Saturday, April 26, 2008

Farewell, Chairman Humph

It's very sad that Humphrey Lyttelton has died, but I'm sure he would have relished the absurdity of having his obituary credited to someone who predeceased him.

And I know I'm not supposed to be posting YouTube clips, but everything about this seems so appropriate, right down to the horrible sweater.

12 comments:

Rimshot said...

At least Mr. Humph has a wondrous ensemble to sit in with in Jazz Heaven.

Unknown said...

I was very sad to hear this news, ISIHAC is a great favourite in our house. We recently saw it on stage and at the end my younger daughter said to me "I didn't know Humphrey Lyttleton played the trumpet"!
How wonderful to have had such a long and varied career and, certainly if our house is anything to go by, entertained 3 generations of listeners.

chatterbox said...

Like Marsha, he had three generations of admirers in our family too, so we are all feeling sad today.

9/10ths Full of Penguins said...

I was lucky enough to see ISIHAC live in Manchester recently. They played a game called the quiz of quizzes (or something like that) and it was a masterful piece of comedy performing from Humphrey Lyttleton. Utterly brilliant. All that and dab hand at the trumpet.

I'm so glad I got to see him when I did.

Fat Roland said...

Bloody sad. Damn bloody sad.

Dick Headley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dick Headley said...

Good old Humph. I met him on the first Aldermaston March...there it's out.

As for posting youtube clips on blogs...resistance is useless.

Tim F said...

Indeed, Rimshot. Humph dies, Kenny G lives. Do you wonder why I have a problem with the idea of a benevolent deity?

Marsha/Chatterbox: But do the young ones get the filthy bits?

9/10: I know what you mean. Every now and then, when someone croaks, I think "Oh well, at least I saw him in action". Which is doubtless a huge comfort to the grieving family...

Sounds daft to be upset at the death of a man of 86 that we never knew, Roland, but I do agree.

Dick: Do you still have your old duffel coat?

chatterbox said...

My kids are 15, so they manage to find filthy bits where they weren't ever intended, but Lyttelton's double entendres were appreciated from about age 12 in our house. The youth of today - tsk!

Billy said...

The man was 84, but even so the fact that he's died has really pissed me off. I hope they don't try and continue the show without him.

Tim F said...

Well, Chatterbox, there seems to be no age limit on licking the nuts off a Neapolitan. (I read today that Lyttelton wanted to get a van with "PURVEYOR OF HIGH-CLASS SMUT" painted on the side.)

I think TBT said some time ago that there could be no Clue without Humph, Billy. They've got 35 years' worth of re-runs, though...

Dick Headley said...

Ah yes the old duffel coat. I seem to recall switching to a donkey jacket at some point....then a parka...things happened fast in those days.