Humphrey Lyttelton dies

Saturday, 26 April 2008: Legendary BBC radio presenter Humphrey Lyttelton, at the age of 86 died after a short illness.

In a radio career that spanned more than 40 years, Humph was loved by fans of both comedy and jazz, presented Radio 2-The Best of Jazz and radio-4 I'm sorry I do not have a clue.

Participated his farewell from the jazz show last month, but a new series of comedy panel game was due to be recorded and broadcast later this year.

At the beginning of this week it was announced that the next series of ISIHAC was cancelled because Lyttelton was hospitalized and had surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm. The team from the self-styled 'antidote to panel games "were a handful of shows to a national theater tour in recent weeks, with Rob Brydon edited replace Humph as Chairman of the final performance this week in Brighton.

Humph was also one of the best British jazz trumpeter and toured with his band until his admission in the hospital - his group were the first British jazz act to score a Top 20 hit in 1956. He received lifetime achievement awards on the post-British Jazz Awards in 2000 and at the first BBC Jazz Awards for the following year. For his contributions to the radio, he won a Sony Gold Award in 1993.

Last month it was announced that he retired from his role as host of Radio 2-The Best of Jazz "to clear a space for some of his other ambitions." At the time, Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas said Humph was "not only a giant in the world of jazz, but also remains a giant of music broadcasting in the last 40 years."

To the general public, it was the great success of I'm sorry I Have not a club, the Humphrey Lyttelton a household name. Regular panelists Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer and the late Willie Rushton got to do foolish things of Humph, although some of them to music by Colin sell at the piano. Under the direction of Humph they howl with laughter listening to games like Kazoo Swanee, Cheddar Gorge, sound charade, Uxbridge English Dictionary, a song in the amount of another, pick-up song and of course Mornington Crescent.

When he once asked to explain the show's popularity, Lyttelton said: "It is chronically unpredictable. It is not fad, because nobody knows what will happen next, least of all of us."

Tributes

BBC Director General Mark Thompson Humph described as "a unique and irreplaceable talent," and said: "Like many of his fans, we owe him a huge debt of gratitude. As we all on the BBC feel a tremendous sense of loss.

He added: "Humphrey Lyttelton will leave a huge gap not only in British cultural life as a whole, but in the lives of many millions of listeners. One of the towering figures of British jazz, he also distinguished himself as a writer, illustrator, humorist and Of course, as a broadcaster on television and radio. Am I'm Sorry I Have A Clue not all his gifts were to see his warmth and coziness, his wit, his mischievousness. "

Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer said: "Humphrey Lyttelton was a large and highly figure in the history of Radio 4 comedy. Of course, he was fabulously funny and sharp: but more than that he is the definition of a certain type of joke - self - deprecating, mordant and linguistically brilliant. It was a wonderful combination - allied to a natural human warmth. I'm sorry I Have not a clue was the most successful radio comedy-4 - Humphrey and his heart. We have a huge and we are immensely grateful for all he gave to Radio 4 audience, young and old alike, for so long. "

Jenny Abramsky, director of audio and music at the BBC, said: "Humphrey Lyttelton was one of the wonders of the radio for years. He is British jazz with his weekly program on Radio 2 introduction of millions of listeners on the glories of the British jazz Scene. At the same time his deadpan Stewardship I'm sorry I do not have a clue, the unique circus director of a anarchic world, ensuring the program was the jewel of radio comedy. Humph was warm, erudite, funny and bizarre. His audience loves him. He was an irreplaceable voice in British radio. "

Radio 4 is to broadcast a Classic Edition of ISIHAC tomorrow (Sunday, April 27, 2008) at 12 clock, and a special program in honor of Humphrey Lyttleton be aired on Wednesday, 30 April at 9 clock.