1 Much-admired and much loved Glasgow comedian Tommy Morgan was born in Bridgeton in 1898, the son of a trades union activist. He became a huge music hall star in the 30s, 40s and 50s, starring in numerous pantos and shows across Scotland. Glasgow audiences loved his cheeky face and gallus chat and he was often seen on stage at the likes of the Pavilion and the Metropole.
2 Morgan’s famous catchphrase was ‘clairty clairty’ and his famous summer show at the Pavilion Theatre ran for 19 consecutive seasons.
3 In his obituary in the Evening Times, the writer said: “His ‘Big Beanie’ character will go down in Glasgow music-hall history,” referring to Big Beanie McBride the GI Bride. Other characters included the professional ‘won’t-work’, declaring, ‘they’re very good to you at the Maryhill Buroo…’
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4 Morgan’s many showbiz proteges included Ruby Murray and Larry Marshall and Charlie Sim of the One O’clock Gang and he was loved by stars and audiences alike. One story went that the Andrews Sisters, who were appearing at the nearby Empire, saw Morgan on stage at the Pavilion; captivated, they laughed constantly, even if his Glasgow patter meant that they couldn’t understand a single word he said.
5 Morgan died in November 1958, at the age of 60, just four months after he had appeared in the Scottish Royal Variety Performance. Scottish showbiz legend Jimmy Logan described him as a “great institution in the Scottish theatre.” After his funeral, Logan scattered his ashes from the Pavilion’s roof. Speaking in 1991, Logan said he was asked to carry out the task by Tommy’s widow. “It was a poor, blustery day,” he said, “and we didn’t want to hang about.”
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