Lionel Blair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lionel Blair
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Blair in 2010
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| Born |
Henry Lionel Ogus
12 December 1928 |
| Died | 4 November 2021 (aged 92) |
| Occupation | Actor, choreographer, tap dancer, television presenter |
| Years active | 1944–2021 |
| Spouse(s) |
Susan Davis
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 3 |
Lionel Blair (born Henry Lionel Ogus; 12 December 1928 – 4 November 2021) was a famous Canadian-born British entertainer. He was an actor, a choreographer (someone who creates dance routines), a tap dancer, and a television presenter. From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, he was often seen dancing and performing on British TV. He also hosted the music quiz show Name That Tune and was a team captain on the charades game show Give Us a Clue.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Henry Lionel Ogus was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His parents, Myer Ogus and Debora "Della" Greenbaum, were Jewish. His father, a barber, moved from Russia to Canada for a new life. His mother joined him soon after.
Moving to Britain
Blair came to Britain when he was two years old. His family settled in Stamford Hill in north London. His father continued to work as a barber there. Because of unfair treatment towards Jewish people at the time, his father changed the family name to Blair.
Early Performances
Lionel's first public performances were with his sister Joyce. They performed in Manor House Underground station air raid shelters. They also performed on Piccadilly line trains during the air raids of the Second World War. During the Blitz (heavy bombing), his mother and the children went to Oxford. But they decided to return to London after seeing a German plane crash.
When Blair was thirteen, his father died after an operation. After this, Blair became the main earner for his family. He started performing on stage. He often played girlish parts because his voice had not yet changed.
Becoming a Professional
In 1943, Blair was praised for his acting in a play called Watch on the Rhine. He also attended the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford in 1944. In 1946, he joined a touring group called the Savoy Players.
Blair later found his love for musical theatre again. He started working in London's West End. He stopped acting to focus on dancing in 1947. Around this time, he took his stage name, Lionel Blair. He officially changed it by deed poll before he got married in 1967. His sister also started using the same professional surname.
Before becoming famous on television, Blair performed in The Five Past Eight Show in Glasgow. He worked with many Scottish comedians like Jimmy Logan. Blair said he learned a lot from them. By the mid-1950s, he was creating dance routines for shows in Glasgow. These shows were very popular.
Career Highlights
Blair became very well-known in the 1960s. He and his dance troupe appeared on many television variety shows.
Film and TV Appearances
He also appeared in several films, including The World of Suzie Wong (1960) and A Hard Day's Night (1964). He had a small role in an episode of The Persuaders!. He also appeared in the comedy short film, The Plank.
Blair also choreographed films like Jazz Boat (1960) and The Magic Christian (1969). He performed at the Miss World 1969 and 1970 contests in London.
Game Show Star
Blair was a team captain on the game show Give Us a Clue from 1979 until the early 1990s. He was also the second host of the British version of Name That Tune in the 1980s.
In 1983, he played darts for charity on the game show Bullseye. In 1988, he appeared on the game show Catchphrase for charity.
Later Career and Reality TV
In 2005, he took part in the Channel Five reality series, The Farm. He also performed a lot in pantomime (a type of musical play). He could earn a lot of money from these shows.
In 2007, he appeared as himself in the Christmas special of the Ricky Gervais show Extras. He pretended to be trying to stay famous by appearing on Celebrity Big Brother.
In 2010, he appeared on ITV's This Morning with his dog Lola. The same year, he took part in the BBC's The Young Ones. In this show, older celebrities tried to deal with aging by living like it was the 1970s.
In 2014, he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house. He was the third housemate to leave the show. He continued to act, appearing in an episode of the BBC One medical show Doctors in 2014.
In 2017, Blair was one of the celebrities in the second series of the BBC reality show The Real Marigold Hotel.
Music and Awards
In 2003, Blair released his first full music album as a singer. It was a tribute to Fred Astaire and was called Blair Sings Astaire. He made it with the Jive Aces.
In 2009, Blair starred in a music video for Chris Rea's song "Driving Home for Christmas". This video was made to help the charity Shelter.
In 2018, he joined 26 other celebrities to record a Christmas song called "Rock with Rudolph". The song was made to help Great Ormond Street Hospital. It became very popular, reaching number two on the iTunes pop chart.
In 2019, he was named "Oldie of the Year" by The Oldie magazine.
Blair found working on pantomime shows very profitable. He once said he could earn £100,000 for a six-week run.
Jokes about Blair were often made on the BBC Radio 4 series I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. These jokes sometimes upset his family and caused his children to be teased at school.
Personal Life
Blair married Susan Davis on 21 March 1967. They had three children and three grandchildren. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2017. The couple lived in Banstead, Surrey.
On 21 September 2006, Blair and comedian Alan Carr helped save a man. The man was about to fall from a pier in Blackpool and was holding on by his fingers.
Death
Lionel Blair passed away on the morning of 4 November 2021. He was 92 years old.
Books
- Blair, Lionel (1985). Stage Struck. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 9780297785521.
Images for kids
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Lionel Blair's handprints in Bath, UK
