Lance Percival

**John Lancelot Blades Percival**, known professionally as *Lance Percival*, was a versatile English entertainer whose career spanned acting, comedy, singing, and later, after‑dinner speaking. Born on **26 July 1933** in Sevenoaks, Kent, he was educated at Sherborne School where he first learned the guitar, a skill that would later underpin his signature *calypso‑style* humor. After completing national service as a lieutenant with the Seaforth Highlanders in Egypt, he emigrated to Canada in 1955, working as an advertising copywriter and leading a calypso group called “Lord Lance” that toured North America. His breakout came in the early 1960s when Ned Sherrin discovered him performing at the Blue Angel Club, leading to regular topical calypso performances on the satirical television program *That Was The Week That Was*.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Percival became a recognizable face in British comedy cinema, appearing in *Carry On Cruising* (replacing Charles Hawtrey), *The V.I.P.s*, *The Yellow Rolls‑Royce*, and the musical *It’s All Over Town*. He voiced both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in the animated *The Beatles* series and gave life to “Old Fred” in the cult classic *Yellow Submarine*. In addition to his screen work he recorded novelty singles such as “*Shame and Scandal in the Family*” (UK chart #37) and authored two illustrated verse books about cats and dogs. A serious car accident in 1970 left him with extensive injuries and legal repercussions, yet he returned to film and television, contributed to the game show *Whodunnit!*, and remained a popular panelist on *Just a Minute*. He died after a long illness on **6 January 2015**, leaving behind his son Jamie and a legacy of witty, musical comedy that continues to inspire British satire.