I became an entertainer not because I wanted to but because I was meant to. – Danny Kaye

Whether it’s the comical mimicry of his various Tubby The Tuba guises, or the sham horror of ‘Manic Depressive Presents’ that we remember best, showman Danny Kaye still looms large on the mental backburners of the generations for whom he was once a Family Favourite. There was in the delivery of this seemingly indefatigable children’s entertainer supreme something irrepressibly, uniquely zany which logged easily into the impressionable minds of the young. Think of Danny on records and the sad tale of The Ugly Duckling will come instantly to mind, but young and old alike were also captivated by his madcap antics and highly individual, incisive way with tongue-twisters of the “Frim Fram Sauce” or “Bloop-Bleep” variety.

Singing-actor, dancer, comedian, writer and all-round entertainer David Dani