Frankie Howerd

Francis Alick Howard, OBE (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades. His first stage appearance was at age 13 but his early hopes of becoming a serious actor were dashed when he failed an audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He began to entertain during World War II service in the British Army. It was at this time that he adapted his surname to Howerd "to be different"... (read more)

Links to Peel
Peel mentioned on his 14 December 1989 show that when he was he was 8 or 9 years old, he went to see Frankie Howerd in a pantomime at the Liverpool Empire. He went on to say that Frankie called up a number of children including himself on stage to sing Fuzzy Wuzzy Was A Bear. Despite mentioning the event, Peel, according to available playlists, never played any of Frankie Howerd's records or mentioned that he was a fan of the man's work.