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Bob Marley Legend Lives On

And we say Bob Marley legend because when we were in college in the seventies or on the grassy knolls of the Haight or breaking free from corporate sports or industry or injury, he was there with words and music and the greatest of spirit–affirming affirmed our need for unity, solidarity, spirituality, respect, and love. He helped us “Stir it up,” “Put it on,” and “Rock it Baby.” He encouraged us to “Pass it on,” “Stand Alone,” and “Keep on Moving.” And as he passed the torch of human dignity in rebellion and in redemption, he taught us to realize, “Most people think/Great God will come from the skies/Take away everything/And make everybody feel high. But if you know what life is worth/You will look for yours on earth…,” and that it is necessary, okay, probable, and imperative that we “Get up, stand up; stand up for [our] rights!”

Benny Hill was a famous British comedian that had people laughing in over 140 countries around the world.  Best known for his television series titled ‘The Benny Hill Show’, his international audiences numbered into the billions.  Like Monty Python, Benny Hill is one of those names that instantly makes you think of absurd British comedy that you’re almost ashamed to admit you enjoy but nevertheless drives you into hysterics.

Benny Hill’s name at birth was Alfred Hawthorn Hill and he was born on January 21st, 1924 in Southampton, England.  Introduced to ‘Burlesque Shows’ by his grandfather, Benny was immediately fascinated by the comedic possibilities, and drew much of his inspiration from them. 

Benny served in the British army during the second World War, after which he moved to London and began his acting career by adopting the stage name Benny Hill and performed in a variety of shows, mostly on stage and for radio.  Hs first big break came with the television show ‘Hi There’ in 1949.  He had enough success with this show to stay more or less employed until he was given his own show in 1955, ‘The Benny Hill Show’.  It aired on BBC Television and instantly was a smash success. 

Benny’s orignal approach to slapstick, his impeccable timing, and comedic versatility lent him the ability to portray a number of different kinds of character, giving the show plenty of depth and fresh ideas to work with.  The skits were usually filmed at high speed, giving them a goofy, animated quality that worked well with their content.  Because he usually had a number of good looking and scantily clad women on his show, Benny was sometimes criticized for being sexist, though if you’ve ever seen the show you’ll see that its really men that he makes fun of. 

The Benny Hill Show would move to ITV in 1969 and would continue with an erratic schedule until 1989, making it one of the longest running shows in history.  Reruns of the show still air today on BBC America.  Benny Hill also made a number of film appearances including a role in ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and ‘The Italian Job’ (1969). 

Benny Hill began to suffer from heart related disorders due to his obesity in the 1990s.  He died on April 20th, from a coronary thrombosis.  A strange man with an even stranger sense of humor, Benny Hill is still an icon of British comedy today, and continues to make people around the world laugh themselves silly.