Eric Morecambe

Eric Morecambe OBE was the stage name of Eric John Bartholomew (May 14, 1926 – May 28, 1984), part of the double act of Morecambe and Wise with Ernie Wise. In the UK he is widely considered to have been a "comic genius".

Early Life and Childhood Career

Eric was born to parents George and Sadie Bartholomew. His mother, Sadie, was determined to see her only child make a success of his life, and took work as a waitress to raise funds for his dancing lessons. Eric did not enjoy these lessons at the time, although they were to come in handy during his later life.

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During this period, Eric Bartholomew (the John having been dropped more or less from birth) won numerous talent contests, most notably in Hoylake in 1939, the prize for which was an audition with Jack Hylton. Also present was another young talent named Ernest Wiseman, already a familiar voice from Arthur Askey's radio series "Bandwagon". This was the first meeting of what was to become one of Britain's most loved comedy partnerships, although it was to be a further two years before they would team up.

Related Topics:
1939 - Jack Hylton - Arthur Askey - Radio

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Three months after the audition, Hylton invited Eric to join a revue called "Youth Takes A Bow" at the Nottingham Empire, where, once more, he encountered Ernie. The two soon became close friends, and, under Sadie's encouragement, started to develop a double act. When the two were eventually allowed to perform their double act on stage (in addition to their solo spots), Hylton was impressed enough to make it a regular feature in the revue.

Related Topics:
Nottingham - Double act

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