Roger Abbott facts for kids

Roger Abbott (born July 10, 1946 – died March 26, 2011) was a funny comedian from Canada. He was born in England but moved to Canada when he was young. Roger was one of the main people who started a very popular comedy group called Royal Canadian Air Farce. He was a star and writer for the show for many years until he passed away.

Early Life

Roger Abbott was born in Birkenhead, England. When he was 7 years old, his family moved to Montreal, Canada. He went to Loyola High School. There, he met Don Ferguson, who would later become his co-star in Royal Canadian Air Farce. After high school in 1963, Roger went to Loyola College, which is now part of Concordia University.

Comedy Career

Roger Abbott started his career working behind the scenes in radio. In 1970, two comedians, John Morgan and Martin Bronstein, were looking for new talent. They wanted people who could write and perform their own jokes. They asked Roger to join their comedy show called The Jest Society.

Forming Air Farce

After some changes, the comedy group became known as the Royal Canadian Air Farce. The main members were Roger Abbott, John Morgan, Martin Bronstein, Don Ferguson, Luba Goy, and Dave Broadfoot. On December 9, 1973, they started a weekly radio show on CBC radio. They performed live in front of an audience in Toronto.

Roger quickly showed he was very good at organizing things. Don Ferguson called him "the guiding light" of the group. Roger was also the "warm-up man" for the radio shows. He would chat with the audience before the show started. Roger said his biggest comedy inspirations were Dave Broadfoot and the British group Monty Python. Martin Bronstein left the group after a year. The others continued as the main cast of Royal Canadian Air Farce for many years.

Moving to Television

In 1980, Air Farce started making television shows for CBC. They also kept doing their weekly radio show. Roger Abbott became famous for playing many different characters on the TV show. He would often make fun of famous people like politicians. Some of his well-known characters included parodies of Jean Chrétien (a former Prime Minister) and George W. Bush (a former US President).

The TV show's name changed a few times. It was first shortened to Air Farce, then Air Farce Live. In its last season (2008–2009), it was called Air Farce Live—The Final Flight. Air Farce continued to make special shows for CBC. Roger's last appearance on Air Farce was on their New Year's Eve special on December 31, 2010.

Later Life and Passing

In 1997, Roger Abbott found out he had a serious illness called chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This is a type of cancer that affects the blood. He only told his family and very close friends about it. After fighting the illness for 14 years, Roger passed away on March 26, 2011. He was 64 years old. He died at Toronto General Hospital.

Tributes

After Roger Abbott passed away, many people honored him:

• A video tribute from his friends at Royal Canadian Air Farce was put on YouTube on March 27, 2011.
• CBC Television aired an hour-long show on March 29, 2011. It showed many of Roger's funniest comedy sketches.
• A memorial service called "Roger's Wrap Party" was held in Toronto on April 11, 2011. Many comedians and friends spoke at the event.
• The Air Farce New Year's Day special was dedicated to Roger Abbott's memory. A special message appeared on screen at the end.
• In an episode of The Big Bang Theory TV show in 2014, the characters looked through notes from a professor named Roger Abbott.

Awards and Recognition

Roger Abbott received many awards for his amazing work in comedy:

• Gemini Humanitarian Award
• Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement
• 15 ACTRA Awards
• a Juno Award
• a star on the Canada's Walk of Fame
• An honorary doctor of laws degree from Brock University in 1993

Images for kids

• 

  Royal Canadian Air Farce's star on Walk of Fame in Toronto, signed by Roger Abbott and other cast members