The Big Yin has retired

[GodIsADeeJay81]

7 yrs after being diagnosed with Parkinsons, Billy Connolly has announced his retirement.

ITV aired a farewell show, It's Been A Pleasure, looking back at his career, which is available to watch for free on their ITV Hub site.

I remember first seeing him on TV in the 90's, when he was doing his Australia series and he's always been one of the funniest comedians I've seen.

[tiger76]

The great thing about Billy is you can watch his shows and you think you're talking to someone in the pub, his greatest ability is his sincerity, whether you like him or not he's completely genuine, and what you see is what you get, also he's able to relate to the working class due to his tough upbringing, and his time working in the Glasgow docks, and there isn't many comedians who can do that.

He's one of the few comedians who I find really funny, and his stories are great as well.

Hope he enjoys his retirement as much as he and Pamela can in the circumstances, he's brought so much joy to me over the years, he at least deserves that for all the entertainment he's provided for nearly half a century.

[Bin Ont Turf]

also he's able to relate to the working class due to his tough upbringing, and his time working in the Glasgow docks, and there isn't many comedians who can do that.

There are absolutely loads in this country (England) who can and have done that. It's where (working class) true comedy and comedians come from.

On Billy, I heard him on Radio 2 a couple of weeks ago and he does sound old and knackered (understandable). However one of his jokes about Keith Richards was met with silence and a swift chat about something else.

Mind you Jeremy Vine only likes trying to aggravate the country and making them feel miserable.

[wilks_bfc]

Recorded it last night.

Found everything he’s done entertaining.

I only wish I’d been able to see him perform live

[Dark Cloud]

Not absolutely certain this is true, but a mate of mine tells a tale of being dragged along to the 110 Club on Yorkshire street back in the very early 70's and one of the "turns" was a struggling unknown Scottish comic who turned out to be Billy C. There were about 15 people in the room according to my mate and most weren't even listening.

[kritichris]

Always like d hime despite the swearing which he made appear natural rather than forced for effect. Liked his trike tours too, enjoyed the series and one of his books.

[Claret Till I Die]

Saw him in 2016 during his high horse tour. From start to finish he was hilarious, even coming out to "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in reference to his Parkinsons.
The tale he tells about the use of the c bomb in various places was side splitting, we had an old lady sat near us who was crying throughout it...

[BurnleyPaul]

Not absolutely certain this is true, but a mate of mine tells a tale of being dragged along to the 110 Club on Yorkshire street back in the very early 70's and one of the "turns" was a struggling unknown Scottish comic who turned out to be Billy C. There were about 15 people in the room according to my mate and most weren't even listening.

He’s definitely performed in Burnley- my parents have memories of seeing him at a folk music night at the cricket club back in the early 70s. The comedy started in between the songs and slowly the comedy got longer and the songs got shorter....the rest is history!

[Cirrus_Minor]

I have his book ‘Tall Tales & Wee Stories’ bought for me as a Christmas present. Just started reading and it is already absolutely hilarious, crying laughing.

A really funny guy with an infectious way of looking at life. Enjoy the retirement Billy.

[Eloise Laws]

I had the pleasure of seeing him live many many years ago. I can’t remember where but I do remember my face ached I laughed so much.
Will catch up last nights programme

[mkmel]

Not many people have bungee jumped completely naked like Billy Connolly did in New Zealand

A few years ago now when my Son was travelling in Australia and New Zealand I bought the DVD's of Billy Connolly on his trike in these countries and other countries too. It meant that I could see the actual places that my Son had visited in Oz and NZ and could laugh at Billy Connolly's stage shows that he did there

[Woodleyclaret]

I remember him passing obnoxious comments when he was told to put out a cigar in a non smoking area
Early days he was funny latterly just bot
Maybe his illness was impacting more than he cracked on

[LeadBelly]

He’s definitely performed in Burnley- my parents have memories of seeing him at a folk music night at the cricket club back in the early 70s. The comedy started in between the songs and slowly the comedy got longer and the songs got shorter....the rest is history!

There was a relative plethora of regional folkie/comics in the late 60s/70s. Billy from Scotland, Mike Harding from Lancs, Jasper Carrott from west midlands, Max Boyce from Wales. All born 1942-45 coincidentally (or maybe not). They've all tended to move away from the singing towards comedy as their careers progressed - probably an easier route into TV shows which they all did successfully.

Billy, of course, was in The Humblebums folk group (as was Gerry Rafferty)- they played Scotland mostly but I have a vague recollection the played Burnley sometime in mid-late 60s. I'm not very certain of that and I personally didnt see them but I just have a recollection of my older sister going to see them one weekend.

[mdd2]

Recorded it last night.

Found everything he’s done entertaining.

I only wish I’d been able to see him perform live

Saw him live in Manchester in the eighties and he never got above the navel all night.
I think he was better when he had to tone his script down a bit.
Also saw Dave Allen live around the same time and of the two performances Dave got my vote.

[elwaclaret]

As a kid in the 70’s and early eighties you could not avoid Billy. He was trumpeted by Michael Parkinson the most popular show on TV, Saturday night close to MOTD. As above mentioned Mike Harding and Max Boyce were very similar.... Max Boyce was my favourite at the time, “and I know, cos I was there”. Freddie’s Starr was an even more madcap version.

Billy hit the front of the rest with his audience with that turned him from Star to superstar. It was one of the funniest hours of television ever broadcast.

He remained on top of his game for the next ten years, meaning that when ai saw him in Blackpool Wintergardens in 93. He had everything. Sadly with his power to draw the crowds came a complete lack of editing....the myth that he ad libbed his way was shot down by a friend of mine who had seen the same show I saw in Blackpool in Sheffield the night before my visit.... he may have ad libbed from hat tour... it would account for the increasingly strained feeling of the delivery from that point.

At his height he was untouchable and he leaves the stage having made a lot of people very happy and with long lasting memories. I hope he enjoys his rest and the rest of his life with Pam Who I first remember as Janet Street Porter interviewing the Big Yin on Not the Nine O’clock News... a night that changed both of their lives forever.

[tim_noone]

Not absolutely certain this is true, but a mate of mine tells a tale of being dragged along to the 110 Club on Yorkshire street back in the very early 70's and one of the "turns" was a struggling unknown Scottish comic who turned out to be Billy C. There were about 15 people in the room according to my mate and most weren't even listening.

It was probably Corky ...from that Era.

[tim_noone]

When ever I think of BC.......Ken Bigley Always spring to mind for some reason. I went off him after that. Though I did watch him in a drama playing the grandad a couple of years back and he was very good.

[BurnleyFC]

A brilliant and one of the few truly funny comedians.

[Paul Waine]

There was a relative plethora of regional folkie/comics in the late 60s/70s. Billy from Scotland, Mike Harding from Lancs, Jasper Carrott from west midlands, Max Boyce from Wales. All born 1942-45 coincidentally (or maybe not). They've all tended to move away from the singing towards comedy as their careers progressed - probably an easier route into TV shows which they all did successfully.

Billy, of course, was in The Humblebums folk group (as was Gerry Rafferty)- they played Scotland mostly but I have a vague recollection the played Burnley sometime in mid-late 60s. I'm not very certain of that and I personally didnt see them but I just have a recollection of my older sister going to see them one weekend.

I didn't see Billy Connolly live. I did see Mike Harding at Bold Street in Accy. Those were the days of folkies who put a few jokes into their show.

Good watch last night.

[AlargeClaret]

Saw him a few times back in the day , Manchester , Stockport etc . He was great at stories , always remember one about a p1ssed up bloke getting the bus home and puking into a old woman’s hood ,(the woman used to carry her little dog around in the hood).... “ I nae remember eating that “ ... was the gist

Up there with great live old school comedians who could also tell gags ,Allen ,Manning et al

[Pstotto]

He still has his art... One line drawing taking about half a day sent to print at £300, edition 300, £900,000 for a half a day's jotter biro-ing made large.

One of the reasons I didn't get into art college was because the person who refereed my failure at his behest, was deeply offended that I called Bob Dylan's music 'campfire music' i.e. hippy guitar singalong in front of a gathering round a bonfire etc. and that was its status.

He's dead now, but I wonder what he would make of the limited edition illustrations from photos of USA streets turned to limited edition prints with the same point of sale value as Billy Connolly's art.

[rincon]

A friend of mine was lucky enough to be in a pub in one of the remote parts of Scotland on a camping trip when out of the blue Billy Connolley came in and he was sat in his company for a couple of hours.
My friend's recollection of the 'experience' was that he couldn't remember any of his jokes, but when he woke up in his tent the day after his sides were so sore from laughing that he could hardly walk. I wish I'd have been there, he's a legend.