[PDF] Moon River and Me: A Memoir by Andy Williams in Arts-Photography

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The long awaited story of one of Britainrsquo;s greatest comic legends.Some people walk on stage and the audience warms to them. You cant explain it; and you shouldnt try. Its an arrogant assumption to say you decide to become a comedian. The audience decides for you. Eric Sykes; December 2001From his early days writing scripts for Bill Fraser and Frankie Howerd through decades of British radio and television comedy ndash; lsquo;Educating Archiersquo;; lsquo;Sykes And A hellip;rsquo;; lsquo;Curry and Chipsrsquo;; lsquo;The Plankrsquo; ndash; to his present day ventures into film and theatre; starring in lsquo;The Othersrsquo; with Nicole Kidman and appearing in Peter Halls recent production of lsquo;As You Like Itrsquo;; Eric Sykes has carved himself an enduring place as one of Britains greatest writers and performers.In his much anticipated autobiography; Sykes reveals his extraordinary life working alongside a generation of legendary comedians and entertainers; despite being dogged by deafness and eventually virtual blindness. His hearing problems began in the early days of his career in the 1950s; around the time he wrote; directed and performed in the spoof pantomime lsquo;Pantomaniarsquo; for the BBC. Undeterred however; Sykes learned to lip-read; going on to write and appear in a number of BBC productions including lsquo;Opening Nightrsquo; and Val Parnells lsquo;Saturday Spectacularrsquo;; the first of two shows he made with Peter Sellers; a great life-long friend. From 1959 until her death in 1980; Sykes starred with Hattie Jacques in one of Britains best loved sitcoms lsquo;Sykes and A hellip;rsquo; Throughout the two decade run of this show he continued to work alongside a host of stars including Charlie Drake; Tommy Cooper; Tony Hancock; Spike Milligan; Johnny Speight; Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.Eric Sykesrsquo;s comedy has always sported an essential core of warm humanity and this; along with his genuine creative genius; continues to prove an unforgettably winning combination.