HE is irreverent, bawdy, loves expletives and has left people around the world crying with laughter. Now, as he approaches his 75th birthday in November, it’s “Arise Sir Big Yin” as Billy Connolly is knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The accolade comes 14 years after he was made a CBE in 2003.
It is a high point in a notable year for the star, who has already been the subject of a BBC Scotland special – Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime – which followed the Big Yin as three leading Scottish artists were commissioned to paint portraits of him.
The works of the trio – Connolly’s old friend John Byrne, Jack Vettriano and Rachael Maclean – are all very different but equally striking. The originals will be displayed at the People’s Palace while giant street murals have gone on show on three buildings across Glasgow.
Connolly is one of the most popular and successful comedians and actors of his generation, and has used his own experiences to captivate, delight and move his devoted fans. He shot to fame with stories revolving around his days in the Clyde shipyards – tales about toilets and jobbies, and jokes about the crucifixion.
Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease did not stop the laughter – on stage he chose to mock his symptoms by playing Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On.
In March, he looked frail as he took to the stage as a guest on Comic Relief, and used his appearance to touch on his battle with cancer and Parkinson’s.
He said: “Hello, it’s Billy Connolly here, asking for your cash, not for me obviously, I’ve got cancer and Parkinson’s and definitely need a haircut but no, we’ve got people all over the UK older than me who are really living tough lives and I would love you to help.”
Connolly’s services to entertainment and charity have earned him the knighthood, months after an ITV documentary showed a string of famous faces discuss how he has changed their lives. Comedian Peter Kay described seeing Connolly perform as his “comedy epiphany”, comparable to musicians seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show.
The Big Yin was born in Glasgow in 1942 and started as a folk singer and musician – forming the Humblebums with singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty and guitarist Tam Harvey – before developing the stand-up act that made him famous.
But he is also an accomplished actor, and has won praise for his role opposite Dame Judi Dench in Mrs Brown in 1997, as well as The Man Who Sued God and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
In 2003, he was presented with a Bafta Lifetime Achievement Award and a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and in 2010, he was given the highest honour Glasgow could bestow upon him – the Freedom of the City.
He has been married to actress turned clinical psychologist and author Pamela Stephenson since 1989. The couple have three children together and he has two others from a previous marriage.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: “Billy Connolly’s knighthood celebrates a truly great Scot ... He is an ambassador for both humour and humanity, and this recognition is richly deserved.”
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