Ryan Davies

Actor, Musical Artist

1937 – 1977

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Who was Ryan Davies?

Ryan Davies was a versatile popular Welsh entertainer of the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in the Carmarthenshire village of Glanamman in the Black Mountain, Wales, and was educated in Bangor and at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His first professional appearance was in the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1966. He made his name on Welsh language television shows such as the sitcom Fo a Fe and Ryan a Ronnie, in which he appeared with Ronnie Williams. Davies had a simultaneous solo career as a singer, pianist and songwriter. His best-known compositions are: "Ceiliog y Gwynt", "Nadolig Pwy a Wyr" and "Blodwen a Mary". His album, Ryan at the Rank, is now regarded as a classic. Davies starred as "2nd Voice" in the 1972 film Under Milk Wood with Richard Burton.

Ryan married his childhood sweetheart Irene, and they had two children, Bethan Davies and Arwyn Davies; Arwyn has been an actor in the Welsh television serial Pobol Y Cwm since 1993. There were 4 grandchildren: 3 grandsons called William, Twm and James, and a granddaughter named Rebeca, all born after Ryan's death.

Ryan and Ronnie's show became so popular that it was moved to BBC1 and broadcast in English, winning them a much wider audience, and three series were shown between 1971 and 1973. Ryan's speciality was dressing up as a "typical" Welsh housewife for a weekly sketch on the show known as Our House, in which Ryan played "Mam" and Ronnie played Will, the father. Ryan and Ronnie were hugely popular in Wales. They were the first comedians ever to make TV series in Welsh and English, and were thought of fondly as the Welsh answer to Morecambe and Wise.

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Born
Jan 22, 1937
Carmarthenshire
Spouses
Children
Nationality
  • Wales
Profession
Education
  • Central School of Speech and Drama
Died
Apr 22, 1977
Buffalo

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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