Gary Holton
Encyclopedia
Gary Frederick Holton was an English
singer-songwriter, musician and actor from London
. He was the frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids
, for whom he played lead vocals, guitar
, rhythm guitar
, keyboards and harmonica
, and played the part of Wayne in the UK
television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
. Holton died from an overdose of morphine
combined with alcohol in 1985.
Early on in his life, he began working in the theatre world with the Sadlers Wells Opera Company and was with them for three years. Soon after leaving education at Westminster School
, he joined the Old Vic
Theatre Company and from there he went on to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company
at Stratford
.
At seventeen he joined the touring company of Hair
and remained with them for two years. When he left the Company his musical talents led him to front the rock band Heavy Metal Kids
as vocalist.
and Kim Taylforth
. Holton did not receive much credit for this role, neither did he get much credit for his role as an uncredited character in the film Quadrophenia
, released the same year. However, Holton, after appearing in the television series Shoestring, he played the lead part of Ken in the 1979 film Bloody Kids
.
1980, Holton appeared playing the character of Keith in the television series Play for Today
, and as a minor character in the film Breaking Glass
. He appeared in the 1981 television film Tiny Revolutions, where he played a minor character and in the television series The Gentle Touch
, where he guest starred as Rick Sloan.
, Holton became a household name. People came to have great affection for all the characters in the show. Holton played a Cockney
carpenter
who liked his women, music and drink, which was actually very similar to his off-screen personality.
He landed the part (the first of the seven to be cast), after he was introduced to Ian La Frenais
at a party. La Frenais and his writing partner Dick Clement
had been drafting storylines and working on an idea given to them by Franc Roddam
, ex-foreign worker and director of Quadrophenia
.
The first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet ran between 1983 and 1984 with viewing figures steadily rising and topping the 14 million mark, Ian la Frenais and Dick Clement and their supporting writers had a huge hit on their hands. The true-to-life storylines were believable, capturing the reality of honest working men screwed by the system. The first series ended with the lads returning to Britain unemployed, which was a reflection of British society in the early 1980s.
The British public wanted more. In February 1985 filming began on Auf Wiedersehen Pet 2. The cast were no longer unknowns. Auf Wiedersehen Pet had turned Gary Holton and his colleagues all into stars in their own right and the pressure to come up with high quality material to match or even surpass the original was great.
Gary became very close to his acting colleagues. The remaining members did not want to continue making the show, which was planned for a third series set in the Russian Embassy without him. The final episode of the second series, broadcast after Holton's death, was dedicated to his memory.
The show was successfully revived in 2002 with the original writers and all of the surviving cast members. Gary, despite being dead for seventeen years, was not forgotten, and Wayne was still essential to the plot. The gap in the line-up left by Holton was filled by Wyman, Wayne's illegitimate son, played by Noel Clarke
.
, Holton had only two other roles. He appeared in the TV series Minder
, where he played villain Barry, in 1984. He also played an unaccredited extra in the television series Bulman
, in the following year of 1985.
Holton was offered the role of villain 'Nasty' Nick Cotton
in the television series EastEnders
, but he turned down the role and it was instead given to Holton's good friend John Altman.
, a stunning punk-country version of Kenny Rogers
's "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town
" with the Boys' keyboardist Casino Steel, with whom he would later write a song simply titled "Auf Wiedersehen Pet" about his experiences in the show. Holton and Steel recorded three albums together, all of them doing well in Norway
. But even the opportunity to replace the late Bon Scott in AC/DC could not lure him back to full-time rock & roll. He made an appearance on 80's T.V. show The Tube
in 1984 with a band named as The Actors, this included fellow Quadrophenia
star Gary Shail on bass guitar and they performed a song entitled "Long Legged Blue Eyed Blonde".
front-man Dave Dee
, who signed them to Atlantic Records
. Their eponymous debut album was well received by the press, but had little impact. They played many gigs with punk rock band the Adverts
. On their first American tour in 1975, they shortened their name to "The Kids".
In December 1975, the Kids signed with producer Mickie Most's RAK label, but before work could begin on their next album, Holton was loudly sacked from the line-up amid a storm of drink and drug related headlines. Plans for the remaining members to continue on without him, however, came to naught and, in late 1977, Holton rejoined the band for a handful of live shows and the long-delayed third album, Kitsch. But by mid-1978, he had departed once again and, this time, the band broke up.
Whilst the band was popular in Sweden they had little commercial success in Britain (though in 1976 their single "She's No Angel" was regularly played on BBC Radio 1
, a favourite of legendary DJ John Peel
, and this led to an appearance on Top of the Pops
), so they disbanded and Holton returned to acting.
" in 1973. Holton and Palmer got engaged on 12 March 1977, but on 2 May the same year, Palmer called off the engagement, stating their relationship was not going quite as planned.
In 1983, Holton formed a relationship with hairdresser Janet Mclllewan. The pair got engaged in 1985, shortly before Holton died.
and morphine
, with traces of diazepam
and cannabis
in his system. Pathologist Dr Rufus Crompton said during his inquest at Hornsey, North London, that he would have been drinking less than half-an-hour before his death, and that the morphine would have made him unconscious within a matter of minutes.
Holton had a blood alcohol level of 199 mg and a morphine level of 0.8 mg per litre (0.5 mg per litre is considered invariably fatal). He had been a drug user for several years after experiences through the music scene and was addicted to heroin, a habit he had quit some time after the first series of Auf Wiedersehen Pet had been broadcast. He was considering setting up a clinic to help others with their addictions.
Holton had considerable debts and had two bankruptcy orders totalling £61,000 over him. These debts were partly due to his not having paid tax since 1979 and also having a mortgage of £48,500 on his flat in Maida Vale, London. He died midway through the second series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, but the producers used body doubles and clever editing of dialogue already recorded to allow the series to be completed.
In the third from last episode of series 2, a body double is seen being carried out of a bar by Bomber; it is obviously a double as his face is never shown, and some dialogue is added "what am I supposed to do?" having been chatting up Ally Fraser's girlfriend Vicki. Just before his death he had released the single "Catch A Falling Star". He is survived by his son Red and his adopted son Max, with model Susan Harrison. They eventually rescripted the series such that in every indoor scene that originally included Holton excuses were made for his absence, normally tied into the character's love of the opposite sex, for instance Barry; "Where's Wayne? Off down the port chasing skirt again?"
in London. His Auf Wiedersehen, Pet co-stars were all there to pay their respects. His ashes were removed by the undertaker and later placed in his grandparents' grave in Maesgwastad Cemetery, Christ Church, Welshpool
, Powys where his father was landlord of a public house at the time.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer-songwriter, musician and actor from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was the frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids
Heavy Metal Kids
The Heavy Metal Kids are a British hard rock band, formed in 1972 in London. The band's former frontman Gary Holton and their core founding member Dave Dee are both deceased.-Early years:...
, for whom he played lead vocals, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, keyboards and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, and played the part of Wayne in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
. Holton died from an overdose of morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
combined with alcohol in 1985.
Early life
Gary was the third child of Ernie and Joan Holton. He grew up in the slums of the East End, whilst musically talented Gary's real ambition was to act.Early on in his life, he began working in the theatre world with the Sadlers Wells Opera Company and was with them for three years. Soon after leaving education at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, he joined the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
Theatre Company and from there he went on to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
at Stratford
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
.
At seventeen he joined the touring company of Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
and remained with them for two years. When he left the Company his musical talents led him to front the rock band Heavy Metal Kids
Heavy Metal Kids
The Heavy Metal Kids are a British hard rock band, formed in 1972 in London. The band's former frontman Gary Holton and their core founding member Dave Dee are both deceased.-Early years:...
as vocalist.
Early roles
Holton made his acting debut in 1979, when he played the character of Eddie Hairstyle in the television movie The Knowledge with Michael ElphickMichael Elphick
Michael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
and Kim Taylforth
Kim Taylforth
Kim Taylforth is an English actress. She is the sister of actress Gillian Taylforth.Her earliest TV appearance was in the scrapyard sitcom, Steptoe and Son, when she was 15 years old. Aged 19, she starred as 'Janet' in the 1979 TV film The Knowledge about a group of aspiring Londoners learning...
. Holton did not receive much credit for this role, neither did he get much credit for his role as an uncredited character in the film Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia (film)
Quadrophenia is a 1979 British film, loosely based around the 1973 rock opera of the same name by The Who. The film stars Phil Daniels as a Mod named Jimmy. It was directed by Franc Roddam in his feature directing debut...
, released the same year. However, Holton, after appearing in the television series Shoestring, he played the lead part of Ken in the 1979 film Bloody Kids
Bloody Kids
Bloody Kids is a British television film written by Stephen Poliakoff and directed by Stephen Frears, made by Black Lion Films for ATV, and first shown on ITV on 22 March 1980.-Cast:...
.
1980, Holton appeared playing the character of Keith in the television series Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
, and as a minor character in the film Breaking Glass
Breaking Glass
Breaking Glass is a 1980 British film starring Hazel O'Connor, Phil Daniels and Jonathan Pryce. The film was co-produced by Dodi Fayed and written and directed by Brian Gibson. The film was screened out of competition at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival....
. He appeared in the 1981 television film Tiny Revolutions, where he played a minor character and in the television series The Gentle Touch
The Gentle Touch
The Gentle Touch is a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV which ran from 1980-1984. Commencing transmission on 11 April 1980, the series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police detective as its leading character, ahead of...
, where he guest starred as Rick Sloan.
Auf Wiedersehen Pet
Playing the part of Wayne Winston Norris in the smash hit comedy drama Auf Wiedersehen, PetAuf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
, Holton became a household name. People came to have great affection for all the characters in the show. Holton played a Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
who liked his women, music and drink, which was actually very similar to his off-screen personality.
He landed the part (the first of the seven to be cast), after he was introduced to Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais, OBE, , is an English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including, The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.They have also written various other work...
at a party. La Frenais and his writing partner Dick Clement
Dick Clement
Dick Clement, OBE is an English writer.Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, Clement was educated at Bishop's Stortford College and is best known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais. Generally, Clement and La Frenais write comedies, or dramas with a comic tone...
had been drafting storylines and working on an idea given to them by Franc Roddam
Franc Roddam
Francis George "Franc" Roddam is an English film director, businessman, screenwriter, television producer and publisher. He is married to photographer, Leila Ansari, and has six children from previous marriages. He currently lives in London.-Career:Roddam's films include "Quadrophenia", "K2",...
, ex-foreign worker and director of Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia (film)
Quadrophenia is a 1979 British film, loosely based around the 1973 rock opera of the same name by The Who. The film stars Phil Daniels as a Mod named Jimmy. It was directed by Franc Roddam in his feature directing debut...
.
The first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet ran between 1983 and 1984 with viewing figures steadily rising and topping the 14 million mark, Ian la Frenais and Dick Clement and their supporting writers had a huge hit on their hands. The true-to-life storylines were believable, capturing the reality of honest working men screwed by the system. The first series ended with the lads returning to Britain unemployed, which was a reflection of British society in the early 1980s.
The British public wanted more. In February 1985 filming began on Auf Wiedersehen Pet 2. The cast were no longer unknowns. Auf Wiedersehen Pet had turned Gary Holton and his colleagues all into stars in their own right and the pressure to come up with high quality material to match or even surpass the original was great.
Gary became very close to his acting colleagues. The remaining members did not want to continue making the show, which was planned for a third series set in the Russian Embassy without him. The final episode of the second series, broadcast after Holton's death, was dedicated to his memory.
The show was successfully revived in 2002 with the original writers and all of the surviving cast members. Gary, despite being dead for seventeen years, was not forgotten, and Wayne was still essential to the plot. The gap in the line-up left by Holton was filled by Wyman, Wayne's illegitimate son, played by Noel Clarke
Noel Clarke
Noel Anthony Clarke is an English actor, director and screenwriter from London. He is best known for playing Wyman Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Mickey Smith in Doctor Who...
.
Other roles
While acting on Auf Wiedersehen, PetAuf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
, Holton had only two other roles. He appeared in the TV series Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
, where he played villain Barry, in 1984. He also played an unaccredited extra in the television series Bulman
Bulman
Bulman was a Granada TV series which ran from 1985-1987 and followed the fortunes of the major character from the earlier XYY Man and Strangers series....
, in the following year of 1985.
Holton was offered the role of villain 'Nasty' Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders played by John Altman on a recurring basis from the soap's debut episode in February 1985, through to his last appearance to date in 2009. Nick is the son of characters Charlie and Dot Cotton, and the father of Ashley and...
in the television series EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, but he turned down the role and it was instead given to Holton's good friend John Altman.
Solo
His musical endeavours were now confined to strict one-offs for a while: in December 1978, Holton stood in for The Damned vocalist Dave Vanian on a short Scottish tour, he also recorded a solo single (which became a number one hit in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, a stunning punk-country version of Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
's "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" is a song written by Mel Tillis. The song was made famous by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition in 1969. "Ruby" was originally recorded in 1967 by Johnny Darrell, who scored a number nine country hit with it that year....
" with the Boys' keyboardist Casino Steel, with whom he would later write a song simply titled "Auf Wiedersehen Pet" about his experiences in the show. Holton and Steel recorded three albums together, all of them doing well in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. But even the opportunity to replace the late Bon Scott in AC/DC could not lure him back to full-time rock & roll. He made an appearance on 80's T.V. show The Tube
The Tube
The Tube may refer to:*The London Underground* "The Tube", slang for Television, from the term cathode ray tube*The Tube , an ITV/Sky programme featuring the work of staff on the London Underground...
in 1984 with a band named as The Actors, this included fellow Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who. Released on 19 October 1973 by Track and Polydor in the UK, and Track and MCA in the US, it is a double album, and the group's second rock opera...
star Gary Shail on bass guitar and they performed a song entitled "Long Legged Blue Eyed Blonde".
The Heavy Metal Kids
Gary was a spectacular front-man for the band, which formed in 1974. With his raucous cockney accent he proved himself a popular cult glam rock icon of the age. The band were discovered by former Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & TichDave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich , were a British pop/rock group of the 1960s. Two of their single releases sold in excess of one million copies each, and they reached Number One in the UK with the second of them, "The Legend of Xanadu".-Biography:Five friends from Wiltshire, David John Harman,...
front-man Dave Dee
Dave Dee
Dave Dee , was an English singer-songwriter, musician, A&R manager, fundraiser and businessman. He was the frontman for 1960s pop band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.-Early life :...
, who signed them to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Their eponymous debut album was well received by the press, but had little impact. They played many gigs with punk rock band the Adverts
The Adverts
The Adverts were an English punk band who formed in 1976 and broke up in late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to enjoy chart success in the UK, and their line-up included Gaye Advert, whom The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music called the "first female punk star".-Career:The band was...
. On their first American tour in 1975, they shortened their name to "The Kids".
In December 1975, the Kids signed with producer Mickie Most's RAK label, but before work could begin on their next album, Holton was loudly sacked from the line-up amid a storm of drink and drug related headlines. Plans for the remaining members to continue on without him, however, came to naught and, in late 1977, Holton rejoined the band for a handful of live shows and the long-delayed third album, Kitsch. But by mid-1978, he had departed once again and, this time, the band broke up.
Whilst the band was popular in Sweden they had little commercial success in Britain (though in 1976 their single "She's No Angel" was regularly played on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, a favourite of legendary DJ John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, and this led to an appearance on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
), so they disbanded and Holton returned to acting.
Holton/Steel
In 1980/81 Holton hooked up with Norwegian Casino Steel and in the following years released a couple of (in Norway) bestselling albums, creating the particular niche "Rig Rock", symbolizing a successful partnership across the North Sea, the oilworker being the modern day cowboy. The duo's musical style was country rock with strong punk influences, their first hit being a cover of Kenny Roger's "Ruby". Gary Holton's Norwegian musical carreer went largely unnoticed in his homeland.Relationships
In 1977, Holton formed a relationship with singer Stella Palmer, with whom he performed his cover version of "Somethin' StupidSomethin' Stupid
"Somethin' Stupid" is a song written by C. Carson Parks and originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as "Carson and Gaile". It is best known in the hit version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy Sinatra....
" in 1973. Holton and Palmer got engaged on 12 March 1977, but on 2 May the same year, Palmer called off the engagement, stating their relationship was not going quite as planned.
In 1983, Holton formed a relationship with hairdresser Janet Mclllewan. The pair got engaged in 1985, shortly before Holton died.
Death
Holton was found dead by his girlfriend Janet Mclllewan in his bed on 25 October 1985. He had died from an overdose of alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
, with traces of diazepam
Diazepam
Diazepam , first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche is a benzodiazepine drug. Diazepam is also marketed in Australia as Antenex. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures including status epilepticus, muscle spasms , restless legs syndrome, alcohol withdrawal,...
and cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
in his system. Pathologist Dr Rufus Crompton said during his inquest at Hornsey, North London, that he would have been drinking less than half-an-hour before his death, and that the morphine would have made him unconscious within a matter of minutes.
Holton had a blood alcohol level of 199 mg and a morphine level of 0.8 mg per litre (0.5 mg per litre is considered invariably fatal). He had been a drug user for several years after experiences through the music scene and was addicted to heroin, a habit he had quit some time after the first series of Auf Wiedersehen Pet had been broadcast. He was considering setting up a clinic to help others with their addictions.
Holton had considerable debts and had two bankruptcy orders totalling £61,000 over him. These debts were partly due to his not having paid tax since 1979 and also having a mortgage of £48,500 on his flat in Maida Vale, London. He died midway through the second series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, but the producers used body doubles and clever editing of dialogue already recorded to allow the series to be completed.
In the third from last episode of series 2, a body double is seen being carried out of a bar by Bomber; it is obviously a double as his face is never shown, and some dialogue is added "what am I supposed to do?" having been chatting up Ally Fraser's girlfriend Vicki. Just before his death he had released the single "Catch A Falling Star". He is survived by his son Red and his adopted son Max, with model Susan Harrison. They eventually rescripted the series such that in every indoor scene that originally included Holton excuses were made for his absence, normally tied into the character's love of the opposite sex, for instance Barry; "Where's Wayne? Off down the port chasing skirt again?"
Funeral
Holton's funeral took place on 22 November 1985, with a 15-minute service at Golders Green CrematoriumGolders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000, and was opened in 1902 by Sir Henry Thompson....
in London. His Auf Wiedersehen, Pet co-stars were all there to pay their respects. His ashes were removed by the undertaker and later placed in his grandparents' grave in Maesgwastad Cemetery, Christ Church, Welshpool
Welshpool
Welshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
, Powys where his father was landlord of a public house at the time.
Discography
- Gary Holton (1972)
- The Line (1973)
Filmography
- The Knowledge (1979)
- QuadropheniaQuadrophenia (film)Quadrophenia is a 1979 British film, loosely based around the 1973 rock opera of the same name by The Who. The film stars Phil Daniels as a Mod named Jimmy. It was directed by Franc Roddam in his feature directing debut...
(1979) - Shoestring (1979)
- Bloody KidsBloody KidsBloody Kids is a British television film written by Stephen Poliakoff and directed by Stephen Frears, made by Black Lion Films for ATV, and first shown on ITV on 22 March 1980.-Cast:...
(1979) - Play for TodayPlay for TodayPlay for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
(1980) - Breaking GlassBreaking GlassBreaking Glass is a 1980 British film starring Hazel O'Connor, Phil Daniels and Jonathan Pryce. The film was co-produced by Dodi Fayed and written and directed by Brian Gibson. The film was screened out of competition at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival....
(1980) - Tiny Revolutions (1981)
- The Gentle TouchThe Gentle TouchThe Gentle Touch is a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV which ran from 1980-1984. Commencing transmission on 11 April 1980, the series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police detective as its leading character, ahead of...
(1981) - Auf Wiedersehen, PetAuf Wiedersehen, PetAuf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
(1983–1985) - MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
(1984) - BulmanBulmanBulman was a Granada TV series which ran from 1985-1987 and followed the fortunes of the major character from the earlier XYY Man and Strangers series....
(1985)