Champion's Legacy and Influence
Champion influenced many later variety artists and their acts. His songs are among some of the most popular Cockney songs ever recorded and are synonymous with people's interpretation of what Cockney humour is. "Any Old Iron" and "Boiled Beef and Carrots" are often used to illustrate a stereotype as perceived by non cockney people.
In 1960 the actor and singer Stanley Holloway recorded an album entitled "Down at the Old Bull and Bush", which included a cover of "Any Old Iron" In 1965 the pop group Hermans Hermits recorded a cover of "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" for the album "Hermits On Tour" and reached No. 1 in the American Bill board Charts on 7 August 1965. Champion was mentioned twice in a 1969 episode of Dad's Army in the Series 3 episode "War dance", first when music is being selected, and again when Lance Corporal Jones performs various impressions of music hall artistes of the pre-First World War era but says that he cannot do an impression of Champion.
"Ginger You're Barmy" which was the title of Champion's 1910 song was used as the title of a book written by the author (not to be confused with the actor of the same name) David Lodge in 1962. Chas and Dave are admirers of Champion and often emulate his style, incorporating it into their own acts. In 1984 they recorded "Harry was a Champion" in tribute to him.
Read more about this topic: Harry Champion
Famous quotes containing the words champion, legacy and/or influence:
“Let’s not quibble! I’m the foe of moderation, the champion of excess. If I may lift a line from a die-hard whose identity is lost in the shuffle, “I’d rather be strongly wrong than weakly right.””
—Tallulah Bankhead (1903–1968)
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)
“If the dignity as well as the prestige and influence of the United States are not to be wholly sacrificed, we must protect those who, in foreign ports, display the flag or wear the colors of this Government against insult, brutality, and death, inflicted in resentment of the acts of their Government, and not for any fault of their own.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)