Billy Connolly
| Billy Connolly | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Connolly at the premiere of Brave in 2012 | |
| Birth name | William Connolly |
| Born | 24 November 1942 Anderston, Glasgow, Scotland |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, Film |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Genres |
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| Spouse |
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| Children | 5 |
Sir William Connolly CBE (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, retired comedian, artist, writer, musician, and television presenter. Known as the Big Yin ("the Big One") in his home country of Scotland, his unique and often improvised observational comedy has led to much critical acclaim in addition to topping many UK polls as the greatest stand-up comedian of all time.
Connolly's initial career was that of a welder in the shipyards of Glasgow, He then sang in the folk rock band The Humblebums with Gerry Rafferty and Tam Harvey until 1974, before beginning singing as a solo artist. In the early 1970s, Connolly made the transition from folk singer interspersing his songs with comedy to fully-fledged comedian. In 1975 he topped the UK Singles Chart with "D.I.V.O.R.C.E."
As an actor, Connolly has appeared in various films, including Mrs Brown (1997) (for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role).
Connolly announced his retirement from comedy in 2018, and in recent years he has established himself as an artist. His musical likes include iconic artists such as Hank Williams, The Beatles and Bob Dylan.
People (dislikes)
- Donald Trump [1]
Music (likes)
BBC's Desert Island Discs (2007)
- Long Gone Lonesome Blues - Hank Williams
- Foggy Mountain Breakdown - Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
- Skye Boat Song - Regimental Band and the Massed Pipes of the Scots Guards
- Tutti Frutti - Little Richard
- Across The Universe - The Beatles
- Highlands - Bob Dylan
- Morris Room - Bob Devereux, Clive Palmer
- Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) - Roy Orbison [2]
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
- The Banjo (instrument)[2]