Benny Hill was born into a family with a circus background, which inspired his comedic career.
He became famous for his television program, "The Benny Hill Show," which blended slapstick and musical performances.
Despite being a multi-millionaire, Hill was known for his frugality, never owning a home in London.
Biography
Early Life
Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill was born on January 21, 1924, in Southampton, Hampshire, England. He was the son of Alfred Hill, a manager of a surgical appliance shop, and Helen Hill. Growing up in a family with a history of circus performance, as his grandfather was a clown, Benny was inspired to pursue a career in entertainment. After leaving school, he held various jobs, including working at Woolworths and as a milkman, before serving in the British Army during World War II, where he trained as a mechanic and entertained troops.
Career
Benny Hill's career took off after the war when he began performing on radio, making his debut on "Variety Bandbox" in 1947. He became a household name with his television program, "The Benny Hill Show," which combined slapstick comedy, burlesque, and musical performances. Hill's unique style and humor captivated audiences, leading to a successful career that included appearances in films such as "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "The Italian Job." He also released several albums, including "Sings Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" and "The Best Of Benny Hill."
Personal Life
Despite his fame and fortune, Hill was known for his frugality, never owning a home in London and preferring to rent. He never married and had no children, proposing to three women who all declined. Hill's health began to decline in the late 1980s, and he passed away on April 18, 1992, at the age of 68. His estate was valued at over £7 million, which was later divided among his nieces and nephews. Hill was buried in Hollybrook Cemetery, near his birthplace, and his grave became the subject of speculation and theft shortly after his death.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
Sings Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)2009
- 1.Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)3:52
- 2.Anna Marie2:19
- 3.Broken-Hearted Lovers' Stew2:13
- 4.Colleen2:37
- 5.Rachel3:10
- 6.The Beach at San Tropez2:51
- 7.Suzy3:39
- 8.Ting-A-Ling-A-Loo2:09
- 9.Ted4:35
- 10.Tour Guide1:57
- 11.Interview5:59
- 12.Making a Commercial3:27
- 13.The Birds and the Bees4:25
- 14.The Dustbins of Your Mind3:43
- 15.Fad Eyed Fal4:10
Eclectic2005
- 1.Ernie ( The Fastest Milkman In The West)3:42
- 2.Bianca2:28
- 3.Gypsy Dance3:33
- 4.New York Rap3:59
- 5.Star Names2:39
- 6.Just Wanna Be In You Band3:23
- 7.Down On The Farm3:30
- 8.Unlucky Luke2:33
- 9.Pepy's Diary2:24
- 10.Older Woman2:58
- 11.Cafe Ole2:42
- 12.Graffiti1:29
- 13.Lifeguards2:05
- 14.Go Around Again3:41
The Ultimate Collection1998
- 1.Gather in the Mushrooms2:37
- 2.Transistor Radio3:01
- 3.Harvest of Love2:25
- 4.Pepys' Diary3:11
- 5.Gypsy Rock2:38
- 6.The Piccolo Song2:51
- 7.Lonely Boy2:47
- 8.Moving on Again2:03
- 9.The Andalucian Gypsies2:17
- 10.The Egg Marketing Board Tango2:01
- 11.Bamba 36882:56
- 12.What a World2:48
- 13.I'll Never Know2:59
- 14.My Garden of Love3:15
- 15.In the Papers2:22
- 16.Golden Days2:29
- 17.Flying South3:35
- 18.Wild Women2:36
- 19.Jose's Cantina2:04
- 20.Rose2:43
- 21.Those Days2:31
- 22.The Old Fiddler2:20
- 23.Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)3:53
Ernie1992
- 1.Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)3:53
- 2.Ting-A-Ling-A-Loo2:09
- 3.Anna Marie2:20
- 4.Colleen2:38
- 5.The Dustbins Of Your Mind3:44
- 6.Rachel3:11
- 7.Suzy3:39
- 8.Fad Eyed Fal4:12
- 9.Broken-Hearted Lover's Stew2:14
- 10.The Beach At San Tropez2:52
- 11.Ted4:36
- 12.Tour Guide1:57
- 13.Interview5:59
- 14.Making A Commercial3:27
- 15.The Birds And The Bees4:24
The Best Of Benny Hill1992
- 1.Yakety Sax (Intro)1:49
- 2.Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)3:39
- 3.Bianca2:26
- 4.Gypsy Dance3:30
- 5.New York Rap3:56
- 6.Star Names2:35
- 7.Just Wanna Be In Your Band3:20
- 8.Down On The Farm3:27
- 9.Unlucky Luke2:30
- 10.Pepy's Diary2:21
- 11.Older Woman2:25
- 12.Cafe Ole2:40
- 13.Graffiti1:26
- 14.Lifeguards2:03
- 15.Go Round Again3:38
- 16.Yakety Sax4:33
Words and Music1971
- 1.Ernie3:51
- 2.Anna Marie2:18
- 3.Broken-Hearted Lovers' Stew2:12
- 4.Colleen2:37
- 5.Rachel3:09
- 6.The Beach at San Tropez2:53
- 7.Suzy3:37
- 8.Ting-A-Ling-A-Loo2:10
- 9.Ted4:38
- 10.Tour Guide1:55
- 11.Interview5:58
- 12.Making a Commercial3:32
- 13.The Birds and the Bees4:16
The Best Of
Tracklist not collected yet.
Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)1971
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- Pye Records
Influenced by
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill was an English comedian, actor, writer and musician. He is best remembered for his television programme The Benny Hill Show, a comedy variety show merging slapstick, burlesque, double entendre and innuendo in live and filmed segments with Hill in almost every one.
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