Mike Berry (actor)

Mike Berry (born Michael Hubert Bourne, 24 September 1942, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England^[1]) is an English actor and singer, best known for his appearances as Mr. Spooner on the British sitcom Are You Being Served?.

Career

He had three hits in the 1960s in the UK Singles Chart, his most successful being "Don't You Think It's Time" reaching No.6 in January 1963. His "Tribute To Buddy Holly", is also noted for having been banned by the BBC for being "morbid".^[2] His first singles were produced by Joe Meek.

In the mid-1970s he returned to the charts in the Netherlands and Belgium, as pirate radio station Radio Mi Amigo played his new record material, released on Dutch record label Pink Elephant Records. "Don't Be Cruel" made #14 in the Dutch Top 40 in May, 1975.^[3] His next record, a remake of his 1960 debut song "Tribute to Buddy Holly", hit #2 in October of that same year.^[3] In 1977 a song "I'm A Rocker", released on Flemish record label Scramble Records (owned by Radio Mi Amigo DJ Norbert) failed to chart.

In the late 1970s he played Mr. Peters, the father of the two children in the TV version of the Worzel Gummidge books, along with Jon Pertwee and Una Stubbs. His character, Bert Spooner, replaced Trevor Bannister's Mr. Lucas in Are You Being Served? in 1981, and stayed until the end of the show's run in 1985.

In 1980, he had a chart success in the UK, with "The Sunshine of Your Smile", a cover version of a romantic song which was produced by Chas Hodges; this had originally been written before the First World War and recorded by Jessie Broughton in about 1915. In 1985, his song "Everyone's A Wally" was included as the b-side to the video game by Mikro-Gen of the same name. His most recent CD was About Time Two, recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with The Crickets.

His most recent film work was acting in Julie and the Cadillacs (1999).

Family

His brother is the actor, performer and activist Bette Bourne.

Discography

Singles

• "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" / "My Baby Doll" (with The Outlaws – Decca 11314 – 1961)
• "Tribute to Buddy Holly" / "What's the Matter" (with The Outlaws – HMV 912 – 1961) - UK No. 24
• "It's Just a Matter of Time" / "Little Boy Blue" (with The Admirals (Outlaws) – HMV 979 – 1962)
• "Every Little Kiss" / "How Many Times" (HMV 1042 – 1962)
• "Don't You Think it's Time" / "Loneliness" (with The Outlaws – HMV 1105 – 1962) - UK No. 6
• "My Little Baby" / "You'll Do It You'll Fall in Love" (with The Outlaws – HMV 1142 – 1963) - UK No. 34
• "It Really Doesn't Matter" / "Try a Little Bit Harder" (HMV 1194 – 1963)
• "Intro" / "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" (Graham Dean / The Innocents - Columbia 1536 – 1963)
• "My Little Baby" / "More Than I Can Say" (with The Innocents – Columbia 1536 – 1963)
• "La Bamba" / "Don't You Think it's Time" (with The Innocents – Columbia 1536 – 1963)
• "On My Mind" / "This Little Girl" (with The Innocents – HMV 1257 – 1964)
• "Lovesick" / "Letters of Love" (with The Innocents – HMV 1284 – 1964)
• "Who Will It Be" / "Talk" (with The Innocents – HMV 1314 – 1964)
• "Two Lovers" / "Don't Try to Stand in My Way" (HMV 1362 – 1964)
• "That's All I Ever Want from You" / "She Didn't Care" (HMV 1449 – 1965)
• "It Comes and Goes" / "Gonna Fall in Love" (HMV 1484 – 1965)
• "Warm Baby" / "Just Thought I´d Phone" (HMV 1530 – 1966)
• "Raining in My Heart" / "Eyes" (Polydor 56182 – 1967)
• "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" / "Alice" (D-Metronome – 1967)
• "Don't Be Cruel" / "It's All Over" (Pink Elephant Records - 1975)
• "Tribute to Buddy Holly" (remake) / "Dial My Up" (Pink Elephant Records - 1975)
• "I'm a rocker" / "It's a Hard Hard Hard World" (Scramble Records - 1977)
• "Don't Ever Change" (Polydor - 1978)
• "The Sunshine of Your Smile" (Polydor - 1980) - UK No. 9
• "If I Could Only Make You Care" (Polydor - 1980) - UK No. 37
• "Memories" (Polydor - 1981) - UK No. 55
• "Diana" (Polydor - 1981)
• "What'll I Do" (Polydor - 1982)
• "Hi There Darlin'! Merry Christmas" (Mr. Bert Spooner with instrumental accompaniment by Mike Berry & The Outlaws - Rollercoaster Records - 2007)^[2]

References

External links

• Official website
• Mike Berry at the Internet Movie Database
• Mike Berry discography at Discogs
• Mike Berry biography @ Allmusic.com
• Mike Berry discography
• Mike Berry's first appearance on Are You Being Served?, aired 9 April 1981 on YouTube