Joan Turner
Joan Turner | |
---|---|
Born | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 24 November 1922
Died | 1 March 2009 Banstead, Surrey, England | (aged 86)
Joan Turner (24 November 1922 – 1 March 2009) was a British comedian and singer, born in Belfast and brought up in London. She appeared on stage and TV and had her own radio show, becoming the highest-earning female singer in Britain. She was a versatile performer, whose one-woman shows were legendary.
Early years
Her father was Leonard Turner, who became a London
In the 1960s and 1970s, she was a major star in the UK,
The London Evening News once said that she had "the voice of an angel and the wit of a devil".[1] In its obituary, The Guardian claimed "she could sing a pop or operatic song with her four-and-a-half-octave soprano voice, do an almost eerily convincing impersonation of Bette Davis, and then switch to a stand-up comic routine."[1]
Later years
According to her
In 1981, she guest starred on the Danish selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest. She continued singing 25 minutes longer than planned on the live broadcast. At long last, one of the hosts handed her a large fern to stop her from singing further, angering the singer.[8]
In 1990, she was a guest of honour at the celebrations of the
In March 2001, the
Later that year, she returned to the UK.
On 16 December 2010, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a programme entitled Joan Turner: The Highs and Lows of the Wacky Warbler in which Lesley Garrett told the story of the operatic comedian, containing interviews with her friends, stage associates and family as well as excerpts from her musical and comedy routines.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dennis Barker (4 March 2009). "Obituary: Joan Turner". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Joan Turner: comedienne and popular entertainer". The Times. London. 5 March 2009.
- ^ a b c Patrick Newley (5 March 2009). "Comedian Joan Turner dies aged 86". The Stage.
- ^ a b c d "Hats off to Joan". The Daily Telegraph. 26 October 2001.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g David Gardner (11 March 2001). "Down and out in Beverly Hills; SHE HAD A BIGGER BILLING THAN THE [BEATLES]". Sunday Mirror.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Chit chat – Turning back time". The Stage. 31 August 2008.
- ^ a b c "'Voice of an angel' comic dies". Chortle (comedy industry website). 5 March 2009.
- ^ Kirsten Erlendsson (7 February 2000). "Jarls skandale-debut".
- ^ Andrew Billen (27 August 2001). "Fame, fame, fatal fame". New Statesman.
- ^ "Victorian Value (TV review of Victoria and Albert)". The Guardian. 27 August 2001.
- ^ "Joan Turner". Lasting Tribute. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009.
External links
- Joan Turner at IMDb