'He saw humour in everything, right to the end': Childhood friends and showbiz pals pay tribute to Jimmy Cricket

Musician and radio personality George Jones, who trod the boards with Jimmy in his own comedy cabaret band Clubsound, described the funnyman as one of his dearest friends, adding he was “absolutely shocked and saddened” to learn of his passing.

“The world of entertainment has lost a wonderful and quite unique comedian,” he wrote in a statement on social media.

“He has made thousands laugh with his simple form of humour that only he could pull off, not just on stage but on national TV..

“We worked so many times over the years with him with Clubsound, only recently for a couple of years on ‘The Comedians’ at the Opera House, Belfast.

“He was without question a one-off, there won’t be another. He will be sadly missed by his thousands of fans.

“My love and prayers got to May, Dale and the family.”

Born in Cookstown shortly after the Second World War, Jimmy Mulgrew, to give him his real name, grew up in Belfast and began his comedy career working in holiday camps and summer seaside shows. He started to make it big during the 1970s; clad in his trademark outfit of cut-off trousers, tailcoat, hat and Wellington boots marked ‘L’ and ‘R’, he kept them rolling in the aisles in clubs and on tours with the era’s light entertainment giants such as the Osmonds, Paul Daniels and the Krankies.

But even as he hit the bright lights on TV – including fronting four 1980s series of his own show ‘And There's More’, named after his most famous catchphrase – he still kept a place in his heart for Ulster, returning to the province to perform in Christmas pantomimes.

One man who knew him way back when was musician Fergus Woods, a mainstay of the Belfast folk scene and childhood pal of Jimmy. He said he was “very saddened to lose a dear friend’.

Stated Fergus on social media: “Jimmy saw humour in everything whether on stage or off, right till the end.

“I have enduring memories of our boyhood adventures, often plotted at the Palm Grove cafe on the Andersonstown Road which was our regular meeting place as teenagers. Jim was always a joker with a desire to be onstage for a living.

“Planning and preparing a mime act for a competition in the Boom Boom Rooms and a PJ Proby impersonation in the Plaza Ballroom were precursors of his later success when he went across to England.

“So many great memories of a true friend, too many to recount here. I was honoured to be a guest on ‘This Is Your Life’ when Eamonn Andrews presented him with the big red book.

“I continued to see him when he came home for performances and kept in touch by phone. Mostly we recalled the fun times and mutual friends some of whom had passed on. Jim will never be forgotten by me and many, many others. Sincere condolences to his wonderful wife May and children Dale, Katie, Jamie and Frank.”