Bernie Winters
Bernie Winters | |
---|---|
Born |
Bernie Weinstein 6 September 1932 Islington, London, England |
Died |
4 May 1991 58) London, England | (aged
Cause of death | Stomach cancer |
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Comedian, musician |
Bernie Winters, born Bernie Weinstein (6 September 1932 - 4 May 1991), was an English comedian and the comic relief of the double act Mike and Bernie Winters with his older brother, Mike. He later performed solo, often with the aid of his St. Bernard dog, Schnorbitz.
Biography
His father was a bookmaker and he served in the merchant navy and performed as a musician at dances and weddings before forming the double act with his brother who he referred to as “Choochie-Face” on stage.[1] In October 1957 the duo appeared on Six-Five Special and were described in the Daily Mirror as top comics for Britain's teenage TV audience.[2] They had been recommended to the show's presenter Josephine Douglas by Tommy Steele with whom they had been on a stage tour. They both left the show the same day that she did, on 10 May 1958.
He split with Mike in 1978 and in the late 1970s and early 1980s he presented The Big Top Variety Show, a television series of variety shows from a circus ring. In 1984 he presented the second series of the game show Whose Baby? He also became a regular on shows such as Punchlines and Give Us A Clue and gave an impression of Bud Flanagan on television and later on stage with Leslie Crowther as his partner Chesney Allen.
Selected filmography
- Jazz Boat (1960)
References
- ↑ Mike Winters Daily Telegraph Obituary. Retrieved 27 August 2013
- ↑ Davis, Clifford (1957-10-05), "Tops for Teens", Daily Mirror: page 10