British comic actor Eric Sykes dies aged 89

LONDON — Eric Sykes, a popular comic actor who first forged a career in entertainment by writing for others, has died, his manager said Wednesday. He was 89.

In a career spanning more than 50 years, he was a regular collaborator on the popular 1950s radio comedy programme “The Goon Show” and became a leading star after appearing in several hit television series during the following two decades.

“Eric Sykes, 89, star of television, stage and film, died peacefully this morning after a short illness,” his manager Norma Farnes told Reuters. “His family were with him.”

Recognizable by his heavy, black-rimmed glasses, Sykes wrote material for comedian Frankie Howerd and his successful radio show “Variety Bandbox” between 1944 and 1952. That led to further radio work for Sykes, including the groundbreaking Goon Show, as well as leading television projects including “The Howerd Crowd” and “The Tony Hancock Show”. — Reuters