Arthur was born in Bloxwich, Staffordshire on 9 April, 1922.
In 1939 he appeared on the bill, alongside Eric & Ernie, at the Swansea Empire.
He appeared on the Morecambe and Wise show from 1971-1977.
He used to rush onto the set to play a fast tune on his harmonica (Spanish Gypsy Dance),
only to be told by Eric 'Not now, Arthur' and be bundled off; when, at the end of a show,
he was finally free to play, the screen would cut to black almost immediately.
Occasionally Arthur joined in some other great comedy sketches.
A child star who started his career in the British Music halls in the 1940's. He appeared at
the London Palladium at 15 and was an early friend and colleague of Morecambe and Wise.
Arthur was managed by his mother, Beatrice ('Beef') who knew Eric Morecambe's mother well. When the double act became successful Eric and Ernie did not forget their friend and he appeared for many years in their TV shows.
In a BBC Radio 4 programme in August 2007 Arthur's life story was told by Roy Hudd amongst others who knew him. Although he had applied to work many times for the BBC in the 1950's he was dismissed as being 'amateurish'. This did not stop him from performing many backing tracks on hit records for singers such as Frank Ifield.
Arthur died in March 1987.
