Charlie Williams (comedian)

Charles Adolphus "Charlie" Williams , MBE (born December 23, 1928 in Barnsley , Yorkshire , † September 2, 2006 ibid) was a British comedian and football player .

Life

Williams played professional football for the Doncaster Rovers in the 1950s , for which he completed a total of 173 games (1 goal).

He then switched to show business as a singer. But he only became known through his appearances in the British 1970s comedy series The Comedians , in which Frank Carson , Bernard Manning , Tom O'Connor , Jim Bowen , Lennie Bennett and Mike Reid also played. He then hosted The Golden Shot from 1973 to 1974 . He made it possible, according to his own statement, that black entertainers were accepted everywhere. Other black comedians like Lenny Henry and Gary Wilmot were inspired by him. In addition to his Yorkshire accent, the comedy phrase "me old flower" was one of his trademarks.

In 1999 Williams was awarded the Order of Member of the British Empire (MBE) for his charitable work . He was also voted the Doncaster Rovers all-time cult hero by viewers on the Football Focus program.

In 2006 he died in Barnsley General Hospital of Parkinson's disease , which he had suffered from for over a decade.