Born: 23 May, 1921, at Eton College. Died: 26 April, 2008, in London, aged 86.
"HUMPH" was an institution. A talented jazz trumpeter, broadcaster and author, Humphrey Lyttelton endeared himself to the nation with his love of jazz and as chairman
of the long-running radio panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. Lyttelton presented the "antidote to panel games", which he always called simply "Clue", from its start in 1972 and brought to its zany goings-on an avuncular superiority. His deadpan comments to outrageous answers from Barry Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden became a fundamental part of the programme.
His introductions always included mention of the scorer, "the lovely Samantha", although, as the game never has any score, her job remained a mystery; did she, indeed, even exist? Lyttelton would never be drawn on that, replying vaguely: "I think we treat her rather well, considering."
He delighted in being eccentric, driving a battered Volvo and never giving out his telephone number – even to the BBC. Offered a drink, he invariably asked for a something soft, explaining: "When I say soft drink, I mean a small Scotch, not a large Scotch, which is a hard drink."
But it was jazz which was Lyttelton's early passion and the backbone of his career. He formed a band at Eton and as early as 1948 performed at the International Jazz Festival in Nice, where Louis Armstrong commented after a Humph solo: "That boy's comin' on." Eight years later Lyttelton's band supported Armstrong on a tour of the UK and, on the last night, Humph crowned Satchmo King of Jazz.
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton was the son of a housemaster at Eton and came of a family with aristocratic connections. At Eton, where he fagged for Lord Carrington, he taught himself the trumpet and formed a quartet with Ludovic Kennedy on piano. "Even then," Kennedy has written, "you could tell Humph was in a different class."
After leaving school, Lyttelton worked at the Port Talbot steelworks, an experience which led to his becoming what he termed a "romantic socialist".
He served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War and saw action in the Italian campaign. On his demob Lyttelton studied at Camberwell College of Art, then joined the Daily Mail as a cartoonist, where he contributed to the popular cartoon strip Flook.
Lyttelton played with several bands in the early 1950s and his Bad Penny Blues topped the charts for six weeks. He was at the forefront of the revival of traditional New Orleans jazz and formed a partnership with the US trumpeter Buck Clayton. He was keen to expand his repertory and championed the compositions of Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. He loved the swing era and was a follower of the Count Basie style.
In August last year Lyttelton and his band played the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh as part of the Jazz Festival. They played classic Lyttelton numbers and new material from his Cornucopia album. The final number was a crowd pleaser that typified all Humph's concerts. The number, written by Lyttelton, Yeh yeh, ha ha, you called your friend a fool, sent the audience home enthralled. "It was" said a critic "a consummate performance from a pedigree line-up."
I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue brought Lyttelton to a wider public. It rapidly became a cult show and tickets for recordings were hot property. A stage show toured Britain regularly – it came to Edinburgh's Festival Theatre in March and was often recorded during the Edinburgh Fringe.
"Mornington Crescent " was a highlight of the show and played with schoolboy gusto. Few understood the rules: it certainly confused the show's presenter.
"People always say to me, 'What are the rules of Mornington Crescent?' I say, 'You're talking about a game that is on the level of chess, bridge and mahjong'." The silliness of the game was, of course, its attraction and Lyttelton knew exactly how to maximise the fun.
The show has been voted the second funniest programme ever – after The Good Show – and much of its success was due to Lyttelton's irreverent ad-libbing. He has been credited by the regular panellists as the chief reason for the show's longevity.
Until recently, Lyttelton also introduced Radio 2's The Best of Jazz, which he started in 1967. He has written copiously for magazines such as Punch, Harpers & Queen etc, and his books include Take It From the Top (his autobiography), I Play as I Please and It Just Occurred To Me. His many recordings include such jazz classics as Blues in Bolero and Let's Get In.
In 1993, Lyttelton was awarded the Sony Gold Award and in 2000 won a life-time achievement honour at the British Jazz Awards. Along with several honorary degrees, Lyttelton was president of the Society for Italic Handwriting. He is believed to have turned down a knighthood.
Graeme Garden said yesterday: "Humph had an amazing energy and get up and go. He only gave up his jazz programme this year, at the age of 86, because he wanted to devote more time to other projects. He was an immensely loveable man."
One of the great introductions for I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is now a radio classic. "After tasting the meat pies, Samantha said she liked Mr Dewhurst's beef in ale, although she preferred his tongue in cider." Delivered with charismatic Humph innocence and insouciance. Alas he will be giving his panel no more "silly things to do".
Lyttelton was married twice . His second wife, Elizabeth, predeceased him and he is survived by his four children.
The full article contains 943 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
