Just Daft

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"Full of Chic’s gloriously absurd humour,"  - Daily Mail

"It captures his essence," - The Scotsman

Alternative humour had not been heard of when Chic Murray, a comic Colossus, bestrode the stage. His style was utterly original. He was unique, a ‘one-off’, a comedic pioneer ranked in the highest echelons of his art in the last century. And he turned the Celtic tradition of story-telling into an art form, a hybrid Salvador Dali of humour on stage.

His oblique, often perverse look at life was underpinned by a stunning sense of timing which likely originated from his accomplished, but little known, musicianship. Chic became a cult figure and he remains so, far beyond the confines of his homeland. Not long before his death, Chic memorably portrayed Liverpool Football Club manager Bill Shankly in You’ll Never Walk Alone. It received rave reviews – not surprisingly, because this was a living legend representing another in his lifetime.

Just Daft is the story of one of Scotland’s greatest comedians, from his birth in Greenock in 1919, charting his rise through his amateur beginnings in the 1930s, all the way to his 1956 performance in the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium and his appearances in films such as Casino Royale (1967), Gregory’s Girl (1980) and You’ll Never Walk Alone (1984).

Robbie Grigor is an expert on Scottish comedy and culture. The book has been written in collaboration with Annabelle Meredith, Chic Murray’s daughter.

Chic Murray: A Celebration Audio CD