [[Pat Phoenix]] was brought in to play Sandy's wife and played four parts in the film. After that he went onto a variety tour and she came with him as his wife, earning £12 a week. He performed with his Starlight company in the [[Eastbourne Pier]] theatre for over fifteen seasons in the 1950s and 1960s, earning himself the sobriquet 'Mr Eastbourne', and he was still performing occasionally up to his death in 1982. Part of his act was a comedy [[ventriloquism]] act, where the dummy would fall apart. After being on stage for a few weeks with a series of awful ventriloquists, he bought a dummy himself and did his own act as a ventriloquist. When Pat Phoenix as his wife who "fed him lines" asked if the dummy could sing something, he replied "''If I know it, he can sing it!''" His real-life wife, Kay White, often appeared with him.<ref name="HuddHindin1997">{{cite book\|author1=Roy Hudd\|author2=Philip Hindin\|title=Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A who was who of Light Entertainment, 1945-60\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iydaAAAAMAAJ\|year=1997\|publisher=Robson Books\|isbn=978-1-86105-115-8\|page=47}}</ref>

	He performed twice in a [[Royal Variety Performance]]: both 1935 and 1970. In the latter he appeared with his wife performing his ventriloquist act gone-wrong.		He performed twice in a [[Royal Variety Performance]]: both 1935 and 1970. In the latter he appeared with his wife performing his ventriloquist act gone-wrong.

Kurt at 12:57, 3 October 2024

2024-10-03T12:57:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:57, 3 October 2024
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	\| notable_works =		\| notable_works =
	\| spouse =		\| spouse =
	*{{Marriage\|Katie Hughes\|1942\|1947\|end=d}}		{{Marriage\|Katie Hughes\|1942\|1947\|end=d}}
	*{{Marriage\|Kay White\|1951\|1982}}		{{Marriage\|Kay White\|1951\|1982}}
	}}		}}
	'''Albert Arthur Powell''' [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (30 January 1900 – 26 June 1982), known as '''Sandy Powell''', was an English [[comedian]] best known for his radio work of the 1930s and for his catchphrase "Can you hear me, mother?". He first said this in a theatre in Coventry. Fifty years later, deciding he needed a rest from the business (he planned a cruise around the world with his wife, Kay White), he again said it in a Coventry theatre, for the last time.		'''Albert Arthur Powell''' [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (30 January 1900 – 26 June 1982), known as '''Sandy Powell''', was an English [[comedian]] best known for his radio work of the 1930s and for his catchphrase "Can you hear me, mother?". He first said this in a theatre in Coventry. Fifty years later, deciding he needed a rest from the business (he planned a cruise around the world with his wife, Kay White), he again said it in a Coventry theatre, for the last time.

Kurt at 12:57, 3 October 2024

2024-10-03T12:57:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:57, 3 October 2024
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	~~{{Short description\|English comedian}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = <!-- defaults to article title when left blank -->		\| name = <!-- defaults to article title when left blank -->
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	\| caption =		\| caption =
	\| birth_name = Albert Arthur Powell		\| birth_name = Albert Arthur Powell
	\| honorific_suffix = [[w:Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]]		\| honorific_suffix = [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]]
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1900\|01\|30\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1900\|01\|30\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[~~w:Rotherham\|~~Rotherham]], Yorkshire		\| birth_place = [[Rotherham]], Yorkshire
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|06\|26\|1900\|01\|30\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|06\|26\|1900\|01\|30\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = [[~~w:Eastbourne\|~~Eastbourne]]		\| death_place = [[Eastbourne]]
	\| other_names =		\| other_names =
	\| occupation =		\| occupation =
Line 17:		Line 16:
	\| notable_works =		\| notable_works =
	\| spouse =		\| spouse =
	*{{Marriage\|Katie Hughes\|1942\|1947\|end=d.}}		*{{Marriage\|Katie Hughes\|1942\|1947\|end=d}}
	*{{Marriage\|Kay White\|1951\|1982}}		*{{Marriage\|Kay White\|1951\|1982}}
	}}		}}
	'''Albert Arthur Powell''' [[w:Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (30 January 1900 – 26 June 1982), known as '''Sandy Powell''', was an English [[~~w:comedian\|~~comedian]] best known for his radio work of the 1930s and for his catchphrase "Can you hear me, mother?". He first said this in a theatre in Coventry. Fifty years later, deciding he needed a rest from the business (he planned a cruise around the world with his wife, Kay White), he again said it in a Coventry theatre, for the last time.		'''Albert Arthur Powell''' [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (30 January 1900 – 26 June 1982), known as '''Sandy Powell''', was an English [[comedian]] best known for his radio work of the 1930s and for his catchphrase "Can you hear me, mother?". He first said this in a theatre in Coventry. Fifty years later, deciding he needed a rest from the business (he planned a cruise around the world with his wife, Kay White), he again said it in a Coventry theatre, for the last time.

	== Early life ==		== Early life ==
	Born in [[~~w:Rotherham\|~~Rotherham]], Yorkshire, England, in 1900, he attended White's school in [[~~w:Masbrough\|~~Masbrough]], where he helped his mother (stage name of Lily le Maine) to put on a [[~~w:marionette\|~~marionette]] show. At age nine, she put him in a velvet suit with a lace collar and he went on stage and sang. After he left school he became a [[~~w:music hall\|~~music hall]] entertainer, often wearing a kilt in the guise of a 'Scottish' comedian. During this part of his career he was associated with the singer [[Gracie Fields]], and released several records where he collaborated with her.		Born in [[Rotherham]], Yorkshire, England, in 1900, he attended White's school in [[Masbrough]], where he helped his mother (stage name of Lily le Maine) to put on a [[marionette]] show. At age nine, she put him in a velvet suit with a lace collar and he went on stage and sang. After he left school he became a [[music hall]] entertainer, often wearing a kilt in the guise of a 'Scottish' comedian. During this part of his career he was associated with the singer [[Gracie Fields]], and released several records where he collaborated with her.

	== Stage and recording ==		== Stage and recording ==
	He made a total of eighty five 78rpm records between 1929 and 1942,<ref>''British Music Hall on Record'' by Brian Rust (1979)</ref> mostly double-sided sketches with him in various occupations. He sold seven and a half million records, earning a penny a side, so over £60,000. The first, ''The Lost Policeman'' on the cheap Broadcast label, sold almost half a million copies (he had turned down a flat fee of £60 for this), and his subsequent recordings for Broadcast and Rex were extremely popular. He said in a 1982 interview<ref name="Wilmut">''Kindly Leave The Stage'' (1985) by Roger Wilmut</ref> that he used his stage work to advertise the records, rather than the other way about, though it was later said of him that his records introduced him so wherever he went to put on a show, they already knew him.		He made a total of eighty five 78rpm records between 1929 and 1942,<ref>''British Music Hall on Record'' by Brian Rust (1979)</ref> mostly double-sided sketches with him in various occupations. He sold seven and a half million records, earning a penny a side, so over £60,000. The first, ''The Lost Policeman'' on the cheap Broadcast label, sold almost half a million copies (he had turned down a flat fee of £60 for this), and his subsequent recordings for Broadcast and Rex were extremely popular. He said in a 1982 interview<ref name="Wilmut">''Kindly Leave The Stage'' (1985) by Roger Wilmut</ref> that he used his stage work to advertise the records, rather than the other way about, though it was later said of him that his records introduced him so wherever he went to put on a show, they already knew him.

	Powell's stooge in his act during the 1930s, the boy soprano, Jimmy Fletcher, father of the actor [[~~w:Gerard Fletcher\|~~Gerard Fletcher]], of ''[[~~w:Emmerdale\|~~Emmerdale]]'', ''[[~~w:Coronation Street\|~~Coronation Street]]'' and other TV. From 1930 he took his own revue, ''Sandy Powell's Road Show'', on tour – it ran for ten years and was extremely popular despite having only a handful of performers and two backdrops.<ref name="Wilmut"/>		Powell's stooge in his act during the 1930s, the boy soprano, Jimmy Fletcher, father of the actor [[Gerard Fletcher]], of ''[[Emmerdale]]'', ''[[Coronation Street]]'' and other TV. From 1930 he took his own revue, ''Sandy Powell's Road Show'', on tour – it ran for ten years and was extremely popular despite having only a handful of performers and two backdrops.<ref name="Wilmut"/>

	== Radio and film ==		== Radio and film ==
	In the 1930s he began to work on the radio, always introducing his show with the [[~~w:catchphrase\|~~catchphrase]] "Can you hear me, mother?". Powell said that the catchphrase originated on an occasion when he had dropped his script and was killing time at the microphone while rearranging the pages. It is also attributed to his mother's coercion and her [[w:hearing impairment\|hardness of hearing]], during his early career. At his next booking, the theatre manager asked him to say it again as everyone was saying it now. He also appeared in a number of films during the 1930s, usually as himself. In 1939, he was voted the fifth most popular British star at the local box office.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46303803 \|title=POPULAR PLAYERS. \|newspaper=[[~~w:The West Australian\|~~The West Australian]] \|location=Perth \|date=24 February 1939 \|accessdate=24 April 2012 \|page=3 \|publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>		In the 1930s he began to work on the radio, always introducing his show with the [[catchphrase]] "Can you hear me, mother?". Powell said that the catchphrase originated on an occasion when he had dropped his script and was killing time at the microphone while rearranging the pages. It is also attributed to his mother's coercion and her [[hearing impairment\|hardness of hearing]], during his early career. At his next booking, the theatre manager asked him to say it again as everyone was saying it now. He also appeared in a number of films during the 1930s, usually as himself. In 1939, he was voted the fifth most popular British star at the local box office.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46303803 \|title=POPULAR PLAYERS. \|newspaper=[[The West Australian]] \|location=Perth \|date=24 February 1939 \|accessdate=24 April 2012 \|page=3 \|publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

	A popular figure, he worked continually on radio, television and [[~~w:pantomime\|~~pantomime]] through the 1940s and 1950s. Aged 21 at the time, [[~~w:Pat Phoenix\|~~Pat Phoenix]] was brought in to play Sandy's wife and played four parts in the film. After that he went onto a variety tour and she came with him as his wife, earning £12 a week. He performed with his Starlight company in the [[~~w:Eastbourne Pier\|~~Eastbourne Pier]] theatre for over fifteen seasons in the 1950s and 1960s, earning himself the sobriquet 'Mr Eastbourne', and he was still performing occasionally up to his death in 1982. Part of his act was a comedy [[~~w:ventriloquism\|ventriloquism~~]] act, where the dummy would fall apart. After being on stage for a few weeks with a series of awful ventriloquists, he bought a dummy himself and did his own act as a ventriloquist. When Pat Phoenix as his wife who "fed him lines" asked if the dummy could sing something, he replied "''If I know it, he can sing it!''" His real-life wife, Kay White, often appeared with him.<ref name="HuddHindin1997">{{cite book\|author1=Roy Hudd\|author2=Philip Hindin\|title=Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A who was who of Light Entertainment, 1945-60\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iydaAAAAMAAJ\|year=1997\|publisher=Robson Books\|isbn=978-1-86105-115-8\|page=47}}</ref>		A popular figure, he worked continually on radio, television and [[pantomime]] through the 1940s and 1950s. Aged 21 at the time, [[Pat Phoenix]] was brought in to play Sandy's wife and played four parts in the film. After that he went onto a variety tour and she came with him as his wife, earning £12 a week. He performed with his Starlight company in the [[Eastbourne Pier]] theatre for over fifteen seasons in the 1950s and 1960s, earning himself the sobriquet 'Mr Eastbourne', and he was still performing occasionally up to his death in 1982. Part of his act was a comedy [[entriloquism]] act, where the dummy would fall apart. After being on stage for a few weeks with a series of awful ventriloquists, he bought a dummy himself and did his own act as a ventriloquist. When Pat Phoenix as his wife who "fed him lines" asked if the dummy could sing something, he replied "''If I know it, he can sing it!''" His real-life wife, Kay White, often appeared with him.<ref name="HuddHindin1997">{{cite book\|author1=Roy Hudd\|author2=Philip Hindin\|title=Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A who was who of Light Entertainment, 1945-60\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iydaAAAAMAAJ\|year=1997\|publisher=Robson Books\|isbn=978-1-86105-115-8\|page=47}}</ref>

	He performed twice in a [[~~w:Royal Variety Performance\|~~Royal Variety Performance]]: both 1935 and 1970. In the latter he appeared with his wife performing his ventriloquist act gone-wrong.		He performed twice in a [[Royal Variety Performance]]: both 1935 and 1970. In the latter he appeared with his wife performing his ventriloquist act gone-wrong.

	He was the subject of ''[[w:This Is Your Life (British TV series)\|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1971 when he was surprised by [[~~w:Eamonn Andrews\|~~Eamonn Andrews]]. He was awarded the MBE in 1975.		He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)\|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1971 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]]. He was awarded the MBE in 1975.

	==Death==		==Death==
	For a day or two, he thought he had bad indigestion, but it was worse than he realised and he died of a [[~~w:heart attack\|~~heart attack]] in [[~~w:Eastbourne\|~~Eastbourne]] on 26 June 1982, aged 82.		For a day or two, he thought he had bad indigestion, but it was worse than he realised and he died of a [[heart attack]] in [[Eastbourne]] on 26 June 1982, aged 82.

	A pub in Powell's native Rotherham was named "The Comedian" in his honour.<ref>{{cite book\|title=Dictionary of Pub Names\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-4SrdUPNFoC&pg=PA92\|date=September 2006\|publisher=Wordsworth Editions\|isbn=978-1-84022-266-1\|pages=92}}</ref>		A pub in Powell's native Rotherham was named "The Comedian" in his honour.<ref>{{cite book\|title=Dictionary of Pub Names\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-4SrdUPNFoC&pg=PA92\|date=September 2006\|publisher=Wordsworth Editions\|isbn=978-1-84022-266-1\|pages=92}}</ref>

Kurt: /* Stage and recording */

2023-01-20T16:12:33Z

Stage and recording

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:12, 20 January 2023
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	He made a total of eighty five 78rpm records between 1929 and 1942,<ref>''British Music Hall on Record'' by Brian Rust (1979)</ref> mostly double-sided sketches with him in various occupations. He sold seven and a half million records, earning a penny a side, so over £60,000. The first, ''The Lost Policeman'' on the cheap Broadcast label, sold almost half a million copies (he had turned down a flat fee of £60 for this), and his subsequent recordings for Broadcast and Rex were extremely popular. He said in a 1982 interview<ref name="Wilmut">''Kindly Leave The Stage'' (1985) by Roger Wilmut</ref> that he used his stage work to advertise the records, rather than the other way about, though it was later said of him that his records introduced him so wherever he went to put on a show, they already knew him.		He made a total of eighty five 78rpm records between 1929 and 1942,<ref>''British Music Hall on Record'' by Brian Rust (1979)</ref> mostly double-sided sketches with him in various occupations. He sold seven and a half million records, earning a penny a side, so over £60,000. The first, ''The Lost Policeman'' on the cheap Broadcast label, sold almost half a million copies (he had turned down a flat fee of £60 for this), and his subsequent recordings for Broadcast and Rex were extremely popular. He said in a 1982 interview<ref name="Wilmut">''Kindly Leave The Stage'' (1985) by Roger Wilmut</ref> that he used his stage work to advertise the records, rather than the other way about, though it was later said of him that his records introduced him so wherever he went to put on a show, they already knew him.

	Powell's stooge in his act during the 1930s, the boy soprano, Jimmy Fletcher, father of the actor [[Gerard Fletcher]], of ''[[Emmerdale]]'', ''[[Coronation Street]]'' and other TV. From 1930 he took his own revue, ''Sandy Powell's Road Show'', on tour – it ran for ten years and was extremely popular despite having only a handful of performers and two backdrops.<ref name="Wilmut"/>		Powell's stooge in his act during the 1930s, the boy soprano, Jimmy Fletcher, father of the actor [[w:Gerard Fletcher\|Gerard Fletcher]], of ''[[w:Emmerdale\|Emmerdale]]'', ''[[w:Coronation Street\|Coronation Street]]'' and other TV. From 1930 he took his own revue, ''Sandy Powell's Road Show'', on tour – it ran for ten years and was extremely popular despite having only a handful of performers and two backdrops.<ref name="Wilmut"/>

	== Radio and film ==		== Radio and film ==

Kurt at 16:40, 10 January 2023

2023-01-10T16:40:13Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:40, 10 January 2023
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	{{Short description\|English comedian}}		{{Short description\|English comedian}}
	{{~~Use dmy dates~~\|date=~~April 2022~~}}		{{Infobox person
	[[~~File~~:~~Comedian_Sandy_Powell.jpg~~\|~~thumb~~\|~~right~~\|~~Publicity still for ''~~[[~~All at Sea (1940 film)~~\|~~All at Sea]]'' (1940)~~]]		\| name = <!-- defaults to article title when left blank -->
	'''Albert Arthur Powell''' [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (30 January 1900 – 26 June 1982), known as '''Sandy Powell''', was an English [[comedian]] best known for his radio work of the 1930s and for his catchphrase "Can you hear me, mother?". He first said this in a theatre in Coventry. Fifty years later, deciding he needed a rest from the business (he planned a cruise around the world with his wife, Kay White), he again said it in a Coventry theatre, for the last time.		\| image = Comedian Sandy Powell.jpg
			\| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
			\| caption =
			\| birth_name = Albert Arthur Powell
			\| honorific_suffix = [[w:Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]]
			\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1900\|01\|30\|df=y}}
			\| birth_place = [[w:Rotherham\|Rotherham]], Yorkshire
			\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1982\|06\|26\|1900\|01\|30\|df=y}}
			\| death_place = [[w:Eastbourne\|Eastbourne]]
			\| other_names =
			\| occupation =
			\| years_active =
			\| known_for =
			\| notable_works =
			\| spouse =
			*{{Marriage\|Katie Hughes\|1942\|1947\|end=d.}}
			*{{Marriage\|Kay White\|1951\|1982}}
			}}
			'''Albert Arthur Powell''' [[w:Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire\|MBE]] (30 January 1900 – 26 June 1982), known as '''Sandy Powell''', was an English [[w:comedian\|comedian]] best known for his radio work of the 1930s and for his catchphrase "Can you hear me, mother?". He first said this in a theatre in Coventry. Fifty years later, deciding he needed a rest from the business (he planned a cruise around the world with his wife, Kay White), he again said it in a Coventry theatre, for the last time.

	== Early life ==		== Early life ==
	Born in [[Rotherham]], Yorkshire, England, in 1900, he attended White's school in [[Masbrough]], where he helped his mother (stage name of Lily le Maine) to put on a [[marionette]] show. At age nine, she put him in a velvet suit with a lace collar and he went on stage and sang. After he left school he became a [[music hall]] entertainer, often wearing a kilt in the guise of a 'Scottish' comedian. During this part of his career he was associated with the singer [[Gracie Fields]], and released several records where he collaborated with her.		Born in [[w:Rotherham\|Rotherham]], Yorkshire, England, in 1900, he attended White's school in [[w:Masbrough\|Masbrough]], where he helped his mother (stage name of Lily le Maine) to put on a [[w:marionette\|marionette]] show. At age nine, she put him in a velvet suit with a lace collar and he went on stage and sang. After he left school he became a [[w:music hall\|music hall]] entertainer, often wearing a kilt in the guise of a 'Scottish' comedian. During this part of his career he was associated with the singer [[Gracie Fields]], and released several records where he collaborated with her.

	== Stage and recording ==		== Stage and recording ==
Line 13:		Line 31:

	== Radio and film ==		== Radio and film ==
	In the 1930s he began to work on the radio, always introducing his show with the [[catchphrase]] "Can you hear me, mother?". Powell said that the catchphrase originated on an occasion when he had dropped his script and was killing time at the microphone while rearranging the pages. It is also attributed to his mother's coercion and her [[hearing impairment\|hardness of hearing]], during his early career. At his next booking, the theatre manager asked him to say it again as everyone was saying it now. He also appeared in a number of films during the 1930s, usually as himself. In 1939, he was voted the fifth most popular British star at the local box office.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46303803 \|title=POPULAR PLAYERS. \|newspaper=[[The West Australian]] \|location=Perth \|date=24 February 1939 \|accessdate=24 April 2012 \|page=3 \|publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>		In the 1930s he began to work on the radio, always introducing his show with the [[w:catchphrase\|catchphrase]] "Can you hear me, mother?". Powell said that the catchphrase originated on an occasion when he had dropped his script and was killing time at the microphone while rearranging the pages. It is also attributed to his mother's coercion and her [[w:hearing impairment\|hardness of hearing]], during his early career. At his next booking, the theatre manager asked him to say it again as everyone was saying it now. He also appeared in a number of films during the 1930s, usually as himself. In 1939, he was voted the fifth most popular British star at the local box office.<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46303803 \|title=POPULAR PLAYERS. \|newspaper=[[w:The West Australian\|The West Australian]] \|location=Perth \|date=24 February 1939 \|accessdate=24 April 2012 \|page=3 \|publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

	A popular figure, he worked continually on radio, television and [[pantomime]] through the 1940s and 1950s. Aged 21 at the time, [[Pat Phoenix]] was brought in to play Sandy's wife and played four parts in the film. After that he went onto a variety tour and she came with him as his wife, earning £12 a week. He performed with his Starlight company in the [[Eastbourne Pier]] theatre for over fifteen seasons in the 1950s and 1960s, earning himself the sobriquet 'Mr Eastbourne', and he was still performing occasionally up to his death in 1982. Part of his act was a comedy [[ventriloquism]] act, where the dummy would fall apart. After being on stage for a few weeks with a series of awful ventriloquists, he bought a dummy himself and did his own act as a ventriloquist. When Pat Phoenix as his wife who "fed him lines" asked if the dummy could sing something, he replied "If I know it, he can sing it!" His real-life wife, Kay White, often appeared with him.<ref name="HuddHindin1997">{{cite book\|author1=Roy Hudd\|author2=Philip Hindin\|title=Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A who was who of Light Entertainment, 1945-60\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iydaAAAAMAAJ\|year=1997\|publisher=Robson Books\|isbn=978-1-86105-115-8\|page=47}}</ref>		A popular figure, he worked continually on radio, television and [[w:pantomime\|pantomime]] through the 1940s and 1950s. Aged 21 at the time, [[w:Pat Phoenix\|Pat Phoenix]] was brought in to play Sandy's wife and played four parts in the film. After that he went onto a variety tour and she came with him as his wife, earning £12 a week. He performed with his Starlight company in the [[w:Eastbourne Pier\|Eastbourne Pier]] theatre for over fifteen seasons in the 1950s and 1960s, earning himself the sobriquet 'Mr Eastbourne', and he was still performing occasionally up to his death in 1982. Part of his act was a comedy [[w:ventriloquism\|ventriloquism]] act, where the dummy would fall apart. After being on stage for a few weeks with a series of awful ventriloquists, he bought a dummy himself and did his own act as a ventriloquist. When Pat Phoenix as his wife who "fed him lines" asked if the dummy could sing something, he replied "''If I know it, he can sing it!''" His real-life wife, Kay White, often appeared with him.<ref name="HuddHindin1997">{{cite book\|author1=Roy Hudd\|author2=Philip Hindin\|title=Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A who was who of Light Entertainment, 1945-60\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iydaAAAAMAAJ\|year=1997\|publisher=Robson Books\|isbn=978-1-86105-115-8\|page=47}}</ref>

	He performed twice in a [[Royal Variety Performance]]: both 1935 and 1970. In the latter he appeared with his wife performing his ventriloquist act gone-wrong.		He performed twice in a [[w:Royal Variety Performance\|Royal Variety Performance]]: both 1935 and 1970. In the latter he appeared with his wife performing his ventriloquist act gone-wrong.

	He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)\|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1971 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]]. He was awarded the MBE in 1975.~~<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/46593/supplements/7384] {{dead link\|date=November 2021}}</ref>~~		He was the subject of ''[[w:This Is Your Life (British TV series)\|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1971 when he was surprised by [[w:Eamonn Andrews\|Eamonn Andrews]]. He was awarded the MBE in 1975.

	==Death==		==Death==
	For a day or two, he thought he had bad indigestion, but it was worse than he realised and he died of a [[heart attack]] in [[Eastbourne]] on 26 June 1982, aged 82.		For a day or two, he thought he had bad indigestion, but it was worse than he realised and he died of a [[w:heart attack\|heart attack]] in [[w:Eastbourne\|Eastbourne]] on 26 June 1982, aged 82.

	A pub in Powell's native Rotherham was named "The Comedian" in his honour.<ref>{{cite book\|title=Dictionary of Pub Names\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-4SrdUPNFoC&pg=PA92\|date=September 2006\|publisher=Wordsworth Editions\|isbn=978-1-84022-266-1\|pages=92}}</ref>		A pub in Powell's native Rotherham was named "The Comedian" in his honour.<ref>{{cite book\|title=Dictionary of Pub Names\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-4SrdUPNFoC&pg=PA92\|date=September 2006\|publisher=Wordsworth Editions\|isbn=978-1-84022-266-1\|pages=92}}</ref>
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	*{{IMDb name\|id=0694308\|name=Sandy Powell}}		*{{IMDb name\|id=0694308\|name=Sandy Powell}}
	*[http://www.itsahotun.com/thestars.html Photo and info on Sandy Powell together with details of other Mancunian Film stars]		*[http://www.itsahotun.com/thestars.html Photo and info on Sandy Powell together with details of other Mancunian Film stars]

	~~{{authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Sandy}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Sandy}}

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Radio and film

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{{Short description|English comedian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
[[File:Comedian_Sandy_Powell.jpg|thumb|right|Publicity still for ''[[All at Sea (1940 film)|All at Sea]]'' (1940)]]
'''Albert Arthur Powell''' [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (30 January 1900 – 26 June 1982), known as '''Sandy Powell''', was an English [[comedian]] best known for his radio work of the 1930s and for his catchphrase "Can you hear me, mother?". He first said this in a theatre in Coventry. Fifty years later, deciding he needed a rest from the business (he planned a cruise around the world with his wife, Kay White), he again said it in a Coventry theatre, for the last time.

== Early life ==
Born in [[Rotherham]], Yorkshire, England, in 1900, he attended White's school in [[Masbrough]], where he helped his mother (stage name of Lily le Maine) to put on a [[marionette]] show. At age nine, she put him in a velvet suit with a lace collar and he went on stage and sang. After he left school he became a [[music hall]] entertainer, often wearing a kilt in the guise of a 'Scottish' comedian. During this part of his career he was associated with the singer [[Gracie Fields]], and released several records where he collaborated with her.

== Stage and recording ==
He made a total of eighty five 78rpm records between 1929 and 1942,<ref>''British Music Hall on Record'' by Brian Rust (1979)</ref> mostly double-sided sketches with him in various occupations. He sold seven and a half million records, earning a penny a side, so over £60,000. The first, ''The Lost Policeman'' on the cheap Broadcast label, sold almost half a million copies (he had turned down a flat fee of £60 for this), and his subsequent recordings for Broadcast and Rex were extremely popular. He said in a 1982 interview<ref name="Wilmut">''Kindly Leave The Stage'' (1985) by Roger Wilmut</ref> that he used his stage work to advertise the records, rather than the other way about, though it was later said of him that his records introduced him so wherever he went to put on a show, they already knew him.

Powell's stooge in his act during the 1930s, the boy soprano, Jimmy Fletcher, father of the actor [[Gerard Fletcher]], of ''[[Emmerdale]]'', ''[[Coronation Street]]'' and other TV. From 1930 he took his own revue, ''Sandy Powell's Road Show'', on tour – it ran for ten years and was extremely popular despite having only a handful of performers and two backdrops.<ref name="Wilmut"/>

== Radio and film ==
In the 1930s he began to work on the radio, always introducing his show with the [[catchphrase]] "Can you hear me, mother?". Powell said that the catchphrase originated on an occasion when he had dropped his script and was killing time at the microphone while rearranging the pages. It is also attributed to his mother's coercion and her [[hearing impairment|hardness of hearing]], during his early career. At his next booking, the theatre manager asked him to say it again as everyone was saying it now. He also appeared in a number of films during the 1930s, usually as himself. In 1939, he was voted the fifth most popular British star at the local box office.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46303803 |title=POPULAR PLAYERS. |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |location=Perth |date=24 February 1939 |accessdate=24 April 2012 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

A popular figure, he worked continually on radio, television and [[pantomime]] through the 1940s and 1950s. Aged 21 at the time, [[Pat Phoenix]] was brought in to play Sandy's wife and played four parts in the film. After that he went onto a variety tour and she came with him as his wife, earning £12 a week. He performed with his Starlight company in the [[Eastbourne Pier]] theatre for over fifteen seasons in the 1950s and 1960s, earning himself the sobriquet 'Mr Eastbourne', and he was still performing occasionally up to his death in 1982. Part of his act was a comedy [[ventriloquism]] act, where the dummy would fall apart. After being on stage for a few weeks with a series of awful ventriloquists, he bought a dummy himself and did his own act as a ventriloquist. When Pat Phoenix as his wife who "fed him lines" asked if the dummy could sing something, he replied "If I know it, he can sing it!" His real-life wife, Kay White, often appeared with him.<ref name="HuddHindin1997">{{cite book|author1=Roy Hudd|author2=Philip Hindin|title=Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A who was who of Light Entertainment, 1945-60|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iydaAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Robson Books|isbn=978-1-86105-115-8|page=47}}</ref>

He performed twice in a [[Royal Variety Performance]]: both 1935 and 1970. In the latter he appeared with his wife performing his ventriloquist act gone-wrong.

He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1971 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]]. He was awarded the MBE in 1975.<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/46593/supplements/7384] {{dead link|date=November 2021}}</ref>

==Death==
For a day or two, he thought he had bad indigestion, but it was worse than he realised and he died of a [[heart attack]] in [[Eastbourne]] on 26 June 1982, aged 82.

A pub in Powell's native Rotherham was named "The Comedian" in his honour.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dictionary of Pub Names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-4SrdUPNFoC&pg=PA92|date=September 2006|publisher=Wordsworth Editions|isbn=978-1-84022-266-1|pages=92}}</ref>

==Marriages==

In 1942 he married Katie Hughes, who died in 1947. He married Kay White in 1951.

==Filmography==
*''[[The Third String (1932 film)|The Third String]]'' (1932)
*''Can You Hear Me, Mother?'' (1935)
* ''[[Soft Lights and Sweet Music]]'' (1936)
*''Leave It to Me'' (1937)
*''[[It's a Grand Old World]]'' (1937)
*''[[I've Got a Horse]]'' (1938)
*''[[Home from Home (1939 film)|Home from Home]]'' (1939)
*''[[All at Sea (1940 film)|All at Sea]]'' (1940)
*''[[Cup-tie Honeymoon]]'' (1948)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0694308|name=Sandy Powell}}
*[http://www.itsahotun.com/thestars.html Photo and info on Sandy Powell together with details of other Mancunian Film stars]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Sandy}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]
[[Category:British male comedy actors]]