Tony Melody

Melody died in a nursing home from cancer after a short illness on 26 June 2008, aged 85. His funeral was held at Carleton Crematorium, Blackpool, Lancashire on 3 July.

Sudden fame came his way when he appeared in a TV McDonald's campaign in 2002.

He made a second appearance in Emmerdale in 1998 this time as the farmer, Jed Outhwaite. In 2002 he made a fourth appearance on Coronation Street, this time as the MC at a ballroom dance competition in Blackpool, which the characters of Norris Cole and Vera Duckworth were entered.

In the 1983 Special of Last of the Summer Wine - Getting Sam Home - John Comer's voice was badly affected by illness, so his lines were re-recorded by Tony Melody. Comer died 6 weeks after the broadcast.

In the 1980s he was regular on Bergerac (1981), Dalziel and Pascoe (1996). An unassuming man who was shy offscreen and rarely gave interviews.

His big break came with Yanks (1979) starring Richard Gere.

As he became better known, he gradually was offered more varied TV work. His subsequent television appearances included police drama in Z-Cars (1973) and Barlow at Large, and comedy on ITV in Bless This House (1974). In 1975 he had a starring role as George Bradshaw in the short-lived comedy series Rule Britannia!.

By the early 1970s he was getting regular television work, with a number of minor roles (mostly in comedy parts) in programmes including the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son (as a milkman in the 1970 episode Come Dancing, which is said to be one of the most repeated episodes of that series). Also on the BBC in the sitcom Sykes, and on ITV in Public Eye (as guest star in a humorous Christmas special), both in 1972, at which time Melody said, "This is the first time in years I have turned down pantomime, up home in Blackpool, because I wanted to concentrate on television, to stretch myself with such roles." However, he was certainly not stretched by these roles, which were straightforward comedy supporting parts, of which he already had five years television experience as a semi-regular on the weekly sitcom Just Jimmy.

Melody's long, hangdog face also earned him comedy cameos in Steptoe and Son (1962), Heartbeat (1992), City Central (1998), and Where the Heart Is (1997). Melody also worked in stage shows and films.

Tony Melody played character parts in many of Britain's most popular TV shows, including Coronation Street (1960), Emmerdale Farm (1972) and Last of the Summer Wine (1973). For 15 years he played the neighbour, Mr. Higginbottom, in The Clitheroe Kid on BBC radio.

His first network television was in 1957 in the Hylda Baker comedy series Be Soon (1957).

His broadcasting break came in the BBC's North Region in 1955 with What Makes A Star? - a showcase for new talent.

Initially as a dancer, Melody spent three years touring the Mediterranean with Ralph Reader's Gang Show, performing for British troops in various countries along with Tony Hancock and Norrie Paramor. In 1952 he spent a season performing at the Windmill Theatre in London, among the nudes, where he featured as a comedy singer, before returning to Yorkshire, where he performed semi-professionally in local clubs while working in a factory in Leeds during the day. In 1955 he appeared on What Makes A Star? on BBC local radio. He became a regular on BBC regional radio, working in the North region of the BBC Home Service from 1958 with, among others, Jimmy Clitheroe (who he also appeared with on stage, touring the Variety theatres) and with Harry Worth. With Clitheroe, he did a regular double-act on a radio variety show called Call Boy, as well as doing much the same act together on stage in the theatres.

Anthony John Melody (18 December 1922 – 26 June 2008) was an English television actor who appeared in a number of long running comedies and soap operas. He was a prolific character actor with more than 100 television roles.