# Joe Longthorne

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{{Short description|English singer and impressionist (1955–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Joe Longthorne<br><small>[MBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire)</small><!-- use common name/article title -->
| birth_name    = Joseph Patrick Daniel Longthorne
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|df=y|1955|05|31}}
| birth_place   = [Hull](/source/Kingston_upon_Hull), England
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|df=y|2019|08|03|1955|05|31}}
| death_place   = [Blackpool](/source/Blackpool), England
| spouse        = James Moran
| children      = 1
| years_active  = 1969–2019
}}
'''Joseph Patrick Daniel Longthorne''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (31 May 1955 – 3 August 2019) was an English singer and [impressionist](/source/Impressionist_(entertainment)). He performed on stage, television and released three [platinum](/source/music_recording_sales_certification) albums. Longthorne started his TV career at the age of fourteen when he landed a part in [Yorkshire Television](/source/ITV_Yorkshire)'s series ''[Junior Showtime](/source/Junior_Showtime)'', and rose to popularity in 1981 through the [London Weekend Television](/source/London_Weekend_Television) series ''Search For a Star'', leading to his own television series ''The Joe Longthorne Show''.

==Early life==
Longthorne was born in [Hull](/source/Kingston_upon_Hull),<ref>{{cite news|date=3 August 2019|title=Joe Longthorne dies at Blackpool home|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-49219270|publisher=BBC News|access-date=6 August 2019}}</ref> England, into a musical family<ref name="Site"/> of a "travelling, [Romany](/source/Romani_people) background".<ref name="sugar"/> He grew up in the Hessle Road area of Hull, known for its fishing community, and considered himself as a "[Hessle](/source/Hessle) Roader". He attended Villa Place Primary School, St Wilfred's Primary School and Sydney Smith High School.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orwin.karoo.net/people/living/index.html|title=joe longthorne (b. 1955)|website=Orwin.karoo.net}}</ref>

Longthorne won a talent show when he was six; his prize was a toy motor car. At fourteen, he landed a part in [Yorkshire Television](/source/ITV_Yorkshire)'s series ''[Junior Showtime](/source/Junior_Showtime)'', and remained with the show for over two years.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p531575|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Joe Longthorne|author=Chris True|publisher=[AMG](/source/All_Media_Guide)|access-date=18 May 2010}}</ref><ref name="Hull Daily Mail">{{cite news|url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/joe-longthorne-dies-never-forgotten-3169746|title=Joe Longthorne dies: How the Hessle Road lad became a superstar and why he'll never be forgotten|newspaper=[Hull Daily Mail](/source/Hull_Daily_Mail)|date=3 August 2019|author1=Emmeline Saunders|author2=Sophie Kitching|access-date=3 August 2019}}</ref> He later turned professional and earned a living in [working men's club](/source/working_men's_club)s in [Northern England](/source/Northern_England).<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-49219270|title=Entertainer Joe Longthorne dies|date=3 August 2019|publisher=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)|access-date=3 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803104444/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-49219270|archive-date=3 August 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Television==
Longthorne appeared on television in 1981, through the [London Weekend Television](/source/London_Weekend_Television) series ''Search For a Star'',<ref name="BBC"/> on which he performed as a singer and [impressionist](/source/impressionist).<ref name="AMG"/> His success on the show led to appearances at the [London Palladium](/source/London_Palladium) and a month-long season at London's [Talk of the Town](/source/Talk_of_the_Town_(nightclub)) nightclub.<ref name="Site">{{cite web|title=Biography Joe Longthorne MBE - Official Site|url=http://www.joelongthornembe.co.uk/biography|website=www.joelongthornembe.co.uk|access-date=5 August 2019}}</ref> He played the London Palladium many times.<ref name="BBC"/>

In 1988, he presented his own television series, ''The Joe Longthorne Show''.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/03/joe-longthorne-singer-and-impressionist-dies-aged-64|title=Joe Longthorne, singer and impressionist, dies aged 64|newspaper=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|date=3 August 2019|author=Mattha Busby|access-date=3 August 2019}}</ref>

Longthorne appeared regularly on several TV programmes in the 1980s, including ''The Les Dennis Laughter Show'' and ''The Royal Variety Performance''.<ref name="Site"/> He performed in theatres in the United States and at the [Sydney Opera House](/source/Sydney_Opera_House).<ref name="BBC"/>
<!-- UNSOURCED He made a further breakthrough on British television in 1987, starring in ''[Live from the Palladium](/source/Live_From_Her_Majesty's)'' and ''Des O'Connor Tonight''.-->Longthorne also released three [platinum](/source/music_recording_sales_certification) albums for [Telstar](/source/Telstar_Records): ''The Joe Longthorne Songbook'', ''Especially For You'' and ''The Joe Longthorne Christmas Album''.<ref name="Discogs"/>
<!-- UNSOURCED
During his tour of Australia, he appeared on ''[The Mike Walsh Show](/source/The_Mike_Walsh_Show)''.

He was the subject of ''[This Is Your Life](/source/This_Is_Your_Life_(British_TV_series))'' in 1994 when he was surprised by [Michael Aspel](/source/Michael_Aspel).{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

==Radio==
Longthorne's live performances have also been broadcast on BBC Radio, with him featuring on Friday Night is Music Night. In August 2009, Longthorne appeared in a tribute show to [Don Black](/source/Don_Black_(lyricist)), at the London Palladium.
 -->

==Impressions==
Longthorne was known for his renditions of songs in the style of Dame [Shirley Bassey](/source/Shirley_Bassey). His other impersonations included [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra), [Sammy Davis Jr.](/source/Sammy_Davis_Jr.), [Johnny Mathis](/source/Johnny_Mathis) and [Tom Jones](/source/Tom_Jones_(singer)).<ref name="guardian"/>

==Awards==
[The Variety Club](/source/Variety%2C_the_Children's_Charity) awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007; this placed him amongst past recipients such as [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra), [Judy Garland](/source/Judy_Garland), and [Ella Fitzgerald](/source/Ella_Fitzgerald).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bricklanemusichall.co.uk/our-news/the-joe-longthorne-story/ |title=The Joe Longthorne Story |website=[Brick Lane Music Hall](/source/Brick_Lane_Music_Hall)|date=4 April 2018 }}</ref>

Longthorne was appointed a [Member of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Member_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (MBE) in the [2012 Birthday Honours](/source/2012_Birthday_Honours) for services to charity.<ref name="BBC"/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=60173|supp=y|page=18|date=16 June 2012}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Longthorne lived in [Blackpool](/source/Blackpool), [Lancashire](/source/Lancashire), with his husband<!--note: BBC obituary says "husband"--> and manager James Moran.<ref name="BBC"/>
Longthorne was [bisexual](/source/bisexual),<ref name="sugar">{{cite book|last1=Longthorne|first1=Joe|last2=Berry|first2=Chris|title=Joe Longthorne – Sugar in the Morning: The Autobiography|date=2015|publisher=John Blake Publishing|isbn=9781784187156|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pZvlCQAAQBAJ|language=en}}</ref> and had a son, Ricky, from a previous relationship; the two were estranged for 17 years, until reuniting in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/singer-entertainer-joe-longthorne-has-died-aged-64/|title=Singer and entertainer Joe Longthorne has died, aged 64|newspaper=[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)|date=3 August 2019}}</ref>

Longthorne was diagnosed with chronic lymphatic [lymphoma](/source/lymphoma), for which he received treatment, around the time of his appearance at the [Royal Variety Performance](/source/Royal_Variety_Performance) in 1989.<ref name="BBC"/> He continued to perform in spite of his illness. In 2005, the lymphoma degenerated into [leukaemia](/source/leukaemia), and he underwent a [bone marrow transplant](/source/bone_marrow_transplant).<ref>{{cite web|title=5 Celebrities from Yorkshire – Where are they now?|url=http://imfromyorkshire.com/5-people-from-yorkshire-where-are-they-now/|website=imfromyorkshire|access-date=2 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426072459/http://imfromyorkshire.com/5-people-from-yorkshire-where-are-they-now/|archive-date=26 April 2016}}</ref><!--- COMMENT OUT UNSOURCED CONTENT UNTIL A RELIABLE SOURCE IS ADDED Longthorne was [Catholic](/source/Catholic) and at one stage in 2005 received the last rites during his treatment. His body weakened after 11 years of chemotherapy, he claims Jesus told him not to give up on life. --> In 2014, Longthorne was found to have throat cancer, but remained adamant in newspaper interviews that he would continue to perform after his operation.<ref name="Hull Daily Mail"/>

Longthorne died at home in Blackpool on 3 August 2019, aged 64.<ref name="BBC"/> He is interred at [Layton Cemetery](/source/Layton_Cemetery) in Blackpool.

==Legacy==
In 2020, the theatre on [Blackpool's North Pier](/source/North_Pier%2C_Blackpool) was renamed The Joe Longthorne Theatre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Joe Longthorne Theatre (former North Pier Pavilion) |url=https://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/how-we-help/theatres-at-risk/215-joe-longthorne-theatre-former-north-pier-pavilion |website=Theatres Trust |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref> In 2023, a clip of Longthorne performing "[Morning of My Life](/source/Morning_of_My_Life)" was watched on a [Twitch stream](/source/Twitch.tv) by Scottish comedian [Limmy](/source/Limmy), who introduced a new generation of listeners to Longthorne in doing so. Longthorne's newfound posthumous [cult following](/source/cult_following) led to the creation of the [Instagram](/source/Instagram) account @morningofmylifedaily, which reposts clips of Longthorne hitting the high note in "Morning of My Life" in live performances every day. The account has accumulated over 30,000 followers.<ref>{{cite web |title=morning of my life daily |url=https://www.instagram.com/morningofmylifedaily/?hl=en |website=Instagram}}</ref>

==Albums==
*''Only Once''<ref name="Discogs">{{cite web |title=Joe Longthorne |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/1172747-Joe-Longthorne |publisher=discogs |access-date=4 August 2019 }}</ref>
*''The Singer''<ref name="Discogs"/>
*''I Wish You Love''<ref name="Discogs"/> (1993) UK #47<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/joe-longthorne-i-wish-you-love/|title=I WISH YOU LOVE|date=13 November 1993|website=Official Charts}}</ref>
*''Live at the Royal Albert Hall''<ref name="Discogs"/> (1994) UK #57<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/joe-longthorne-live-at-the-royal-albert-hall/|title=LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL|date=8 October 1994|website=Official Charts}}</ref>
*''The Joe Longthorne Songbook''<ref name="Discogs"/> (1988) UK #16 (12 weeks on the chart)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/joe-longthorne-the-joe-longthorne-songbook/|title=THE JOE LONGTHORNE SONGBOOK|date=3 December 1988|website=Official Charts}}</ref>
*''The Christmas Album''<ref name="Discogs"/> (1989) UK #44<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/joe-longthorne-the-joe-longthorne-christmas-album/|title=THE JOE LONGTHORNE CHRISTMAS ALBUM|date=9 December 1989|website=Official Charts}}</ref>
*''Especially For You''<ref name="Discogs"/> (1989) UK #22 (10 weeks)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/joe-longthorne-especially-for-you/|title=ESPECIALLY FOR YOU|date=29 July 1989|website=Official Charts}}</ref>
*''The Joe Longthorne Christmas''<ref name="Discogs"/> (2003)
*''Sings to the Gods''<ref name="Discogs"/> (2008)
*''Golden Memories''<ref name="Discogs"/>
*''A Man and His Music''<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|title=Joe Longthorne - Album Discography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-longthorne-mn0000785265/discography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=4 August 2019}}</ref> (2013)
*''Joe Longthorne: the Christmas Album''<ref name="Discogs"/> (2013)
*''Love & Reflection''<ref name="allmusic"/> (2002)
*''Seasonal Songs from the Heart''<ref name="allmusic"/> (2005)
*''Perfect Love''<ref name="allmusic"/> (2005)
*''What a Wonderful World''<ref name="allmusic"/> (2006)
*''You and Me''<ref name="allmusic"/> (2008)
*''Live: A Man & His Music''<ref name="allmusic"/>
*''Joe Longthorne – The Collection''<ref name="allmusic"/> (2015)
*''The Silver Years'' (2020)

* Longthorne also reached the UK Top 75 Singles Chart twice in 1994, #61 with "Young Girl"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/joe-longthorne-young-girl/|title=YOUNG GIRL|date=5 March 1994|website=Official Charts}}</ref> and his biggest hit "Passing Strangers" a duet with [Liz Dawn](/source/Liz_Dawn) which peaked at #34<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/joe-longthorne-and-liz-dawn-passing-strangers/|title=PASSING STRANGERS|date=10 December 1994|website=Official Charts}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
*''Joe Longthorne – Sugar in the Morning: The Autobiography'' (2015){{isbn|1784187186}}<ref>{{cite web|title='SUGAR IN THE MORNING' JOE'S 60TH BIRTHDAY EDITION OF HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY: ORDER NOW FOR ADVANCE PERSONALISED SIGNED COPIES DELIVERED ON 1ST JUNE 2015 - Latest News - Joe Longthorne MBE - Official Site|url=http://www.joelongthornembe.co.uk/news/324|website=joelongthornembe.co.uk|access-date=4 August 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|www.joelongthornembe.co.uk}}
* {{IMDb name|id=1816068|name=Joe Longthorne}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Longthorne, Joe}}
Category:1955 births
Category:2019 deaths
Category:Deaths from throat cancer in England
Category:English bisexual men
Category:English bisexual musicians
Category:English Romani people
Category:English autobiographers
Category:English impressionists (entertainers)
Category:English television presenters
Category:English male comedians
Category:Comedians from Kingston upon Hull
Category:English LGBTQ singers
Category:English LGBTQ comedians
Category:English LGBTQ broadcasters
Category:LGBTQ people from Yorkshire
Category:Bisexual male musicians
Category:Bisexual male singers
Category:British bisexual comedians
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Musicians from Blackpool
Category:Musicians from Kingston upon Hull
Category:Romani LGBTQ people
Category:Romani singers
Category:20th-century English male singers
Category:21st-century English male singers
Category:20th-century English comedians
Category:21st-century English comedians
Category:20th-century English LGBTQ people
Category:21st-century English LGBTQ people

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joe Longthorne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Longthorne) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Longthorne?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.