Johnny Beattie was an outstanding comic performer but more than that, he was a lovely, lovely man.
I did several pantomimes with Johnny when he was a Dame and I was daft Wullie.
It was round about 1983/84 that we did the first panto and we did about five or six together, one in the Gaiety in Ayr and others in the Pavilion in Glasgow.
We had such a great relationship it got to the stage he’d sign a Christmas card as ‘mammy‘ and I’d send him one signing it as from his ‘son’.
We had his 93rd birthday recently before Covid-19 and twelve of us went out together to a restaurant in Glasgow
It was a great day and I sat next to him. He was good fun and we had a good laugh and that’s how I’ll remember him.
He was a lovely man, a great comedian and did so much for charity foundations and organisations.
He was terrific in River City and he was so proud of his family.
He told a story about going to the Royal Shakespeare company and both of his girls were doing something in the show.
He proudly said to his wife Kitty, ‘You produced half the cast on this show.’
Johnny had a good innings but it’s sad to see him go. He was a comedian’s comedian and a great guy with an encyclopaedic mind.
I’ll be raising a glass to him and have sent a message to his daughter Maureen to offer any help we can at this time.
