 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2018) |
Spike Milligan | |
|---|---|
 Milligan, c. 1990 | |
| Born | Terence Alan Milligan 16 April 1918 |
| Died | 27 February 2002 (aged 83) Rye, East Sussex, England |
| Resting place | St Thomas's Church, Winchelsea, East Sussex, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1951–2002 |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 6 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Lance bombardier |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan KBE (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish[a] comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British India, where he spent his childhood before relocating in 1931 to England, where he lived and worked for the majority of his life. Disliking his first name, he began to call himself "Spike" after hearing the band Spike Jones and his City Slickers on Radio Luxembourg.[1][2]
Milligan was the co-creator, main writer, and a principal cast member of the British radio comedy programme The Goon Show, performing a range of roles including the characters Eccles and Minnie Bannister. He was the earliest-born and last surviving member of the Goons. He took his success with The Goon Show into television with Q5, a surreal sketch show credited as a major influence on the members of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
He wrote and edited many books, including Puckoon (1963) and a seven-volume autobiographical account of his time serving during the Second World War, beginning with Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1971). He also wrote comical verse, with much of his poetry written for children, including Silly Verse for Kids (1959).
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- ^ "Spike becomes an Irish Citizen". The Life and Legacy of Spike Milligan (website). Hatchling Production Pty Ltd (Australia). Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "Spike Milligan dies at 83". The Guardian. 27 February 2002. Retrieved 23 November 2015.