Ronnie Coburn, the Dundee entertainer known throughout the world for his Breath of Scotland touring shows, has died.
Ronnie, who was 81, was a former Dundee Citizen of the Year and was awarded the MBE for his services to entertainment. He had been battling cancer for some time and died in Ninewells Hospital on Thursday.
Close friend Lord Provost John Letford said the “lights of the city had gone out” at the news.
He said, “He was a great ambassador for Dundee and was really loved. His jokes and his quick wit were absolutely incredible.
“He had them laughing in the aisles and at the Christmas lunches the old folk were clamouring to get at him. He is going to be sorely missed and it won’t be the same without him.”
Originally from Edinburgh, Ronnie moved to Dundee in the 1950s. He travelled the world during a career that spanned more than 50 years, filling theatres from Toronto to Arbroath.
The Breath of Scotland show toured for decades, making regular visits to Canada, America, New Zealand and Australia. Ronnie also toured in Fiji, Hawaii and Hong Kong.
His worldwide success was matched with popularity at home and he had a regular summer slot at the Webster Theatre in Arbroath well in to the new century.
He worked with many well known stars of traditional variety shows and was part of the Royal Clansmen, formed by comedian Alec Finlay and including Dennis Clancy, Will Starr and Arthur Spink.
Ronnie also appeared on television. The Royal Clansmen made a successful series for Grampian TV in the early 1970s.’King Henry VIII owes me a tenner’Hollywood star and native Dundonian Brian Cox credits Ronnie with setting him on the road to fame. Four years ago the actor repaid £10 he was given to get to a London audition.
As an aspiring young actor in the 1960s, Brian spent a period working for Ronnie at Dundee’s Palace Theatre.
The pair became firm friends and it was to Ronnie that Brian turned when he needed the train fare to London for his first audition, and he even gave the aspiring actor a lift to Dundee station to catch his train south.
The journey proved to be the first step on a long road that saw Brian become an international superstar.
Ronnie and Brian were reunited in 2006 when the actor took the opportunity to repay the tenner.
Never one to pass up the opportunity to raise a laugh, at the time of the reunion Ronnie recalled the story of the tenner.
“I forgot all about it until years later when my wife and I were watching a television show,” he said.
“It was King Henry VIII and he was getting stuck into great big legs of pork and joints of meat.
“I thought ‘I know that face’ and I realised it was Brian. I said to my wife ‘King Henry VIII owes me a tenner’.”
Always a larger-than-life character, Ronnie named his family home in Elliot Road Vaudevilla.
He is survived by his wife Mildred, known as Middy, son Callum, daughter-in-law Wendy, grand-daughter Lauren and his brother Eric.