RIP Gregg Jevin

Twitter is alive today with tributes pouring in for late, great comedian and musician Gregg Jevin. This is a huge blow to every single one of his 200 fans, myself included. The man was an inspiration, and his loss creates a very huge hole in the world that can only be filled with the Polyfilla of sadness.

Although highly respected as a stand-up, his best work, in my opinion, was the 1976 sitcom that he wrote, directed, starred in and wrote the theme tune for – “Not Without My Uncle” – which was woefully underappreciated, even though its catchphrase “Two tickets to Benidorm, mother” has entered greater pop culture consciousness. I will always remember my favourite episode, where Jevin bought himself a crocodile and how he used it to badger his ever-suffering wife and cousin. When his wife discovers that the “long-lost Shakespeare play” was actually written by the crocodile, I was in tears. It was a truly moving moment in its hilarity.

Of course, the 1979 spin-off “But My Aunt Can Stay At Home” was less well-received, and I’ll admit it wasn’t the best. It did have its moments though, even if most of the jokes revolved around him somehow keeping his aunt locked in a basement. But I think many people missed the subtle satire of modern society of the time, something that Jevin was increasingly trying to raise awareness of. After all, who in the 70s didn’t own a printing press that kept breaking down on them at inopportune moments, such as when the vicar came to stay?

During the 80s, his comedy did less well, and he focused on his musical career instead. His best album is, of course, the 1983 comedy album “Biscuit Cake”, featuring such hits as “Not Without My Uncle Theme Tune”, “Don’t Count Your Bacon”, “Be My Shirley Bassey Balloon Maker” and “Not Without My Uncle Theme Tune (Shep Pettibone Remix)”. His comedy albums were hugely successful, but his attempts at creating a more serious collection of songs weren’t as popular. In particular, his 1986 disco record “Fever Space” proved fatal: everyone who listened to the album in its entirety died under mysterious circumstances. The album was recalled, but the damage was done, and Gregg Jevin’s career suffered immensely.

My own personal memory of Gregg Jevin came from when he turned up at a school disco I attended in 1998, where he handed out oranges to all the kids before leading everyone in a rousing rendition of the Macarena. He then disappeared into the night like Batman. I will always remember that night, especially when I discovered he was later arrested for handing out LSD-laced oranges to schoolchildren. The things I experienced that night changed my life forever.

So to hear of his death I am deeply saddened. The man was an inspiration, and the world of comedy musicians will never be the same before or since. RIP Gregg Jevin, you big ol’ imaginary bastard.