Johnnie Beattie


1926 - 2020

Actor, entertainer and comedian. Born in Govan (Glasgow), the son of a road sweeper, Beattie was educated at St. Gerard's Senior Secondary School in Govan and took an engineering apprenticeship at Fairfield's Shipyard. After National Service in Malaysia, he began his show-business career in an amateur concert party in 1950. He went on to become one of Scotland's best-loved entertainers, in great demand at theatres around the country, on television and especially as a pantomime dame, playing alongside the likes of Jack Milroy (1915 - 2001) and Andy Cameron (b. 1940). He had a particular association with the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr, where he has played on numerous occasions. Beattie starred with Rikki Fulton (1924 - 2004) in the immensely popular television comedy Scotch & Wry. He also worked with Chic Murray (1919-85) and Billy Connolly (b. 1942), and hosted the quiz show Now You See It (1981-84) for Scottish Television. He went on to become a regular in the BBC Scotland television soap opera River City from its beginning in 2002 and his retirement in 2015 in his 90th year.

Beattie was awarded a CBE in the Birthday Honours List of 2007. He died in Clydebank, with his funeral at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Partick and Glasgow Crematorium.


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