Roy Castle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roy Castle OBE
Born	(1932-08-31)31 August 1932 Scholes, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	2 September 1994(1994-09-02) (aged 62) Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, England
Occupation	Dancer singer comedian actor television presenter musician
Years active	1953–1994
Known for	Record Breakers
Spouse(s)	Fiona Dickson ​ (m. 1963)​
Children	4, including Ben

Roy Castle was a super talented English entertainer. He was a dancer, singer, comedian, actor, and musician. He was especially good at playing the jazz trumpet. Roy could also play many other musical instruments! He became famous for hosting the children's TV show Record Breakers for a very long time.

Roy Castle's Early Life and Career

Roy Castle was born on August 31, 1932. His hometown was Scholes, near Holmfirth, in West Riding of Yorkshire, England. His dad worked on the railway.

Roy started tap dancing when he was very young. He trained at a dance school. After finishing school, he began his career as an entertainer. In the 1950s, he became a professional performer. By 1958, he was even performing at the important Royal Variety Show. As a singer, he released a Christmas song called "Little White Berry" in 1960.

TV and Film Appearances

Roy Castle appeared in many TV shows and films. In 1963, he was a guest star on the comedy show Two of a Kind with Morecambe and Wise.

In 1965, Roy starred in the film Dr. Who and the Daleks. This movie was based on the popular BBC TV series, Doctor Who. Roy played Ian Chesterton, one of Dr. Who's first helpers. He also appeared in the movie Dr. Terror's House of Horrors as a jazz musician.

Roy was in the comedy film Carry On Up the Khyber in 1968. He also acted in the TV musical Pickwick in 1969. Later, in the 1990s, he toured the country with Pickwick again.

He was good friends with the comedy actor Ronnie Barker. They worked together in a special TV show called "Another Fine Mess" in 1973. Roy also sometimes filled in for other famous TV hosts. For example, he hosted The Generation Game in 1975 when Bruce Forsyth was sick. He often showed off his many talents on the variety show The Good Old Days.

Hosting Record Breakers

Roy Castle started hosting Record Breakers in 1972. This was a children's show about amazing world records. He hosted it for over 20 years! Roy even sang the show's theme song, "Dedication." He often performed it live at the end of each episode.

While hosting the show, Roy himself broke nine world records! Here are some of his amazing achievements:

• He performed the fastest tap dance, making 1,440 taps per minute. That's 24 taps every second! He set this record on January 14, 1973.
• He completed the longest wing walk, staying on the wing of a plane for 3 hours and 23 minutes.
• He played the same song on 43 different instruments in just four minutes.
• In 1985, he tap-danced for 24 hours straight! He raised £1 million (about $1.2 million US dollars) for charity. He averaged nearly twelve steps per second during this incredible feat.

Roy hosted Record Breakers until just a few months before he passed away in 1994. The show continued for 29 years, making it one of Britain's longest-running TV shows.

Roy Castle's Music Career

Between 1958 and 1969, Roy Castle recorded three music albums. One of his albums, Songs for a Rainy Day, was recorded in 1966. It was re-released in 2005 as Isn't This a Lovely Day. This album had twelve songs, all about rain! Famous British jazz musicians played on the record.

Roy also recorded spoken word albums. In 1978, he recorded eight Bible stories for an album called Castle on Luke Street.

Roy Castle's Personal Life

Roy Castle married a dancer named Fiona Dickson on July 29, 1963. They were introduced by the famous comedian Eric Morecambe. Roy and Fiona were both dedicated Christians. They had four children together. Their youngest son, Ben Castle, born in 1973, became a jazz saxophonist. He has played with many famous artists.

Roy was a big fan of football. He supported Liverpool Football Club. He even went to a Liverpool game just months before he died.

In 1992, Roy Castle was given the OBE award. This is a special honor from the British Queen.

Illness and Legacy

In 1992, Roy Castle was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was a non-smoker. He believed his illness was caused by breathing in smoke from other people (called passive smoking) during his years playing in smoky jazz clubs.

Even though he was very sick, Roy started a special "Tour of Hope" in 1994. He wanted to raise money to build a center to fight lung cancer. This center is now called the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. It is the only British charity focused only on defeating lung cancer.

After his illness, many restaurants and cafes that did not allow smoking were given the "Roy Castle Clean Air Award." This showed they were smoke-free.

Roy Castle passed away at his home on September 2, 1994. He was 62 years old. A week before he died, he was made a "freeman" of the City of Liverpool. His funeral was held on September 8, 1994. Many famous friends, like Sir Harry Secombe and Cliff Richard, attended.

After Roy's death, his wife Fiona continued to work with the charity. She campaigned for a smoking ban in public places in Britain. This ban eventually came into effect in different parts of the UK between 2004 and 2007.

Works

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Roy Castle para niños