Russ Abbot
| Russ Abbot | |
|---|---|
| Born |
18 September 1947 Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England |
| Medium | Comedian, musician, actor |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Genres | Television, stand-up |
Russ Abbot (born Russ Roberts on 18 September 1947 in Chester is an English musician, comedian and actor. Abbot first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedy showband the Black Abbots, along with Leonard 'Lenny' Reynolds, later forging a prominent solo career as a television comedian with his own weekly show on British television.
Continuing his musical career as a solo artist Abbot released several charting singles and albums. Latterly his career has continued with a shift into more mainstream serious acting in television shows, series and stage productions.
As a drummer/backing singer, Abbot founded the Black Abbots in Chester during the mid-1960s and released several singles to modest chart success on minor labels in the early 1970s. The band only signed their first major recording contract in 1977, putting out a series of comedy singles and a lone live album with Abbot now taking lead vocals, before disbanding in 1980. Later on he appeared as a comedian, winning the Funniest Man On Television award five times.
Russ appeared on the television show, The Comedians under his birth name of Russ Roberts.
From 1980 onwards, Abbot released some albums as a solo artist, and appeared in several TV series. The most successful of his music singles was called "Atmosphere", which did well in the UK top 10, peaking at No 7 in 1984.
Russ Abbot's Madhouse and The Russ Abbot Show showcased his talents as an all-round entertainer, attracting millions of viewers. This show was especially popular among younger viewers, prompting two annuals to be published in 1982 and 1983. These annuals featured comic strips based on popular characters, plus some publicity photos of Abbot in a variety of guises, including his well-known James Bond satire featuring characters named Basildon Bond and Miss Funnyfanny (based on the fictional MI6 spy duo James Bond and Miss Moneypenny).
From 2000, Abbot played the lead role in the British National Tour of Doctor Dolittle. Taking a break over the Christmas period, Russ stepped down for Phillip Schofield to take the part, but returned to the tour subsequently.
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