His jokes normally go down better.
But a campaign to honour Sir Billy Connolly by naming Glasgow Airport after the Big Yin has attracted just over 40 names - and counting.
An online petition was launched last week calling for the airport to be named after Connolly.
Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said the idea should be considered. “Billy Connolly has brought laughter and pleasure to people around the world and has been a great ambassador for Glasgow and Scotland, of course it is something that should be considered,” she said.
Glasgow-born Sir Billy, 76, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013. He recently described being “near the end” and “slipping away” in a BBC documentary.
A petition on the website change.org, submitted by Brian Paul, a Glasgow resident, is seeking 100 signatures. It urges Glasgow airport, which is owned by AGS Airports Ltd, to follow the examples of Liverpool’s John Lennon airport and Belfast’s George Best airport.
The petition describes Sir Billy as an “all-time Scottish legend who deserves to be recognised and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to fly into “the Big Yin”? It adds: “Glasgow’s greatest son, who is suffering medically, should be honoured before it’s too late for him to recognise and remember how proud our city is of him and how much we are proud that the city of Glasgow is known throughout the world because of his first class work by means of comedy and numerous movie castings.”
Two years ago, Sir Billy was named in a survey as the celebrity that most residents would pick to raise the profile of Glasgow airport.
Sir Billy spoke about his struggle with Parkinson’s for the documentary Made in Scotland that aired last week. “It’s as if I’m being prepared for something, some other adventure which is over the hill,” he said. “I’ve got all this stuff to lose first, and then I’ll be on the shadowy side of the hill, doing the next episode in the spirit world.”
At the weekend his wife, Pamela Stephenson, posted a video on Twitter of a tanned Sir Billy playing the banjo, telling his fans: “Not dying, not dead, not slipping away”. Sir Billy, adds: “Sorry if I depressed you. Maybe I should have phrased it better.”
Glasgow airport said: “Sir Billy has been a true ambassador for the city throughout his illustrious career. We should not be surprised that people should call for the airport to be named in his honour.”
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