Billy Connolly, a comedy hero, is in good health, according to Peter Kay.
Comedian Peter Kay has revealed he speaks to his hero Billy Connolly but the says the Scottish stand up is “not doing so well”. Kay was asked about his comic heroes and told how he is lucky enough to have met all of them, including Connolly.
Connolly was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013 and retired from live performances five years later. Kay said: “ I met Billy Connolly. I still keep in touch with Billy Connolly now and he’s not so good now, but he would still message and that. I think a lot of comedians in this country would not be doing what they did if it weren’t for him. I think so much of it is influenced by him, heavily. Amazing.”
His comments were met with enthusiastic applause at the Manchester Lyric Theatre as part of a Radio 2 special that aired tonight. Kay also mentioned a lovely exchange with another comedy hero. He continued, “I have met them all, and I have been really lucky.” Ronnie Barker and I met. I used to watch Porridge, but I’d always adored it so much. Oh. Anyway, I sent him a letter back. Porridge was something I mentioned and how important it was to me.
I thought, “Who’s written to me from prison? ” when the letter came in and said “prison.” And when I opened it, he had written to me in character as Norman Fletcher, and it was Her Majesty’s Prison Slade. And he wrote about nicking this paper from the library when MacKay wasn’t looking and Barrowclough, and he also wrote that this two-page letter was all about being in prison.
Kay loves meeting Billy Joel, who he adores, and is a huge music fan. He stated to Sara Cox on Radio 2 that he had always loved Billy Joel and that he had released a four-track EP, Uptown Girl, My Life, Still Rock and Roll to Me, and Just the Way You Are, which he had delivered from town on bonfire night in 1983. I was utterly delighted.
You kind of connect with him because my father liked him and I liked him. I’d seen him live, I’d traveled up and down to London on the coach to see him, and in 2007 he went on a tour, I attended every show, and we just really got along.
Then, when I went to X Records and saw the LPs, I went in and said, “Hey, if I bring me LPs, would you sign them,” the maddest thing.” And he responded, “yes, no problem.”
So I brought them all up to Glasgow and sat in his dressing room, where he wrote, “This one shouldn’t have been made,” and that this was divorce number one. He wrote, “I like this one, this isn’t bad,” and, oh, I treasure them a lot.
Peter Kay was speaking on Radio 2 about his new book, “Peter Kay’s Diary: The Monthly Memoir of a Boy From Bolton.” Additionally, he has expanded his tour, and money raised from his Better Late Than Never performances will go toward 12 cancer charities for the final performances in the year.
He also discussed his struggle to lose weight during the interview with Sara Cox.
Kay, 52, responded, “Only for the first 48 years, and they lied,” when Sara inquired about his previous attempts to lose weight. Yes, I eventually had to because, you don’t think about your health and other things like that? But I tried everything, including weight-loss organizations in flames. At one point, I did quite well.
Sara Cox is on Radio 2 on weekdays from 4 to 7pm while Peter Kay’s Diary: The Monthly Memoir of a Boy From Bolton is available.
Source: Mirror
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