Tommy Cooper was a true original - the trademark Fez, that distinctive laugh, the clumsy, bewildered delivery, and, of course, the catchphrases make him one of the most instantly recognisable of all comedy icons. He didn't have to say anything to make his audience laugh, his appearance alone was enough.

Like many others, Cooper's first foray into showbusiness was with the forces. After serving as an apprentice shipmaker he joined Horse Guards, from where he became part of the entertainments unit.

It was while entertaining the troops, at a Naafi show in Egypt, that the fez became part of his look. Legend has it that he simply lost the pith helmet he had intended to wear, and grabbed the waiter's hat instead.

The tale of how he adopted his maladroit stage act is equally apocryphal . He supposedly botched an audition as a serious magician so badly that everyone thought it was deliberately hilarious.

If the persona came about by accident, Cooper was meticulous in honing it for every last laugh. A notoriously demanding perfectionist, he would be the bane of those working alongside him.

He was a hard worker, too. On demob in 1947 he joined London's Windmill Theatre - the devilishly hard venue where so many comics learned their craft, performing to uninterested punters between the strip shows. Cooper reputedly performed up to 52 shows a week there.

Tours, TV and a role in Eric Syke's film The Plank followed as, throughout the Sixties and Seventies, he cemented his place in the public's affections. In 1969 he was voted ITV's Personality of the Year.

His appetite for work was so voracious that few were surprised that his death came on stage, doing what he loved. And such was his reputation as a relentless joker that when he collapsed during that televised show, most of the audience thought it was just another of his gags.

CV

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I'm also 15 and a couple of years ago I purchased a Tommy Cooper DVD, he is one of the funniest comedians I have ever seen. None of my friends know about him and they wouldnt even want to watch him which is a shame because they dont know what they're missing. A Tommy Cooper DVD is coming out in october. It's called the Tommy Cooper Hour and its about 7 and a half hours long. In my opinion, Tommy is alongside Ken Dodd and Benny Hill in my list of great British comedians. It's such a shame that there is never any repeats on the telly these days

Sam Houldsworth, July 2006

Tom was and still is my comedy hero. As a young lad I would roar with laughter everytime he was on the television, I can remember his Royal Variety Show performances and look back on them with great affection. Tom was a true pro, just the sight of his fez and the lank black hair sticking chaoticaly out from under the hat was enough to send me into howls of laughter. I would watch every show of his and I would record the audio from the television onto reel to reel tape with a microphone hung in front of the tv speaker. I would listen to these recordings and learn the scripts off by heart, I can still recite a lot of Tom's dialogue today. Tom you were and still are the best, many tried to follow you and your style of comedy but you were a one off and ther will never be anyone to take your place.I will always remember you. Just like that.

Trevor Bond, July 2006

Funniest man to ever grace this earth – what more can you say?

Ben Milton, July 2006

His magic routines were timeless. Every one a winner. It takes an extraordinary talent to make everyone laugh just by doing a few tricks. Tommy Cooper did just that, just like that. I even laughed when Anthony Hopkins impersonated him when he was interviewed on Parkinson back in 1998, proving that you only have to picture the man and you start laughing. He was something else.

Rob Fitzgerald, March 2006

Whenever I am at the Magic Circle I have to stop at the Tommy Cooper cabinet for a while and just take in the genius that was Tommy Cooper. A huge loss to both magic and comedy.

Sam Cross, December 2005

I went with a mate to see Tommy at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham about 12 months before he died. My mate was sliding down his seat laughing as the stage hands were bringing his props onto the stage before the performance! Only Tommy had that effect on an audience. I videoed the show from Her Majesty's Theatre when Tommy collapsed and died. I couldn't believe it. I still have the video but rarely watch it. It's so sad. Tommy was a comic genius.

Alan Taylor, September 2005

Miss him terribly, great loss to comedy

Midget, August 2005

I met Tommy Cooper on numerous occasions. Even visited him at his home in Chiswick. He was trult a great guy -funny off stage as well as on it. I made him lots of pork pies which he loved. And I had the pleasure of making a giant fruit cake Fez for him when he appeared at the Blackpool Opera House.

Ron Hansen, July 2005

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