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singer, actor and bastion of Coronation Street

Betty Driver, who died aged 91, was a brave and enduring comic actor, that meant one thing for a young public, which is reminiscent of World War II and the years immediately following. For young people, who will remain as Betty Turpin (later Betty Williams), a waitress, wife of the shoulder to cry on police and Cyril Turpin in Coronation Street Granada Television, whose cast he joined in 1969.

to a much wider audience, which is also known for her appearances in magazines and repertory theaters in the scene, as the child star who became popular by the Gracie Fields singing on stage tour , making some of the most famous numbers, and the singer of one year with the head of the main dance band at the time, Henry Hall, in his radio broadcast of the BBC, the Night Henry Hall, Guest. She sang for seven years with Hall, and with it, and more mature artists who entertained the troops during the war.

driver was one of the pre-feminist singer-actors who have made their mark with a good humor, a little rebel in the tradition of Marie Lloyd and Cicely Courtneidge. There was little wilting English rose on the songs he sings or plays the parties, although the building often hidden brilliant emotional pain. It helped that she was a great woman who once considered a victory when he got his weight to 13 stone.

Born in Leicester, spent his childhood in Manchester. His parents were a police inspector and a pianist mother, determined that his daughter should get your foot in the entertainment world. Her husband was too weak of character to defend her daughter, eventually left the police to run a nightclub in Manchester. In his memoirs Betty: The Autobiography (2000), writes that the driver had to thank you for a "domineering mother, ambitious, cruel and arrogant that I put the emphasis on the entertainment world has been stolen effective early my childhood .. . [Driver Nellie] was one of the most hated women in business. "

At the age of seven years, Betty joined the repertory company and Terence Quaintesques Byron played with a group of men dressed as women who went to Manchester once a year. The star of the show, Billy Manders, the public had heard singing the chorus out loud and his guests on stage. That the house down and gave him a bottle of candy. Soon her mother was taken to perform a charity concert at the Hippodrome Manchester Police, and was presented with a gold watch by the police chief, which pleased his mother and father more than her.

When the mother and daughter arrived in London at the end of their studies - at the instigation of his mother - who has found receptive theatrical effort. Visits to their production offices can not offer. Instead, his mother decided to go directly to individual rooms.

presented at the door of the scene of the Prince of Wales Theatre in September 1934, his luck has changed. Without a band rehearsal, Betty was allowed to go on stage and sing some of your favorite songs, and was hired to appear as Gracie Fields twice Mr. Tower of London. After his first performance, a journalist described as "a little tomboy in Lancashire." Later, she was hired by a long tour of Mr. Tower of London, when fields are moved to other projects. Films , BBC broadcasts and appearances in major business magazines CB Cochran and Prince Littler followed.

It took 16 years, with the help of her younger sister Freda, rebelled against the advice of his mother of his child as a benefit which should lead stars to sing in the style of fields. Freda, who had never been so intimidated by her mother and father of Betty, his mother began songsheets Betty wanted to sing in the fire and replaced by the most modern and adults. Betty appeared in the brass it's silly but fun at the London Coliseum, and is a work in movies, especially comedies Ealing Studios. It boots! Boots! (1934) with George Formby, Penny Paradise (1938), we will be famous (1939) and Face the Music (1941). His recordings successfully launched Jubilee Baby (1934), and now includes the sailor with blue eyes, Banda MacNamara, choose the petals of a daisy baby, Jubilee and September in the rain.

In 20 years, had a seizure and collapsed on stage in Birmingham. His mother, on the wings, as usual, threw water on her, and insisted to the evening show. When she fainted again in the night, his mother always maintained that he was "pretending".

was the change to the drama that led to his long association with Granada and Coronation Street. She appeared as Mrs. Edgeley, the manager of the canteen television series forgive the expression masterful (1965-1966), a Coronation Street spin-off, which also included Arthur Lowe in his role as Coronation Street Leonard Swindley. At one point she was forced to throw, and thereby dislocated hip and back injury. She appeared with James Bolam in the production of Granada love the Dole (1968), the story of Walter Greenwood, poverty and unemployment in the 1930s before making his first appearance in Coronation Street in June same 1969.