Manchester is home to not only famous businessmen, entrepreneurs, cotton merchants and industrialists but also prominent activists of the cultural sphere. Don Estelle is one of the most famous and successful actors from Manchester. In particular, Estelle became known to a wide audience thanks to his role as Gunner “Lofty” Sugden in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, the popular British TV series of the 1970s and 1980s. Learn more about his life path and creative career at manchester-trend.
A DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD DURING WORLD WAR II
The future actor was born in Crumpsall, Manchester, in 1933. Estelle spent his entire childhood on Russell Street. When he was just seven years old, Nazi Germany started World War II. The boy and his family were forced to leave the city, because of constant German air raids and the bombing of Manchester. In 1940, Estelle managed to escape the Manchester Blitz by evacuating to Darwen.
SINGING IN ESTELLE’S LIFE
Estelle’s creative journey began in the evacuation to Darwen. In particular, he began attending the local Holy Trinity Parish Church, where he found his voice as a boy soprano. During the war, Estelle attended church and developed his creative abilities in every possible way. When the Second World War ended, his family returned to Manchester. There, Don continued to sing at St Mary’s Church.
Estelle had a unique and unparalleled voice in a high-frequency range. Therefore, when the boy grew up, he decided to develop his creative abilities beyond the church choir. That’s how he ended up in a charity group, the Manchester Kentucky Minstrels. In 1954, being a part of the group, he performed the song Granada by the Mexican composer Agustin Lara on the show What Makes a Star? It took place in the BBC Radio’s studio in Manchester. That event gave him a strong impetus to develop his career.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Estelle’s career began to develop rapidly after participating in the talent show. He performed various songs at numerous events held in Manchester. He often travelled to different cities and performed there until he met Windsor Davies in 1962. Don formed a group with him and toured theatres and clubs throughout Great Britain.
The career of a singer was followed by the career of an actor. His personality became recognisable not only in Manchester but also in other cities in Great Britain. His talent was in high demand. Thus, Estelle began to be invited to perform minor and supporting roles.
One of Estelle’s first appearances on the TV screen was in the sitcom Dad’s Army. There, he got several minor roles. For the first time, he appeared in an episode released in 1969, playing the role of a Pickfords removals man. His second role was an ARP warden called Gerald. In 1970, Estelle appeared in three more episodes of the series.
However, Estelle’s real success as an actor came when he got a role in the sitcom It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, which was broadcast in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s. The show, which was created by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, depicted the life of a Royal Artillery concert party in Burma during the Second World War. Estelle’s character, “Lofty”, became memorable because of his short stature and distinctive voice.
Estelle’s career as an actor didn’t end there. After shooting in the sitcom, he continued to participate in other programmes. Some of them were
- TV series The League of Gentlemen (where he briefly appeared in two episodes as Little Don, the keeper of the Roundabout Zoo)
- TV series Linda Smith’s A Brief History of Timewasting (where he appeared in one of the episodes as Little Don of the East End Art Mafia)
- autobiography Sing Lofty: Thoughts Of A Gemini
- Not Now, Comrade movie
- A Private Function movie
- Santa Claus: The Movie
- promotional video for The Sun
- and others.
Although Estelle has appeared in many TV shows, films and commercials, he is best remembered by the British for his role as Lofty in the sitcom It Ain’t Half Hot Mum.
MUSICAL CAREER
Estelle didn’t forget about his singing talents, so in addition to his acting career, he also developed a musical one. Thanks to his powerful tone, he reached number one in the UK singles charts in 1975 with a semi-comic version of Whispering Grass and a cover of Paper Doll.
Don Estelle spent the rest of her life in New Zealand, actively engaging in music. In particular, he worked with jazz and blues pianist Malcolm Bishop. He wanted to pass on his knowledge and skills, which he acquired throughout his life, to him.
Estelle was very weak in the last years of his life. He was sick and needed a liver transplant, but doctors refused to operate on him due to his poor physical condition. Don came back to Great Britain, shortly before his death.
The heart of an outstanding actor and singer from Manchester stopped beating in 2003. He died in Rochdale Infirmary, aged 70.
