Biography of George Formby

George Formby - When I’m Cleaning Windows
His 52 finest 1932 - 1946

George was born in Wigan, Lancashire and later they moved to Hindley, near Wigan, where George was apprenticed as a jockey, when he was seven and rode his first professional race aged ten, when he weighed under 4 stone.

On his fathers death in 1921 George abandoned his jockey career to start his own music hall career, using his father's materal. He took up the Ukulele as a hobby, which was what he was later famous for and played it on stage as a bet.

In film and on stage, he generally adopted the character of an honets, good-hearted but accident prone innocent who used the phrases: "It's turned out nice again'" as an opening line; "Ooh, mother'" when escaping from trouble; and a timid "Never touched me'" after losing a fistfight.

His infamous comic songs, made him stand out as unique. Playing his banjolele, deveoping a catchy musical style became his trademark.

Formby suffered his first heart attack in 1952. His wife Beryl died of leukaemia on 24 December 1960 and he planned to marry Pat Howson, a 36 year old schoolteacher in the spring of 1961. Unfortunately he died in hospitasl on 6 March 1961. His funeral was held in St Charles' Church in Aigburth, Liverpool. An estimated 100,000 mourners lined the route as his coffin was driven to Warrington Cemetery, where he was buried in the Booth family grave.