Skiles and Henderson
Skiles and Henderson | |
---|---|
Born | Bill Skiles: William Al Skiles July 5, 1931 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Pete Henderson: Peter Carroll Henderson April 28, 1938 Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
Died | Bill Skiles: May 16, 2011 (aged 79) St. Cloud, Florida, U.S. Pete Henderson: March 1, 2018 (aged 79) Branson, Missouri, U.S. |
Cause of death | Bill Skiles: Kidney cancer Pete Henderson: Unknown |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Comedians |
Spouse(s) | Bill Skiles: Marilynn Lorraine Pierson (m. 1960 - 196?; 3 children) Arlene Adams
(m. 1963; died 2011)Pete Henderson: Linda Hartley (m. 1976 - ?) |
Skiles and Henderson was a long-running American
Performance style
Bill Skiles acted as the "frenzied, jabbering, sound-effecting clown to the straight man Pete Henderson".[2] The act consisted mainly of improvised humor featuring sound effects and a variety of antics by Skiles, interfering with Henderson's attempts to tell a story[1] or sing a popular song. During a serious rendition of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", Henderson sang the lyric, "She'll probably stop at lunch--" only to be interrupted by Skiles imitating the screech of brakes and shouting,"Gimme a Big Mac!"
History
The two men met in 1953 in Orange County, California. Their act started in 1958 at Disneyland as a song-and-dance act featuring musical instruments made by Skiles' father.[2] Turning more towards comedy, in 1960 they had their professional debut at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas.[1]
The duo played at nightclubs, showrooms and corporate events, and as a supporting act they toured with
Skiles and Henderson last performed in Arizona in March 2010.