Bobby McKenna, but known fondly by his stage name of Bobby Knoxall made us all laugh for over 50 years. Comedian Bobby, who had appeared in cabaret with Johnny Mathis, Roy Orbison and Louis Armstrong sadly died peacefully on July 20th 2009.
Bobby, who has raised well in excess of a million pounds for charity was brought up in the East End. Right to the end he never forgot his roots and at every opportunity he would champion the East End and Sunderland. In the new years honours in Jan 2005 Bobby was awarded an MBE for services to entertainment and charity.
The underprivileged was something that Bobby knew a lot about. Starting out as a barrow boy selling fruit he was brought up in an area and in a time when things were hard.
Quoted by Tim Healy Acter and Close Friend "“Bobby Knoxall will always be a comedy legend; his humour travels across the world. I nicked a few gags from him when I was starting off, but couldn't deliver them like he does. He's brilliant!”
Quoted by Bernard Manning,
“Performing with Bobby Knoxall was like performing in a bloody minefield!”
Bobby,s own comments:
Bobby, who has raised well in excess of a million pounds for charity was brought up in the East End. Right to the end he never forgot his roots and at every opportunity he would champion the East End and Sunderland. In the new years honours in Jan 2005 Bobby was awarded an MBE for services to entertainment and charity.
The underprivileged was something that Bobby knew a lot about. Starting out as a barrow boy selling fruit he was brought up in an area and in a time when things were hard.
Quoted by Tim Healy Acter and Close Friend "“Bobby Knoxall will always be a comedy legend; his humour travels across the world. I nicked a few gags from him when I was starting off, but couldn't deliver them like he does. He's brilliant!”
Quoted by Bernard Manning,
“Performing with Bobby Knoxall was like performing in a bloody minefield!”
Bobby,s own comments:
‘Some of the clubs I played, you didn't sign in, you weighed in,' he joked a couple of years ago.
"North East audiences are supposedly the hardest in the country but once they like you, they like you forever.
"I'd rather work in the North East than anywhere in the world."
