'Friends, Romans, comedians, lend me your ears.'

 

I only just heard about the death of one of comedy's greatest figures - the incomparable Sid Caesar.

Sid's life and career spanned ten decades - as a comic actor and performer, on stage, screen and, famously, on television. Less well known, however, was his musical prowess - as a saxophone player - for musicians and bandleaders as forward thinking and as indomitable as Art Mooney and Benny Goodman.

It's the small screen however, that has the most to be thankful to Sid. His imperious 1950's shows signalled in a new era in comedy writing initiating the careers of Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen...the list does go on and on.

Unfortunately for us, human beings don't last for ever. We are all extraordinarily lucky to have basked in Sid's talent, his appreciation of it in others and his overwhelming generosity of spirit in developing these then new custodians of comedy.

Thanks Sid.