Madcap British comedian Ken Dodd dies, aged 90
The entertainer, who refused to retire, was known for his ability to tell jokes virtually non-stop
British comedian Ken Dodd, well-known to the country’s television audiences for his spiky hair, buck teeth and “tickling stick”, has died aged 90, his publicist said on Monday.
Dodd achieved fame in theatres in the 1950s with a madcap humour and a relentless barrage of off-the-cuff ripostes. His style, which later brought him television and radio fame, owed much to music hall tradition.
“To my mind, he was one of the last music hall greats,” his publicist Robert Holmes said in a statement.
The Liverpool-born comedian was a tireless live performer who drew up a “giggle map” of Britain, telling him what made people laugh in different parts of the country.
He made his first professional appearance in 1954 and a decade later made his debut in London’s West End, where he staged a record-breaking 42-week show at the London Palladium.
Dodd was also holder of a Guinness World Record for telling 1,500 jokes in three and a half hours.