Benny Hill

Hill was born on January 21, 1924, in Southampton, the largest city on the south coast of England. Early on, Hill expressed an interest for the theater and performing, but struggled to find his niche. After a stint in the military in World War II, and odd jobs such as a bridge operator and drummer, "Benny" (the name he would adopt after his comedic hero Jack Benny) finally got a foot in the door of the entertainment industry by becoming an assistant stage manager in the late 1940s.

After some radio work, Hill finally got his first television job in 1949. Benny would work on and off in T. V. until his big break in 1955 with The Benny Hill Show, which would run in various forms for the next forty years. His show, which was largely based on sketches, slapstick routines and silent film type comedy and sight gags, was aired in over 140 countries.

Hill would also have a somewhat successful foray into the world of film, appearing in seven movies between 1956 and 1977. Hill even recorded a hit record with his single, "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)," on the Best of Benny Hill album made the UK chart as Christmas number one single in 1971.

Following an amazingly long run on British television, The Benny Hill Show, was canceled in 1989, but thanks to cable T. V., his popularity did not suffer. Hill's last appearance on T. V. would be in 1991, when he was the subject of a BBC documentary.

Hill was found dead in his South West London flat on April 21, 1992, although the day of his exact death will always be in question, the cause was a heart attack. Benny hill a lifelong bachelor, was laid to rest in Hollybrook Cemetery near his birthplace in Southampton.

Benny Hill will always be remembered for his long run with The Benny Hill Show, which is still shown worldwide in syndication today. Hill should also be remembered as a groundbreaking performer, who, while writing his own material, pushed the envelope of comedy with his racy, unconventional style.