Ken Barrie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ken Barrie
|
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Leslie Hulme
9 January 1933 |
| Died | 29 July 2016 (aged 83) Denham, Buckinghamshire, England
|
| Other names | Les Carle |
| Occupation | Voice actor, singer |
| Years active | 1955–2016 |
| Spouse(s) |
Doreen Pye
(m. 1954; died 2009) |
| Children | 2 |
Leslie Hulme (born January 9, 1933 – died July 29, 2016) was an English voice actor and singer. He was known professionally as Ken Barrie. He became famous for singing the theme tune for popular BBC television shows. These included Hi-de-Hi!, Postman Pat, and Charlie Chalk. Ken Barrie also narrated Postman Pat and Charlie Chalk. He provided the voices for many characters in these series too.
Contents
About Ken Barrie
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Ken Barrie was born Leslie Hulme on January 9, 1933. His birthplace was Tunstall, in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England. Early in his career, he used the stage name Les Carle. He recorded songs for Embassy Records. This record label was part of Woolworths, a well-known store. Embassy Records released cheaper versions of popular songs. He recorded for them between 1962 and 1965.
He later changed his stage name to Ken Barrie. A friend told him that "Les Carle" sounded like a French phrase meaning "the Charlies." He chose his new name, Ken Barrie, from his wife's brothers' names.
The Voice of Postman Pat
Ken Barrie became the voice of Postman Pat in 1981. He narrated the first two series of the show. He also provided the voices for many characters. These included Postman Pat himself, Ted Glen, Granny Dryden, and Peter Fogg. Other characters he voiced were Major Forbes, George Lancaster, and Jeff Pringle. He also voiced Alf Thompson, Reverend Timms, Arthur Selby, and Sam Waldron.
In 2008, he stopped voicing Pat when the show was updated. The new version was called Postman Pat Special Delivery Service. However, he continued to voice other characters. He was still the voice of Ted Glen, Alf Thompson, P.C. Selby, and Reverend Timms for the first series of the new show. The Postman Pat theme song, sung by Ken Barrie, was very popular. It reached number 44 on the UK Singles Chart in 1982. It even re-entered the chart the next year.
Other Famous Voices and Songs
Ken Barrie's singing, narrating, and whistling were heard in many movies. He also worked on television commercials. He provided the voices for the famous Smash Martians in the TV ads. He sang for many actors in feature films. These actors included Larry Hagman, George C. Scott, and Horst Buchholz.
He sang the theme song for Charlie Chalk. He also recorded soundtracks for movies like Sharks' Treasure, Emily, and Silent Scream. In 1987, he whistled the tune for the theme song of the BBC series My Family and Other Animals. This show was based on a book by Gerald Durrell. He also sang the theme song for the long-running BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!.
Later Years
Ken Barrie passed away at his home in Denham, Buckinghamshire, on July 29, 2016.
