Veteran dancer and actor Lionel Blair dies - The Jewish Chronicle

The dancer, actor, and veteran Jewish performer Lionel Blair has died. For decades the Canadian-born entertainer was a mainstay of British television, presenting Name That Tune and gracing programmes from Give Us A Clue to Celebrity Big Brother. After his Russian Jewish parents migrated to London, Mr Blair and his sister, Joyce, began performing in underground stations during the Blitz. The presenter described his background as “Jewish, but not Orthodox.” He told the Guardian that during the war, “Dad brought bacon home and we've eaten it ever since. I think that was frowned upon by certain people in the community when they got a sniff of our bacon sandwich. “But every Friday we had chicken and my mother would light candles.” Asked how the son of a ‘Baltic barber’ had caught the showbiz bug, he told the JC in 2009: “The pictures. Fred and Ginger. That’s what did it for me. “I used to watch them and think: ‘Oh my God, that’s what I want to do’. I think I wanted to be famous. My dad didn’t want me to be a hairdresser. Or Joyce. And academically I wasn’t that bright. “But I knew I could dance.” After his father died, Mr Blair was thrust into the world of work and danced for a living in musicals to help provide for his family. In the 1960s his dance troupe began to feature in television variety shows, and he made a memorable appearance as a choreographer in the Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night. A 1961 dance off with Sammy David Jr at the Royal Variety Command Performance was one of the highlights of his career, with the two Jews going toe to toe on stage. Stand-up comedian Ed Byrne said on Twitter: “One of the highlights of my short-lived Saturday morning radio show on BBC London (which I co hosted with my mother) was when we had Lionel Blair as a guest. “Smoking fags and knocking back gin and tonics with us at 11am. We even got him to tap dance on a sheet of plywood. Legend.” Singer Michael Ball also paid tribute, saying: “A funny, kind, generous, compassionate and gifted man. So sad for his family and for our business. “A total one off. RIP lovely man”