About this artwork

Sir Billy Connolly made his name in the 1970s as an outrageously funny comedian. His nickname ‘The Big Yin’ (The Big One) can be seen here on his belt buckle. Born in Glasgow, Connolly worked as a welder in the Clyde shipyards before forming the folk band The Humblebums. He became famous in Britain and beyond through his stand-up comedy routines, sell-out tours, TV shows and film appearances. Connolly is also well-known as an artist. In 2022 he revealed in a TV special that drawing had given him a new lease of life, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2013. In this portrait John Byrne depicted Connolly at various points in his career, wearing his banana boots which he first wore on stage in the 1970s.

Updated October 2022

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John Byrne

John Byrne