John Dowie (humourist)

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For other persons of the same name, see John Dowie.

John Dowie (born 1950 in Birmingham) is a British comedian, musician, and writer. He began performing stand-up comedy in 1969.

[edit] Career

Dowie was among the inaugural acts on Tony Wilson's legendary Factory Records label. In 1978 Dowie contributed three comedic songs to the very first Factory music release, A Factory Sample, along with Joy Division, The Durutti Column, and Cabaret Voltaire. In 1981 a 7" single followed, the Martin Hannett-produced "It's Hard to be an Egg", which Dowie describes as a flop. It is noteworthy as having unusual packaging even by Factory standards: the disc is white vinyl with a "yolk" printed on the label, and is packaged in a clear plastic sleeve with a real white feather. Dowie's final Factory contribution was a VHS video entitled simply Dowie, a recording of a live performance at the Edinburgh fringe festival with Ralph Steadman cover art.

In 2005, Dowie collaborated with Phill Jupitus and Neil Innes on a musical comedy CD for children.

In 2006, Dowie recorded a remake of British Tourist, with the Dutch computer music group, the POW Ensemble for X-OR Records.

[edit] Books

Sit-Down Comedy (contributor to anthology, ed Malcolm Hardee & John Fleming) Ebury Press/Random House, 2003. ISBN-10: 0091889243; ISBN-13: 978-0091889241