Brian Hibbard
Brian Hibbard | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 November 1946 |
| Died | 17 June 2012 (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1980 – 2012 |
| Known for | Being a founding member of The Flying Pickets |
| Children | 3 |
Brian Hibbard (26 November 1946 – 17 June 2012)[1] was a Welsh actor and singer from Ebbw Vale, Wales, best remembered as the lead vocalist in the original The Flying Pickets.[2]
Early life and career
Hibbard was born into a working class family in Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, and had a socialist upbringing.[1] He was educated at Ebbw Vale Grammar School. After various jobs including teacher, steel worker, barman and chimney sweep, he formed The Flying Pickets with a group of other actors who had practised a cappella singing while travelling by coach to their appearances.
Following the group's success in the early 1980s, Hibbard went on to pursue a career as a television actor, appearing in Coronation Street as garage mechanic Doug Murray, in Emmerdale as Bobby-John Downes, and as Johnny Mac in the Welsh language soap Pobol y Cwm as well as the youth drama Pam Fi, Duw?. In 1995 he played Jason in an episode of the fifth series of Heartbeat He was in the 1997 film Twin Town as the self-styled "Karaoke King" Dai Rees. He has also appeared in the drama serial Making Out; in the Doctor Who story Delta and the Bannermen; in comedy in The Armando Iannucci Shows; in Series 9 Ep 3 of Minder, and Satellite City; and in the film Rancid Aluminium. Hibbard appeared in EastEnders from 4 to 8 July 2011 playing Henry Mason, a man who ran a children's home where Billy Mitchell and Julie Perkins were in care.
Death
In 2000, Hibbard was diagnosed with prostate cancer; he died of the disease on 17 June 2012 at the age of 65.[3][4] He is survived by his wife Caroline and their three children.[5]
References
- ^ a b "Brian Hibbard: Singer and actor who formed the Flying Pickets". The Independent. 20 June 2012.
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 387. CN 5585.
- ^ "Brian Hibbard dies from prostate cancer". Metro., Archived
- ^ Hayward, Anthony (19 June 2012). "Brian Hibbard obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
- ^ "Actor and ex-Flying Pickets singer Brian Hibbard dies". BBC News. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- Use dmy dates from April 2022
- Articles without Wikidata item
- Articles with hCards
- AC with 0 elements
- 1946 births
- 2012 deaths
- Welsh male singers
- British male soap opera actors
- British male film actors
- Welsh socialists
- British socialists
- People from Ebbw Vale
- The Flying Pickets members
- Deaths from cancer in Wales
- Deaths from prostate cancer