In 1965, after he had completed a 5-year apprenticeship as a boilermaker, Connolly accepted a ten-week job building an oil platform in Biafra, Nigeria. Upon his return to the United Kingdom, via Jersey, he worked briefly at John Brown & Company but decided to walk out on a Fair Friday to focus on being a folk singer. a b c d Connolly, Pamela Stephenson (30 September 2023). "Billy Connolly's most intimate interview yet (by his wife): 'Comedians never used to worry about what was correct to say. You said it, and soon found out". The Guardian . Retrieved 30 September 2023. a b c d e f g h i j k l Ferguson, Brian (27 September 2017). "Billy Connolly inducted into Scottish music 'hall of fame' ". The Observer. Edinburgh, UK . Retrieved 26 April 2010.

a b Simons, Jake Wallis (2 October 2014). "Who Do You Think You Are? Billy Connolly, review: 'life-affirming' ". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 . Retrieved 29 December 2018. One of Connolly's most famous comedy skits is "The Crucifixion", an early 1970s recording in which he likens Christ's Last Supper to a drunken night out in Glasgow. The recording was banned by many radio stations at the time. Around this same time, a joke told during a television talk show appearance (about a murderer and his bike) became a sensation that, reportedly, people still remember three decades after the appearance. (A transcript of the complete joke can be found here).As of 2021, he and his wife live in Florida. He published an autobiography, Windswept and Interesting, in October 2021. [48] In May 2022, Connolly received a BAFTA Fellowship in celebration of his five-decade long career. [49] Personal life [ edit ] Connolly has been married to Pamela Stephenson since 1989 Sir William "Billy" Connolly CBE (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, comedian and musician. Sometimes, he is known as The Big Yin ( The Big One in Scottish). [1] Early and personal life [ change | change source ] Billy Connolly – Who Do You Think You Are – A tale of far distant exploits of the ancestors of one of Britain's best loved comedians..." The Genealogist. 2 October 2014 . Retrieved 29 December 2018. a b c d e f g h i j k l "The story of Billy Connolly in 11 and a half chapters". The Herald. 21 September 2009 . Retrieved 29 December 2018.

Connolly's paternal grandfather, whom—like his paternal grandmother—Connolly never met, was an Irish immigrant who left Ireland when he was ten years old. [62] [63] [14] His great-great-great-grandfather (Charles Mills, a coast guard, 1796–1870) [64] and great-great-grandfather (Bartholomew Valentine Connolly) were from Connemara. [62] During an interview with the BBC prior to polling day for the Scottish independence referendum on 18 September 2014, Connolly revealed he would not be voting as he was flying to New Zealand that day. He expressed his belief that the people of Scotland did not need his opinion to make up their minds on the subject. [71] On 20 August 2010, Connolly was made a Freeman of Glasgow, with the award of the Freedom of the City of Glasgow. [96]

Connolly continued to grow in popularity in the UK. In 1975, he signed with Polydor Records. Connolly continued to release live albums and he also recorded several comedic songs that enjoyed commercial success as novelty singles including parodies of Tammy Wynette's song " D.I.V.O.R.C.E." (which he performed on Top of the Pops in December 1975) and the Village People's " In the Navy" (titled "In the Brownies"). [7] In the early 1960s, Connolly attended the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time. After spending time on the city's Rose Street, patronising the various drinking establishments, he became enamoured by some long-haired musicians and decided to model himself on them. [25] Crawley, Jennifer (28 February 2014). "Launceston surgeon Gary Fettke diagnoses Billy Connolly's Parkinson's in hotel lobby encounter". The Mercury . Retrieved 12 March 2014. In 2013, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and had surgery for prostate cancer. [3] In January 2019, Connolly said he was "nearing the end of his life" as his Parkinson's advanced. [4] Career [ change | change source ]

En route to begin filming Water (1985) in Saint Lucia, Connolly drank an excessive amount of alcohol on the plane. Upon arriving on the island, he had dinner with the cast and crew, including Michael Caine. MacNeil, Jason (20 August 2010). "Connolly stays away from patterns". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010 . Retrieved 18 December 2010.

On The Go

Stephenson, Pamela (2002). Billy (Audio Edition read by Pamela Stephenson). HighBridge Company. ISBN 978-1-56511-725-9. In 1985, he divorced Iris Pressagh, his wife of sixteen years (they had separated four years earlier), and he was awarded custody of their children Jamie and Cara. [21] [26] That same year, he performed An Audience with..., which was videotaped at the South Bank Television Centre in front of a celebrity audience for ITV. The uncut, uncensored version was subsequently released on video. In July 1985, Connolly performed at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium, immediately preceding Elton John, whom he introduced on stage. [32] 1990s [ edit ]