Early Life
Bygraves was born to poor Catholic parents, Henry and Lilian Bygraves, in London. He grew up in a two-room council flat with his five siblings, his parents and a grandparent. His father was a professional flyweight boxer, known as Battling Tom Smith, and a casual dockworker. He attended St Joseph's School, Paradise Street, Rotherhithe, and sang with his school choir at Westminster Cathedral.
He left school at 14. He went to the Savoy Hotel in London to work as a pageboy, but they threw him out for being too tall. He then became a messenger for an advertising agency in Fleet Street, before serving as a fitter in the RAF in World War II and working as a carpenter. He changed his forename to Max in honour of comedian Max Miller.
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