'I didn't know what Windrush was!' Kenny Lynch - Londoner #373

Comedian and singer Kenny Lynch toured with the Beatles and appeared in Carry On Films. From Caribbean-Irish heritage, he was born in the East End in 1938 before the Windrush era. In his short portrait, Kenny talks about growing up in Stepney during the war.

1000 LONDONERS

This film is part of 1000 Londoners, a ten-year digital project which aims to create a digital portrait of a city through 1000 of the people who identify themselves with it. The profile contains a 3 minute film that gives an insight into the life of the Londoner, as well as their personal photos of London and some answers to crucial questions about their views on London life. Over the course of the project we aim to reveal as many facets of the capital as possible, seeing city life from 1000 points of view.

Twitter @1000_Londoners
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Transcript:

Evening all where do we start then. I was born in the East End of London in 1938. I love it down there, I love the people I still like it down there, the only trouble is I don't go down there too much now because I get lost.

The war started, I think about eighteen months after I was born and it for kids I mean, when you got to about three or four though there was bombs dropping all the time it was, it was, it was fun. You just thought, oh look there's another house on fire.

But obviously during the war everybody's very close together and all that it's only the day after the war stops that they all start fighting again, like they do now.

No, well my father was here because he was in the Merchant Navy. Yeah my dad came over from Barbados in the late 1890's. He is very nice man, he made me what I was, he was very gentle. Never had a row with me, never hit me, never did anything like that and I loved him. And my mum's from an Irish background and all that.

My family was 11 kids but, I mean I never met half of them, I mean I was the last one of them. And in fact now I'm the only one left out of all of them because they're all brown bread now.

It was just a very fun family, no rows or anything.I mean there were obviously kids rows and all that, and we never had any racial problems with people in Cornwall Street you know because basically we were probably a novelty. You know people just say, you know people just say we've got some black people live next door to us and all that, you should come round and see them they're almost the same as us. That sort of thing must have been going on.

But, basically I didn't see I didn't see loads even then until I was about 20. You'd notice more immigrants were coming in and all that sort of thing.

I don't remember anybody ever telling me about Windrush. So that's why I'd never heard of it. I never knew what Windrush was until I was asked to do this big show on it for the BBC at the Crystal Palace, years afterwards. I had to ask my sister what it was doing this show for this thing called Windrush, What is that? She said 'Oh it's a boat they all came over on.' That's the first I've heard about it and by that time I was probably about 26.

Everything's is funny to me, everything's musical to me, everything is readable to me and that's how I go through life and how I shall go for the next few weeks I've got left.

Simple as that.

[tonyfranklin]

RIP Kenny, entertaining and thoroughly nice bloke.

[Sveinbeard]

RIP Kenny. Always there during my childhood.

[GOONERDOZ]

Kenny lynch.... Total legend in my book steeped in music history... Also very proud to say he lives in the same town as me.. And will always have the time to talk.. ♥

[Nina]

Always loved Kenny Lynch, and then we didn’t hear of him anymore. Just watched him on the Last Laugh In Vega. He stole the show, such a fantastic natural singing voice. We were so sad when he died.

[gavinthurston]

RIP Mr Lynch. Met you once and you had the entire Marquee rolling with laughter. Proper old school East-Ender - true gentleman. Peaceful journey.

[Anne.]

Had the privilege of seeing him perform at the Royal Albert hall at a concert celebrating Hal David & Burt Bacharach. Dionne Warwick was there, Sacha Distel was there, numerous stars sang but Kenny was the classiest of them all. Will be missed xxxx

[stroseblue]

He said here he only has a few weeks left, bless him.

[amotorcyclejourney]

Rest in peace A True Gentlemen Mr Kenny Lynch

[franzjohnston]

Such a lovely, talented guy...big part of my youth ....Thanks for being just you Kenny....our great loss....Heavens great gain...rest in peace mate

[Randell]

Life and soul of the party. One of the good guys

[noohoozfurra]

One of life's most worthy patrons. So long, Kenny... 😔

[jan]

Proud of you Kenny, proud to come from the same streets as you and where I still live.

[stevenhoward]

Wrote some absolutely cracking songs with Tony Hicks of The Hollies. Seek them out.

[amaninthestreet]

Kenny be "movin away". Great guy, legend. 👍

[neddo]

So luckey to have met Kenny a true gent

[suebennett]

Met him on the QE2 some years ago with Jimmy Tarbuck, lovely man. RIP 💙

[notMessing]

Last of the pros, great entertainer and absolute top bloke, they don’t make them like this anymore! RIP Kenny ❤️

[waitinginthepipeline]

A very talented man right up to the end and a fellow Cockney too.Rip Kenny.

[sickssix]

he was everywhere in the 60s, TV shows, the Palladium, royal variety shows, hanging with the Beatles, Cilla Black, he was a real pro, dressed the part, did all the right moves and was seen at the right places with the right people, very hard working. he was THE blackface of swinging London but I'm surprised at his lack of knowledge of his history, too busy being famous I suppose, his rendition of GG & CK Up on the roof is one of the best recordings of music ever, I don't think he realised how good that song was, its as good as they get, IMO

[astonmartin]

I was once his golf caddie.My name is Myke but called me "Fish".Never understood why.A very nice and talented man.