Singer and actor Mike Berry, who was the last surviving main cast member of sitcom Are You Being Served?, has died at the age of 82.
Berry played Mr Spooner in the TV show in the 1980s, and also had two top 10 hit singles – Don’t You Think It’s Time in 1963 and The Sunshine of Your Smile in 1980.
His manager and friend Peter Stockton confirmed the news of his death, saying the “legendary” entertainer died “peacefully this morning, his family members by his bedside”.
“Mike was an amazing, highly talented performer whose career spanned 64 years,” he said.
Berry’s acting break came in children’s TV show Worzel Gummidge, playing Mr Peters from 1979-81 before returning in the 2019 short tribute Scatterbrook Days.
But he primarily saw himself as a singer.
In the 1960s, he toured with the pre-fame Beatles and Rolling Stones, and had chart success with his band The Outlaws, whose early members included Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore and Chas Hodges of Chas & Dave.
Don’t You Think It’s Time, produced by Joe Meek, reached number six, while they also reached the top 40 with Tribute to Buddy Holly and My Little Baby in the 60s.
Berry returned to the top 10 in 1980 with The Sunshine of Your Smile, originally written in 1913.
Hodges died in 2018, but a statement released on behalf of Chas & Dave on Friday read: “We’re shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of our good friend Mike Berry.
“Mike, of course, went all the way back with Chas as singer with The Outlaws having numerous hits together.
“They teamed up again in 1980 to have another big hit with Mike’s Sunshine of Your Smile single – which Chas arranged and produced.
“Our thoughts are with Mike’s family at this incredibly sad time.”
Speaking of his friend’s varied showbiz career, which included appearing in Willy Russell’s play One For The Road, Stockton called Berry “a gifted actor”.
He noted that his most recent gig, at the Half Moon pub in Putney, west London, in February, had been a sell-out, which was “testimony to his superb talent”.
In 2016, Berry was persuaded to take part in BBC talent show The Voice, impressing judges Will I.Am, Boy George, Paloma Faith and Ricky Wilson with a rendition of Buddy Holly’s track True Love Ways.
He is survived by his wife Susan and their daughter and son.
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