Person    | Male  Born 8/9/1921  Died 11/4/2001

Harry Secombe

Actor, comedian and singer. Born Harry Donald Secombe in St Thomas, Swansea where he grew up. In WW2 he served in the Royal Artillery, and whilst in North Africa he first met Spike Milligan. After the war, he joined the cast of the Windmill Theatre, where he met Michael Bentine and Peter Sellers. The Goon Show was the result of these meetings and Secombe played Neddie Seagoon until the show ended in 1972. He appeared in several films, including 'Oliver!' in which he played Mr Bumble the Beadle, and on stage, he created the title role in the musical 'Pickwick'.
He had his own television show for several years, and was a presenter of the religious programmes, 'Songs of Praise' and 'Stars on Sunday'. When Milligan heard of Secombe's death, he jokingly said that he was glad he had died first because he didn't want him singing at his funeral. Secombe however had the last laugh, as one of his recordings was played at Spike's memorial service. 

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Harry Secombe

Commemorated ati

Last Goon Show

The Camden Palace was home to the Goon Show through the 1950s.

Read More

Spike's statue - Goons

This little group shows Secombe, Milligan and Sellers, holding "Goons" script...

Read More

The Goon Show

{Caricatures of the four comedians, followed by:} The Goon Show, 1951-1960, f...

Read More

Other Subjects

Lupino Lane

Lupino Lane

Actor and theatre manager. Born Henry William George Lupino in London. He came from a theatrical family and adopted the name 'Lane' from a great aunt. He made his first stage appearance at the age ...

Person, Cinema, Theatre

1 memorial
Gregory Augustus Daymond

Gregory Augustus Daymond

Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Augustus Daymond was born on 25 November 1920 in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana, USA. From the American Air Museum in Britain website we learn that he grew up in Ne...

Person, Armed Forces, Cinema, USA

War served, WW2
1 memorial
Tallulah Bankhead

Tallulah Bankhead

Actor. Born and died America. Unsuccessful on Broadway so in 1923 came to London and was very successful on the West End stage. She returned to America and worked in both movies and on the stage. H...

Person, Cinema, Theatre, USA

1 memorial
Ken Russell

Ken Russell

Film, stage and television director. Born Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell at 31 Belnont Road, Southampton. He studied photography before moving to television. Here he specialised in films about famous...

Person, Cinema, Theatre, TV & Radio

1 memorial
Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh

Born Darjeeling, India.  She and her husband Laurence Olivier, managed the St James's Theatre from 1950 to its closure in 1957. She led a vigorous but unsuccessful campaign to try and save it.  Die...

Person, Cinema, Theatre

5 memorials

Previously viewed

Taylor Wimpey

Taylor Wimpey

House-building company, formerly known as Taylor Woodrow PLC. It was created from the merger of Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey.

Group, Property

1 memorial
Sylvia Blanc

Sylvia Blanc

She was born as Sylvia Sara Cole and her birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1927 in the Willesden registration district. In 1953 she married Alan John Blanc (1929-1995) in Marylebone and el...

Person, Architecture

1 memorial