18 Facts About Joe Longthorne

Joseph Patrick Daniel Longthorne was an English singer and impressionist.

Joe Longthorne performed on stage, television and released three platinum albums.

Joe Longthorne was born in Hull, England, into a musical family of a "travelling, Romany background".

Joe Longthorne grew up in the Hessle Road area of Hull, known for its fishing community, and considered himself as a "Hessle Roader".

Joe Longthorne attended Villa Place Primary School, St Wilfred's Primary School and Sydney Smith High School.

Joe Longthorne won a talent show when he was six; his prize was a toy motor car.

Joe Longthorne later turned professional and earned a living in working men's clubs in Northern England.

Joe Longthorne appeared on television in 1981, through the London Weekend Television series Search For a Star, on which he performed as a singer and impressionist.

Joe Longthorne appeared regularly on several TV programmes in the 1980s, including The Les Dennis Laughter Show and The Royal Variety Performance.

Joe Longthorne performed in theatres in the United States and at the Sydney Opera House.

Joe Longthorne was known for his renditions of songs in the style of Dame Shirley Bassey.

Joe Longthorne was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to charity.

Joe Longthorne lived in Blackpool, Lancashire, with his husband and manager James Moran.

Joe Longthorne was bisexual, and had a son, Ricky, from a previous relationship; the two were estranged for 17 years, until reuniting in 2009.

Joe Longthorne was diagnosed with chronic lymphatic lymphoma, for which he received treatment, around the time of his appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in 1989.

Joe Longthorne continued to perform in spite of his illness.

In 2014, Joe Longthorne was found to have throat cancer, but remained adamant in newspaper interviews that he would continue to perform after his operation.

Joe Longthorne died at home in Blackpool on 3 August 2019, aged 64.