Bobby Knoxall

Sunderland entertainer Bobby Knoxall moved from singing and cabaret into a long stand-up career. His early life was eventful: obituary accounts recorded that he had been expelled from two schools before the age of 12. As a vocalist, he shared bills with performers including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

Knoxall worked internationally as well as on the North East club circuit. Tributes also celebrated his fundraising for local causes, with the amount he helped raise for charity reported at more than £1 million.