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Max Bygraves
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==Early life== Bygraves was born to Henry and Lillian ({{nee}} McDonnell) Bygraves (who wed in 1919) in [[Rotherhithe]] in London,<ref name="G o"/> where he grew up in a two-room council flat in Park Buildings, Paradise Street{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} with his five siblings, his parents and a grandparent.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12852095|title=Max Bygraves BBC obituary|publisher=BBC News|date=September 2012|access-date=1 September 2012}}</ref> His father was a professional flyweight [[boxing|boxer]], known as Battling Tom Smith, and a casual dockworker.<ref name="Mercer">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p201472|pure_url=yes}}|title=Max Bygraves bio|last=Mercer|first=Laurie|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=30 May 2010}}</ref> Brought up Catholic, he attended St Joseph's School, Paradise Street, [[Rotherhithe]], and sang with his school choir at [[Westminster Cathedral]].<ref name="G o">{{Cite web|date=2012-09-01|title=Max Bygraves obituary|url=http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/sep/01/max-bygraves-obituary-comedian-singer|access-date=2022-01-30|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> He left school at 14, working at the Savoy Hotel in London as a pageboy, but was sacked for being too tall. He later put some of his success as a variety performer down to his lanky physique. He was {{Convert|6|ft|3|in}} tall, but weighed only {{Convert|13|st|kg}} in adult life. He then became a messenger for W S Crawfords, an advertising agency at 233 High Holborn before serving as a fitter in the [[Royal Air Force]] in the [[Second World War]] and working as a carpenter.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9514295/Max-Bygraves.html|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London|title=Obituary. Retrieved 1 September 2012}}</ref> He changed his name to Max Bygraves in honour of comedian [[Max Miller (comedian)|Max Miller]].{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
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