No anthology of British comedy could go without Spike Milligan. This madcap manic depressive made the establishment sit up and look at him more many years. I would not say he was my favourite, as his antics were a bit to much for me at times. But he just has to be included as one of the greats of comedy.

 

The biography below came from here  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0589711/bio

I have used this information as it was the best available. I mean no ill will to this excellent site and beg for forgiveness if I have offended by using it. If that is the case please contact me and it will be removed.

 

 

Spike was born an 'Army Brat', the son of an Irish Captain in the British Raj in India. Educated in a series of Roman Catholic schools in India and at Lewisham Polytechnic in England, he spent his formative years playing the fool and playing the trumpet in local jazz bands.

He joined the British Army himself (under protest if you believe his auto-biogs) as a conscript at the outbreak of WWII. He served in the Royal Artillery as Gunner Milligan through the North African and Italian campaigns. He got a bit too close to an exploding shell and was hospitalised with shell-shock. On his escape from army life he started his "real" work as an author and humourist.

Most famous for 'The Goon Show' with Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe (and originally Michael Bentine), these radio shows are commonly regarded as re-writing the rules of comedy (even before Monty Python). However under the pressure of writing all the scripts he suffered a breakdown and became a clinical manic-depressive.

He was fondly regarded as the last of the great British eccentrics and had written a wealth of comic poetry mainly for children, a few novels and his multi-volume auto-biography. Spike was also a keen (fanatical?) environmental campaigner.

Trivia

Son of Captain L.A. Milligan MSM RA (retd).

Was recently awarded a British Comedy award for Lifetime Achievement, where he famously called Prince Charles a "little grovelling bastard" live on TV.

Spike and June had three children, Laura Milligan, Sean and Sile (born in 1956).

Spike and Paddy had a daughter (Jane Milligan) in 1964.

Spike had a daughter (Romany) by a Canadian journalist in 1975.

Spike had a son (James Maughan-Milligan) after an affair with Margaret Maughan in 1975.

Spike has a younger brother, Desmond Milligan.

His family came back to England in 1933 when his father was retired from the British Army in India.

Spike's parents and brother Desmond moved out to Woy-Woy, New South Wales, Australia. Spike often visited them out there.

His long suffering agent, Norma Farnes, has published a book of Spike's correspondence called "The Spike Milligan Letters".

Spike has at last been officially recognised by the establishment. He was awarded a knighthood in the 2000 New Years honours list. But because he's an Irish citizen (he refused to take the oath of loyalty when he became stateless in 1960, despite spending 7 years on active service in the British Army) he can only be awarded an honorary knighthood.

Once anonymously placed an advert in the ' lonely hearts' section of England's Private Eye magazine which said 'Wanted - rich elderly widow - object, murder', and got several replies.

Wrote a non-fiction book, "Depression and How to Survive It", drawing upon his own experiences with manic depression.

Wrote a series of books detailing his experiences in World War Two and afterwards: "Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall", "Rommel? Gunner Who?", "Mussolini: My Part In His Downfall", "Goodbye Soldier", "Monty: My Part In His Victory", "Peace Work", "Where Have All the Bullets Gone?".

 

In October 1964, he appeared in Oblomov, a play based on a book of the same name by Ivan Goncharov. The play was not a comedy, and he had intended to play his role seriously. However, the play was unsuccessful, until Spike began to ab lib. After five weeks of success with the now transformed play, it was renamed Son of Oblomov, changed theatres, and continued to be a hit for several months.

Was a skilled musician, and played the trumpet and guitar professionally during the second world war.

His poetry is strongly influenced by Lewis Caroll and Edward Lear.

George Martin, the producer of the Beatles, was the best man at his second wedding.

Was a member of the Bill Hall Trio, a very successful jazz band near and after the end of WWII. While the band was touring in Yugoslavia, Spike found himself completely without money, and joined the local Communist party in order to recieve a free meal.

The inscription on his tombstone reads "I told you I was ill" in Gaelic

When Peter Sellers and Stanley Kubrick were stuck for a ending on Dr. Strangelove - it was Milligan who suggested the use of the Vera Lynn song "We'll Meet Again".

 

 

Personal quotes

"Money couldn't buy friends but you got a better class of enemy." - Puckoon 1963

"World peace could be a possibility...if it weren't for all those damned foreigners!"

"I don't mind dying - I just don't want to be there."

"The fondest memory I have is not really of the Goons. It's of a girl called Julia with enormous breasts."

On his 62nd birthday - "Any man can be 62, but it takes a bus to be 62A"

"A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree."