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| Comedy star Bernard Manning dies | Comedy star Bernard Manning dies |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Controversial comedian Bernard Manning has died aged 76, his comedy venue, Manchester's Embassy Club has said. | Controversial comedian Bernard Manning has died aged 76, his comedy venue, Manchester's Embassy Club has said. |
| He shot to fame in the 1970s on ITV programme The Comedians, having already developed a career in music as a vocalist for the Oscar Rabin Band. | He shot to fame in the 1970s on ITV programme The Comedians, having already developed a career in music as a vocalist for the Oscar Rabin Band. |
| His website branded him "one of the most outrageous and successful comedians of our time". | His website branded him "one of the most outrageous and successful comedians of our time". |
| He also denied being racist, once remarking: "I tell jokes. You never take a joke seriously." | He also denied being racist, once remarking: "I tell jokes. You never take a joke seriously." |
| However, in 2002, he was banned from performing the Dorset seaside town of Weymouth, where councillors were worried that his act would breach laws on race. | However, in 2002, he was banned from performing the Dorset seaside town of Weymouth, where councillors were worried that his act would breach laws on race. |
| About 200 people had signed a petition, protesting about the show. | About 200 people had signed a petition, protesting about the show. |
| Until his dying day, he didn't understand what all the fuss was about Biographer Jonathan Margolis on Bernard Manning | |
| He died in North Manchester General Hospital at 1510 BST on Monday, a spokesman there confirmed. | |
| Manning's biographer Jonathan Margolis last saw the comedian at his house in north Manchester six weeks ago. | |
| "Bernard was the last of the old-style joke-telling comedians," he told the BBC News website. | |
| "Jokes slightly went out of fashion maybe 25 years ago and Bernard was the last of the joke-tellers. | |
| Manning denied being racist, but his controversial act drew protests"I think he'll inevitably become famous for this question of whether he a racist comedian - and it's a funny thing because it's some way down the list of things he was," he explained. | |
| "He was a man of his age - and as people of his age went, he was relatively un-racist. | |
| "He was of Jewish extraction, he had a huge circle of Jewish friends in Manchester, and a smaller circle of Asian friends in Manchester." | |
| "Until his dying day, he didn't understand what all the fuss was about." | |
| 'Godfather' | |
| Showbiz agent Mickey Martin, who was a close friend of the comedian, told the Manchester Evening News that his death was a sad loss. | |
| "I was going to visit him today but young Bernard called to say he's gone," he said, referring to Manning's son. | |
| "It's come all of a sudden as we thought he was on the mend." | |
| Mr Martin added: "He was the godfather of The Comedians and it's a sad loss to Manchester as well as to the world of comedy." |