Vivian Stanshall

Vivian Stanshall (21 March 1943 – 5 March 1995) was an English musician, writer, wit, and raconteur, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and for his surreal exploration of the British upper classes in Sir Henr

Vivian Stanshall (21 March 1943 – 5 March 1995) was an English musician, writer, wit, and raconteur, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and for his surreal exploration of the British upper classes in Sir Henry at Rawlinson End.

Stanshall was often called a "great British eccentric", but this was a label he hated as it suggested that he was putting on an act, whereas he always insisted that he was merely being himself — which is arguably a requirement for genuine eccentricity. However, it is not hard to understand why he received the label: Neil Innes said of their first meeting, in a large Irish pub: "He was quite plump in those days — he had Billy Bunter check trousers and a Victorian frock coat, violet pince-nez glasses, carried a euphonium and wore pink rubber ears."