Richard Digance (pronounced DYE-jance; born 24 February 1949) is an English

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

and

folk singer Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

Early life

Digance was born in Plaistow,

East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...

. After his family moved to nearby

East Ham East Ham is a district of the London Borough of Newham, England, 8 miles (12.8 km) east of Charing Cross. Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Essex, East Ham is identified in the London Plan as a ...

, he attended Vicarage Lane Primary School and then Thomas Lethaby Secondary Modern. After gaining two A-Level passes in

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

and Modern British History, he moved to

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, where he studied

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...

during which time he was inspired by

Billy Connolly Sir William Connolly (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, musician, television presenter, artist and retired stand-up comedian. He is sometimes known by the Scots nickname the Big Yin ("the Big One"). Known for his idiosyncratic and of ...

Career

Richard Digance was a member of British folk band, Pisces, who released an album called ''Pisces'' in 1971. In the 1970s, Digance toured the United States. He supported

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...

, whilst in Britain he also supported Jethro Tull on two British tours,

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, ...

, Tom Jones,

Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1945) is an English Rock music, rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe (band), Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest su ...

Supertramp Supertramp were a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), the group were distinguished for blending p ...

and Joan Armatrading. From 1974 until 1978 Doug Morter, guitarist and singer with Hunter Muskett, joined Digance as accompanist on vocals and guitar. Digance began his television career on ''Sound of The City'' for Thames TV, produced by Richard Newman, in the early 1970s. This debut appearance was followed by ''

The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music series broadcast by the BBC. It was devised by producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough, and aired on BBC2 from ...

'' and then the ''Today'' programme. ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' was his only

BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios ...

appearance, except for appearing on ''The

Ronnie Corbett Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...

Show'' years later, and then link-man for

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

coverage of The Cambridge Folk Festival. He then became a regular contributor on '' The Six O'Clock Show'' with

Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television presenter and newsreader. He hosted programmes such as '' Crackerjack!'', '' Ask Aspel'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', '' This Is Your Life'', '' Strange ...

. Digance was given his first television special in 1985 for Thames TV, ''A Dabble With Digance''. He was later signed to TVS in Southampton after being a studio warm-up act for

Matthew Kelly Matthew Kelly (born David Allan Kelly, 9 May 1950) is an English actor and television presenter. Having been trained as a theatre actor, he first came to public prominence as a television sitcom actor, game-show panellist and television prese ...

and this first series of six programmes was screened on Thursday nights. Digance left for

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...

under Greg Dyke and filmed numerous Saturday night television specials for ITV. His guests included

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

Brian May Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals) and Clint W ...

, Julia Fordham, Chris de Burgh and many others. An additional series with

Jim Davidson James Cameron Davidson (born 13 December 1953) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, singer and TV presenter. He hosted the television shows '' Big Break'' and '' The Generation Game''. In 2014 he was the winner of the 13th series of ''Cel ...

, ''Wednesday At 8'', made him a popular guest during the period from 1985 to 1995. Digance made guest appearances on many programmes such as '' Surprise Surprise'' with

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her singles "A ...

, ''The

Gloria Hunniford Mary Winifred Gloria Hunniford, OBE (born 10 April 1940) is a television and radio presenter, broadcaster and singer from Northern Ireland. She is known for presenting programmes on the BBC and ITV, such as '' Rip Off Britain'', and her regula ...

Show'', ''The Jim Davidson Show'', '' Des O'Connor Show'', ''Live From The Palladium'' with

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

, ''Magpie'', '' Pebble Mill at One'', ''Saturday Night At The Mill'' and ''The Tom O'Connor Show''. Digance received a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

nomination as 'TV Entertainer Of The Year'. He was also a regular guest on the popular Sunday evening ''Live from... (Her Majesty's/the Piccadilly/the Palladium)'' variety series (produced by LWT for ITV) and also on ''Summertime Special'', a variety showcase of the 1980s. He is known for his television one-hour specials, starting in 1985 with ''A Dabble of Digance''. ''Abracadigance'' was a series of four shows in 1988. The 1992 show, ''Richard Digance's Greatest Bits'', recorded at the

Brighton Dome The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England, that contains the Concert Hall, the Corn exchange, Corn Exchange and the Studio Theatre (Brighton), Studio Theatre (formerly the Pavilion Theatre). All three venues are linked to the rest o ...

, included some of his most popular routines from stage and screen. Appearances on other television specials included '' HRH The Prince of Wales Princes Trust Galas'' at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

, ''All At Sea'', ''Christmas Eve Forces Special'' from The Berlin Wall and ''The Zeebrugge Disaster Concert'' at The London Palladium. In the next decade he made two series for Carlton Westcountry TV visiting villages in a Morris Traveller, and using locals as guests. Digance also had a

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

career through the 1980s with his show ''A Digence Indulgence'' which had a seven year run until the summer of 1987. He has been a frequent guest in ' Dictionary Corner' on the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

game show '' Countdown''. In October 2003, he received the Gold Award from the

British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors The Ivors Academy (formerly known as British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy works to protect and support and also campaigns the int ...

for his services to music.

Personal life

He has two daughters and two grandchildren. He now lives just outside Salisbury, Wiltshire. He semi-retired from live performance in 2021 and now only performs at his favourite theatres.

Discography

* ''England's Green and Pleasant Land'' (1974) * ''Treading the Boards'' (1975) * ''How the West was Lost'' (1975) * ''In Concert'' (1975) * ''Earl's A Winger'' (1977) * ''Live At The Q.E.H.'' (1978) * ''Commercial Road'' (1979) * ''Homework'' (1984) * ''A Digance Indulgence'' (1985) * ''Richard Digance at the Fairfield Halls'' (1985) * ''A Drop of Digance'' (1996) * ''On a Serious Note'' (1996)The CD is undated. Date given by Richard Digance himself in an email dated 15 June 2020 * ''Best of the Transatlantic Years'' (compilation CD) (1997) * ''A Varied Selection'' (1998) * ''Guitar Tunes'' (1998) * ''Richard Digance Compilation'' (2002) * ''The New Richard Digance CD'' (2002) * ''Back on Song'' (2005) * ''Past and Present'' (2007) * ''This is Great Britain'' (2013) * ''The Toast of Christmas Past'' (2013) * ''Golden Anniversary'' (2017)

References

External links

Official website

List of credits at BBC Online

{{DEFAULTSORT:Digance, Richard 1949 births Living people People from Plaistow, Newham English male comedians English television executives English folk singers Mercury Records artists Chrysalis Records artists 20th-century English comedians 21st-century English comedians Singers from the London Borough of Newham People from East Ham Comedians from the London Borough of Newham