George Formby

He was a big influence on Frank Skinner, who presented Frank Skinner on George Formby (2011).

He was inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame in 2004.

His mother Eliza Booth (née Hoy) outlived him by 20 years, dying at the age of 102 in 1981.

When some of his films were shown on British TV during the 1950s, George Formby himself appeared in special introductions.

By 1946 it was estimated that he had performed in front of three million service personnel. After the war his career declined although he toured the commonwealth and continued to appear in variety and pantomime.

Left "Ealing" studios in 1941, signing a contract with "British Columbia" the same year.

He was top of the British box office from 1938 until 1944.

His best known song, "Leaning on a Lamp Post", which became his trademark, was first sung in his film Feather Your Nest (1937).

In October 1936 he made a £5 wager with his producer friend, Jack Taylor, that he could climb the 500-foot Blackpool Tower by its intricate inner network of staircases and ladders.On the morning of the climb there was a crowd of some 6,000 waiting for him. By that time, though, he had received telegrams from his manager and the General Manager of ATP, the company that produced his films, stating that if he went ahead with the climb his contracts would be immediately canceled. He told the assembled crowd and the waiting reporters that he couldn't lose £50,000 for a £5 quid bet and that the bets would be given to the local hospital--and that the sad thing was that he could have done it.

Admitted to living on lean times before making his first film in 1934.

By June 1926 he'd started his recording career and from 1934 he was increasingly working in films developing into a major star by the late '30's and becoming the U. K. 's most popular and highest paid entertainer. During WWII he worked extensively for the ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) entertaining civilians and troops and touring factories, theatres and concert halls.

In 1923 he made two career changing decisions - he bought a ukulele and married Beryl Ingham, an Acrington, Lancashire, born champion champion clog dancer and actress who transformed his act. She insisted he appear on stage formally dressed and introduce his ukulele to his performance. .

Following his father's death in 1921 he gave his professional two week appearance at the Hippodrome in Lancashire where he was paid £5 a week and soon after hired to appear on the Moss Empire chain of theatres at £17 10 shillings a week. Touring around venues in Northern England his act didn't go down well resulting in bouts of unemployment.

In 1915 with the closure of the English racing season because of the First World War he moved to Ireland and continued as a jockey until the end of hostilities. Returning to England he raced for Lord Derby's Newmarket stables where he never won a race.

Born George Hoy Booth in Wigan, Lancashire on 26 May 1904, he later took his father's stage name of George Formby. He briefly attended school where he failed to learn to read or write so was removed from formal education and sent to become a stable boy in Middleham, North Yorkshire, where he later became an apprentice jockey.