by Hilary Duncanson
BILLY Connolly has been given a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in a landmark year that will see him hit the milestone age of 75.
The Scots comedian and actor, affectionately known as the Big Yin, becomes a Sir in recognition of his services to entertainment and charity.
The accolade – handed out in the centenary year of the Order of the British Empire – comes 14 years after he was made a CBE in 2003.
The gong represents a high point in a notable year for the star, as he turns 75 in November. He has already been the subject of an ITV special celebrating his career this year and had three giant murals erected in his honour in his native city of Glasgow.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: “In the centenary year of the Order of the British Empire, the Queen’s Birthday Honours have recognised the achievements of a diverse and inspiring number of our fellow Scots. I congratulate each and every one of them.
“Billy Connolly’s knighthood celebrates a truly great Scot, the irrepressible ‘Big Yin’ who has entertained millions, but also his dedicated charity fundraising. He is an ambassador for both humour and humanity, and this recognition is richly deserved.”
Irreverent, bawdy and fond of expletives, Billy Connolly has left audiences around the world crying with laughter.
One of the most popular and successful comedians and actors of his generation, the man known as The Big Yin has used his own experiences to captivate, delight and move his devoted fans.
After he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, he chose to mock his symptoms during shows by playing Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On.
It is his services to entertainment and charity that have earned him a knighthood at the age of 74, just months after an ITV documentary celebrating his career 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.
Born in Glasgow in 1942, Connolly started out as a folk singer and musician alongside Gerry Rafferty before developing the stand-up act that made him famous.
But he is also an accomplished actor, winning 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. He is also a gifted travel reporter, making a string of popular documentaries.
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.
Two years later, he was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by Bafta Scotland for six decades in showbusiness.
Three giant murals of his image were recently unveiled in Glasgow in honour of his upcoming 75th birthday.
Connolly disclosed in 2013 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and prostate cancer on the same day, but has since been given the all-clear from cancer.
He has been married to actress turned clinical psychologist and author Pamela Stephenson since 1989.
The couple have three children together; Connolly has two other children from a previous marriage.
Meanwhile, Professor Anton Muscatelli, the principal of Glasgow University, is knighted for his services to higher education.
Known as a world-class economist, he chairs the Standing Council on Europe which advises the Scottish Government on securing Scotland’s relationship with the EU.
Professor Anton Muscatelli is recognised for his services to economics and higher education.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive this honour, but this is, of course, an award for the whole of the University of Glasgow as much as it is for me.
“It is a privilege to lead the University of Glasgow at this exciting time, especially since this was the place where I chose to study and where I began my academic career as an economist, particularly at a time when the University of Glasgow is embarking on our biggest project of development in more than a century as we develop our campus to provide world-class facilities for our students and staff.
Prof Muscatelli was born in Bari, Italy, and has both Italian and British citizenship.
He has been principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow since October 2009.
Prior to that, he held the same role at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and various other posts at Glasgow.
Connolly’s comedy has worked because he sees the silliness before others
by Brian Beacom
THERE was a scene in BBC Scotland’s Billy Connolly portrait documentary this week in which the comedian reflected upon his career.
“It seems to have a continued upward trajectory,” he says. “It never really stopped going upwards.”
One-time folk singer Connolly made the comment not as a boast, but by way of exclaiming surprise.
Connolly has never gone out of fashion; thanks to his absurdist and astonishingly honest take on life he has continued to sell out shows across the globe, made almost 40 movies because he continually offers something new to his audience.
Connolly, who has donated huge sums to charity secretly over the years, milked his Glasgow-ness for all it was worth in the Seventies. But as his life changed so too did his perspective, and his material.
The self-proclaimed poser embraced Hollywood and cuddled up to a whole new set of friends, from Royalty to showbiz royalty.
Yes, there were problems along the way. Someone so bold and cutting edge as Connolly was always going to divide opinion and he made mistakes.
He upset Nationalists early on when he described the new house of Government as “a wee pretend parliament.” And he caused stiff collars to stiffen even more when he found the Bible to be a source of wonderful material.
Connolly’s comedy has worked because he sees the silliness before others, whether it’s in toilet functions, politics or showbiz. Or what the Swiss Army does with their knives.
Along the way, the almost 75 year-old he has had an awkward relationship with Glasgow. He once joked; “Drumchapel is a housing estate just outside Glasgow. Well, it’s in Glasgow, but just outside civilisation.” That’s because Glasgow, and indeed Scotland, hasn’t found the verbal skills to praise such an international talent.
In the BBC art documentary, Connolly was filmed as a ‘fan’ in a lorry drove by and called out “Get you hair cut, Connolly!” There was a time when Connolly would battered the bloke – or worse.
But nowadays he laughs, because he knew the man was simply trying to connect with a legend. And Scots simply don’t have the emotional vocabulary to say ‘Billy, you are a legend. And there isn’t an act that can follow you.’
It’s taken HM’s Government to say it for us. Arise Sir Billy. And it’s not before time.
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