Les Dawson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Les Dawson
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| Born |
Leslie Dawson
2 February 1931 Collyhurst, Manchester, England
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| Died | 10 June 1993 (aged 62) Whalley Range, Manchester, England
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| Resting place | Lytham Park Cemetery and Crematorium, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1956–1993 |
| Spouse(s) |
Margaret Rose Plant
(m. 1960; Tracy Roper
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 4 |
Leslie Dawson (born 2 February 1931 – died 10 June 1993) was a famous English comedian, actor, writer, and pianist. He was known for his funny, serious face (called 'deadpan') and his grumpy but lovable characters. He also made people laugh with his musical acts and jokes about everyday family life.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Les Dawson was born in Collyhurst, Manchester, on 2 February 1931. As a young man, he had several jobs. His first job was in the parcels department of the Manchester Co-op. He also worked briefly as a journalist for the Bury Times newspaper.
A Career in Comedy
Early in his life, Les Dawson secretly wrote poetry. He loved classic English writers, especially Charles Lamb. He even acted in a play called Witness for the Prosecution in 1956.
From Pianist to Comedian
Dawson once worked as a pianist in a club in Paris, France. He discovered his talent for comedy when he started playing the piano badly on purpose. He would play "all the wrong notes in exactly the right order" and make the audience laugh. This funny piano act helped him become a comedian.
He made his first TV appearance on a talent show called Opportunity Knocks in 1967. After that, he became a well-known comedian on British television for the rest of his life.
Popular TV Shows
Les Dawson starred in many popular TV shows. These included the game show Jokers Wild (1969–73) and his own shows like Sez Les (1969–76) and Dawson's Weekly (1975).
Later, he joined the BBC and hosted The Dawson Watch (1979–80) and The Les Dawson Show (1978–89). From 1984 to 1990, he was the host of the popular quiz show Blankety Blank. He also had a radio show called Listen to Les on BBC Radio 2.
Les Dawson often appeared on the BBC variety show The Good Old Days. In 1987, he helped host a charity TV special called The Grand Knockout Tournament for Prince Edward.
Memorable Performances
In 1991, Dawson starred in a BBC TV play called Nona. He played a 100-year-old character who loved to eat, and he performed in a funny costume.
He was featured on the show This Is Your Life two times. The first time was in 1971, and the second was in 1992, which was one of his last TV appearances. His final TV appearance was on Surprise, Surprise, where he sang a funny song with an audience member. This episode aired shortly after he passed away.
Les Dawson was also a member of a famous show business group called the Grand Order of Water Rats. He was even their "King Rat" in 1985. He also wrote several novels and always wanted to be remembered as a writer.
Comedy Routines
Les Dawson was famous for his comedy acts with Roy Barraclough. They played two elderly women, Cissie Braithwaite and Ada Shufflebotham. Cissie would try to sound fancy, and Ada would often use the wrong words in a funny way. These characters were based on people Les Dawson knew in real life.
He was also a very good pianist. However, he created a famous joke where he would play a well-known song, like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, but deliberately add wrong notes. He would do this while smiling, as if he thought his performance was perfect.
Personal Life
Les Dawson was married to his first wife, Margaret, from 1960 until she passed away in 1986. They had three children: Julie, Pamela, and Stuart.
He married his second wife, Tracy Roper, in 1989. They had a daughter named Charlotte, who was born in 1992. Les Dawson passed away suddenly in 1993 at the age of 62.
Legacy
Fifteen years after his death, a bronze statue of Les Dawson was put up in St Anne's-on-Sea, Lancashire, in 2008. This is where he lived for many years.
In 2005, a TV show called Comedians' Comedian ranked Les Dawson as 37th in the top 50 comedians of all time. Fellow comedians and people in the entertainment business voted for him.
In 2013, a special TV show called Les Dawson: An Audience with That Never Was used a special projection to make it seem like Dawson was performing. It was a tribute to him and featured many famous celebrities.
In 2014, Les Dawson's daughter Charlotte found a 110-page story he had written that had never been published.
In 2020, a TV series called Urban Myths showed Les Dawson's early years in Paris. In 2022, actor Jon Culshaw played Dawson in a show at the Edinburgh Fringe festival.
Books
Les Dawson wrote many books, including novels and non-fiction works.
Fiction
- Card for the Clubs (1974)
- The Spy Who Came... (1976)
- Cosmo Smallpiece Guide to Male Liberation (1979)
- The Amy Pluckett Letters (1982) / Hitler Was My Mother-in-Law (1984)*
- A Time Before Genesis (1986)
- Come Back with the Wind (1990)
- Well Fared, My Lovely (1991)
- The Blade and the Passion (1994)
Non-Fiction
- Les Dawson's Lancashire (1983)
- A Clown Too Many (autobiography, 1986)
- No Tears for the Clown (autobiography, 1992)
- Malady Lingers on and Other Great Groaners
- Les Dawson Gives Up
- The Les Dawson Joke Book
- Les Dawson's Secret Notebooks
- Title changed for paperback release.
Television Appearances
- Opportunity Knocks (1967) and (1990)
- Fast Friends (1991)
- Blankety Blank (1984–90; 124 episodes)
- Sez Les (1969–76)
- Jokers Wild (1969–73)
- The Loner (1975)
- The Dawson Watch (1979–80)
- The Les Dawson Show (1978–89)
- The Grand Knockout Tournament
- Nona in Performance (British TV series) (1991)
Images for kids
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Les Dawson
