CLASS OF 2026

Brendan Healy

Trying to give Brendan Healy one job title is a waste of everybody's time.

He was a comedian, musician, actor, writer, producer and theatre-maker, and for years he seemed to turn up anywhere in the North East where somebody had put up a stage. He played keyboards, toured with acts including Lindisfarne, worked in television, appeared in dramas including Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Badger and Spender, wrote and performed pantomime, and built a formidable reputation as a stand-up and storyteller.

That range mattered. Brendan belonged to an older North East tradition where entertainers were expected to be able to actually entertain people, whatever the room required. A television studio, theatre, club, panto or charity show, he'd find his place in it.

He was also a constant supporter of the region's creative community. Brendan appeared in every Sunday for Sammy concert held during his lifetime, helping an event created in memory of his friend Sammy Johnson raise money for the next generation of North East performers.

Brendan died in 2016, aged 59, leaving behind an extraordinary body of work and a great many people with stories about him.

Which feels about right for Brendan Healy.