| Russ Abbot | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Russell Allan Roberts[1] |
| Born | 18 September 1947 Chester, Cheshire, England |
| Medium | Comedian, musician, actor |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Genres | Television, stand-up |
| Spouse | Patricia Simpson (m. 1967–present) ; 4 children |
Russ Abbot (born Russell Allan Roberts on 18 September 1947) is an English musician, comedian and actor who first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedy showband the Black Abbots, later forging a prominent solo career as a television comedian with his own weekly show on British television.
Continuing his musical career as a solo artist Abbot released several charting singles and albums. Latterly his career has continued with a shift into more mainstream serious acting in television shows, series and stage productions.
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As a drummer/backing singer, Abbot founded the Black Abbots in Chester during the mid-1960s and released several singles to modest chart success on minor labels in the early 1970s.[2] The band only signed their first major recording contract in 1977, putting out a series of comedy singles and a lone live album with Abbot now taking lead vocals, before disbanding in 1980.[3] Later on he appeared as a comedian, winning the Funniest Man On Television award five times.
From 1980 onwards, Abbot released some albums as a solo artist, and appeared in several TV series. The most successful of his music singles was called "Atmosphere", which did well in the UK top 10, peaking at No 7 in 1984.
Russ Abbot's Madhouse and The Russ Abbot Show showcased his talents as an all-round entertainer, attracting millions of viewers. This show was especially popular among younger viewers, prompting two annuals to be published in 1982 and 1983. These annuals featured comic strips based on popular characters, plus some publicity photos of Abbot in a variety of guises, including his well-known James Bond satire featuring characters named Basildon Bond and Miss Funnyfanny (based on the fictional MI6 spy duo James Bond and Miss Moneypenny).
From 2000, Abbot played the lead role in the British National Tour of Doctor Doolittle. Taking a break over the Christmas period, Russ stepped down for Phillip Schofield to take the part, but returned to the tour subsequently.
In 2003, his 'See You Jimmy' character (called C. U. Jimmy) came third in The Glasgow Herald's poll to find the most Scottish person in the world, behind Iain and Jimmy Krankie.
Abbot's theatre roles include Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady (starring Amy Nuttall) at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and on tour; The Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show; Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and Fagin in Oliver! both in 1998 and 2009. From July 2007, he took over the role of Roger De Bris in the UK tour of Mel Brooks' The Producers. In 2008, Abbot appeared as the Tin Man in the stage production of The Wizard of Oz at the Mayflower in Southampton.
In 2008, the BBC announced that Abbot would be joining the cast of Last of the Summer Wine for the show's 30th series. He played Luther 'Hobbo' Hobdyke, who was the leader of a group consisting also of Entwistle, played by Burt Kwouk and Alvin, played by Brian Murphy.[4] In 2008 he guest starred in The Sarah Jane Adventures episode 'Secrets of the Stars' as a character called Martin Trueman, an astrologer who was possessed by the Ancient Lights.
On 8 August 2009, it was announced that Abbot would appear in an episode of Casualty playing a pet shop owner. This will be Abbot's second Casualty role - he previously appeared as a different character in a 1999 episode.[5] Abbot also appeared on Harry Hill's TV Burp parodying the character he played in Casualty.
In 2009, when Rowan Atkinson fell ill during the original run of Cameron Mackintosh's West End revival of Oliver!, Abbot stepped into the role of Fagin for the second time. He has again taken the role, after Griff Rhys Jones left the show on 12 June 2010.
Abbot was the fifth of six sons born to Betty (née Laing) and Don Roberts. His siblings are John (1937 - 2005), Donald (1939), Derek (1941 - 2011), Stuart (1945) and Neil (1954 - 1992). His parents met when his salesman father played cornet in a bluecoat band for a party at the Duke of Westminsters' estate in Chester, where his mother was a ladies maid for the Dukes household. Abbot is of Scottish heritage through his mother, who was born in Falkirk.
Abbot passed his eleven plus at Hoole & Newton Jnr School and moved onto Chester City Grammar School. As a young drummer, Abbot joined Adam & the Apples, The Buccaneers, Johnny Gibson & the D Notes and then the Black Abbots. He worked part-time backstage at the Royalty Theatre Chester and in 1965, the Black Abbots took residency there, where under the wing on Denis Critchley, he learnt the craft of comedy.
It was backstage at a Black Abbots gig that Russ met and trapped the finger of his future wife Patricia (Trish) Simpson and in 1966, they married. They went on to have four children; Gary (1966), Richard (1970), Christopher (1980) and Erika (1981). He also has two grandchildren; Laine (1995) and Charlotte (2004).
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