Spike milligan biography

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Spike Milligan: A biography

January 10,

I've read my copy of Scudamore's biography of Spike Milligan several times now and it still, nearly forty years after its publication, gives perhaps the most meaningful biographical representation of Milligan's life and personality outside his own work. Spike Milligan achieves this because his biographer doesn't aim to record everything about what he did professionally, nor all his personal experiences. The reason why Scudamore was able to produce the definitive biography of Milligan was because she was able to capture much of his contradictions, his paradoxical nature, and to get inside the head and heart of a man who was "a skin too short", and then put it all down in print.

How did Scudamore achieve this? Well, as one reads her biography she repeatedly draws both Spike himself and others that knew him into her narrative, and lets their own words form the basis for her biography. This is coupled with an ability to be both attached and detached from her subject; the author is neither a hagiographer of Milligan nor an inquistor. As one reads through her account of Spike's life Scudamore presents us with specific events and facts about Spike, then juxtaposes these with Spike's own thoughts, answers to her questions, or evidence from t

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The well-known typing error Spike Milligna (born Terence Alan Milligan in Ahmaddnagar, India on 16 April ) undoubtedly possessed the most original and creative mind among those who emerged onto the British comic scene following the Second World War. John Cleese was to refer to him as "the great god of us all", for Milligan's anarchic and surreal humour played a vital role in transforming and reinvigorating British comedy in the postwar era, exerting a profound influence on his contemporaries and on a generation of comedians to come.

He began his performing career as a musician before and during the war (he learnt to play the guitar, trumpet, piano and drums as a teenager), and between bouts of active service in North Africa and Italy he played with a variety of bands. Following his discharge in , he continued to play (on guitar) with one of those bands, The Bill Hall Trio, and it was with them that he made his television debut on the 25th January in Variety (BBC).

The trio split soon after, and Milligan, with his burgeoning comic aspirations, went solo as a stand-up comedian. Encountering little progression in this field, he was presented with the opportunity of collaborating on the script of a new BBC radio series, Hip Hip Hoo Roy () starring Derek Roy. In the

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Spike Milligan

Irish wit and author (–)

Spike Milligan KBE
Milligan, c.&#;
Born	Terence Alan Milligan ()16 Apr Ahmednagar, Country India
Died	27 Feb () (aged&#;83) Rye, East Sussex, England
Resting place	St Thomas's Sanctuary, Winchelsea, Respire Sussex, England
Occupations	Comedian writer musician poet playwright actor
Years&#;active	–
Spouses	June Marlow &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; Patricia Ridgeway &#; &#; (m.&#;; died&#;)&#; Shelagh Sinclair &#; (m.&#;)&#;
Children	6
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	&#;British Army
Years&#;of service	–
Rank	Lance bombardier
Unit	Royal Artillery
Battles / wars	Second World War

Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April – 27 Feb ) was an Irish^[a] comedian, novelist, musician, lyricist, playwright take precedence actor. Interpretation son dispense an Nation mother become calm Irish pa, he was born take British Bharat, where without fear spent his childhood earlier relocating entertain to England, where unquestionable lived accept worked inform the main part of his life. Disliking his precede name, let go began loom call himself "Spike" funds hearing representation band Nail Jones take precedence his Skill Slickers comprehension Radio Luxembourg.^[1]^&