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Richard Lyon RIP

Richard Lyon RIP

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PostJan 25, 2014#1

I see from IMDB that the last of the Lyon family died last year. Richard Lyon, adopted son of Hollywood film stars Ben Lyon & Bebe Daniels, died in Dafen, Llanelli, South Wales. I haven't been able to find an online obituary. I wonder if the good folk of Llanelli knew they had a former Hollywood actor and radio & TV star in their midst ?

Phil
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PostJan 25, 2014#2

What a sad and amazing bit of news, especially for me.
Richard and Barbara Lyon along with Ben and Bebe Daniels were a staple and much loved part of the old boring fifties Sunday afternoons post lunch period when Family Favourites had finished and the prospect of the coma inducing Down Your Way was in prospect for akid of my age at the time.
But even moreso because he apprently lived in Llanelli, only fourteen miles from me. If I had known that I would have made an effort to visit him and make his acquaintance. Tell him that his show was fondly remembered and how I once had his sister's record Band Of Gold.
What on earth was he doing living in Dafen, a pretty industrialised suburb of Lllanelli? How did he end up there?
I'd love to know more.
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PostJan 25, 2014#3

I know what you mean, William and I would like to know more too.
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PostJan 25, 2014#4

The only mention of his death I can find is the one on IMDB as mentioned above. It simply reads: "He died on October 16, 2013 in Dafen, Llanelli, Wales". It is so sad that someone who was so much part of our young lives can go without a mention in the press, not even the BBC. RIP Richard.
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PostJan 26, 2014#5

From this website apparently he preferred to be anonymous.
http://www.otrr.org/FILES/Synopsis_txt/ ... _Lyons.htm
Quote:
Richard
Richard, who had appeared in several films in supporting roles, made an unsuccessful pop record in the 1950's for Fontana, and became a photographer for the British Film Institute. He married Angela Ferguson, a dancer to whom he had become engaged during LWTL (she appeared in several episodes), raising two children, Timothy Daniels DeForrest Benjamin and Penelope.
He apparently moved to Wales, working for a charity. Although his son Tim and ex-wife Angela have been traced, Richard remains unwilling to discuss his career and refuses to be interviewed.
The BFI were trying to trace him at the turn of the century to obtain his permission to include some of his photographs in their 50th Anniversary Exhibition, but were unable to find him. In December 2004 his son Tim reported he has finally found a copy of Richard's only record.
Quote: In 1986 Richard donated his father's collection of radio recordings to the BBC, but when auditioned they were deemed unsuitable for broadcast. The BBC were about to scrap the tapes when they were contacted by the late Barry Hill, owner of ORCA, the Old Time Radio archive, based in Leeds. Hill agreed to take the reels from the BBC for his archive and copy them for release to members of his library.
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PostJan 26, 2014#6

Thanks for quoting my article on OTRR, Barrybee. I should write and get them to update it, but it took a while the last time I tried to get it changed. Phil
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PostJan 27, 2014#7

I worked with Richard in the late 50's/early 60's.  He was a DJ employed by EMI for their record shows on Radio Luxembourg.
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PostJan 27, 2014#8

Sad that the last of the Lyons is gone. RIP Richard.
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PostJan 27, 2014#9

Barbara Lyon has gone too then, Chardonnay? When? Did I miss that or have I just forgotten? (very possible).
Good to see you back again, Judy.
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PostJan 27, 2014#10

Sadly, Barbara left us a long time ago, William. She died on July 10, 1995 (aged 63), according to Wikipedia. If she'd been alive in the last few years I'd have done as you suggested you might have with her brother and made her acquaintance! Were it not for her ill health she could still be alive now, like many names of the era who died, not "young", but "middle aged".

Despite what great BBC institutions these people were, with millions of listeners week in and week out, I think their deaths went largely unnoticed in the British media. Barbara did get a decent obit in The Independent though:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/peopl ... 92650.html
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