Obituary - Ron Dale, comedian and entertainer known for his work at the Pavilion

Died: June 5, 2018

RON Dale, who has died aged 84, was one of Scotland’s popular comedy entertainers who worked in theatres and clubs in Britain for over 60 years, including 33 years aboard cruise ships. He would often make his entrance dressed in a kilt. Playing bagpipes or blasting on a trombone as he went, he’d tell the audience “Nobody sleeps when I’m onstage.”

He began his showbiz career singing and playing instruments as a member of musical duos, trios and quartets but became more widely known during the many summer seasons he appeared in the Lex McLean Shows in Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre. It was there, in addition to performing in a quartet, that he played Lex’s comedy feed.

Born Ronald Smail in the Paisley Road Toll area of Glasgow, he was the second son of Frederick and Jessie Smail. His father was an engineering instrument maker who also sang and played accordion at dances and he encouraged both his sons to become involved in music. In young Ronald’s case, he taught him the basics of the accordion and piano. As a member of the Boys Brigade, Ron also learned to play the instrument which in later life would become his hallmark - the bagpipes.

At Bellahouston Academy, he had no intention of entering showbusiness. On leaving school, he began work as a sales assistant with Jackson’s the Tailor in Sauchiehall Street - a job he really enjoyed - and was earmarked for a management role. However in 1952, national service took him to RAF Lindholme in Yorkshire as an RAF policeman. The Wing Commander in charge of the pipe band at an adjacent camp in Bawtry learned of Ron’s talents as a piper and arranged for him to be transferred to Bawtry Camp where he met Glaswegian singer Don Murray. Together they would pass the time singing harmonies, leading to them playing in clubs, appearing as "The Dale Brothers - from the dales of Scotland" - and it was then that Ronald Smail became Ronnie Dale.

Demobbed in 1954, he returned to Glasgow where his tailoring job had been kept in abeyance and when he learned his older brother George was playing bass in the evenings as a member of a musical group The Stewart Boys, Ronnie joined them.

Buddy Logan, brother of Jimmy Logan, heard their act and saw potential in Ronnie and arranged for him to join musician Nicky Riccardo and Heather Logan to form The Nicky Riccardo Trio. They were to appear for two weeks at Glasgow’s Metropole Theatre, but the dates clashed with his day job. However, Ronnie’s boss at Jackson’s suggested he should take a fortnight’s holiday to see how he felt about working in the theatre and at the end of the two weeks, Ronnie realised he wanted to be in showbusiness. He went back to his boss, thanked him and said goodbye to tailoring.

The trio played the summer season at Barrfield’s Pavilion in Largs with Clark and Murray topping the bill and they continued for a year until Nicky suddenly left to work in the USA. Ronnie joined the Gerry Cameron Trio and they played in theatres in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. When they were offered a season at Edinburgh’s Palladium, Gerry decided to leave the group, causing Ronnie to hurriedly form the Ronnie Dale Trio and under that banner, they played at the Palladium.

It was there he met Eve Robins, a young soprano on the bill, and they wed in 1958. Now a married man and requiring stability, he formed a larger musical quartet, The Melody Makers, which included Billy Gordon, John Little and Tommy Banner. They appeared in Lex McLean’s shows at the Pavilion for eight consecutive summer seasons with Ron adding trombone, clarinet, penny-whistle and concertina to his repertoire. When Lex’s straight-man Glen Daly left the show, Lex invited Ronnie to take on that role in addition to performing his musical spot with the quartet. This was Ronnie’s introduction to comedy.

The Melody Makers went on to play theatres and clubs all over Scotland and England, working alongside Engelbert Humperdink (then Gerry Dorsey) and Max Bygraves, but that came to an abrupt end in 1967 when Ronnie received a surprise invitation. He was to compere and perform as a solo artiste, appearing with Jimmy Shand, Bill McCue and Jimmy Logan in a White Heather Show touring Canada and the USA.

The following year, he toured Australia in the Andy Stewart Show. He was now performing his musical comedy act and in that role, went on to appear in five overseas tours with Andy in Australasia and the USA and also performed in overseas tours with the Alexander Brothers. These experiences gave Ronnie inter-national exposure. Now billed as Ron Dale, he jokingly said the shorter name gave him larger billing on the billboards.

It was a hectic time in his career. The overseas tours were scheduled to fit in with work in Britain where he was appearing in summer seasons at Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre. He was also becoming more versatile and acted in Grampian TV’s Melody Inn - appearing in over 40 episodes of the show alongside Una McLean - and on the same channel was working in his musical comedy role, on The Jim Macleod Show.

Offers of work in Ayrshire were also coming in, leading to Ron and Eve relocating from Glasgow to Ayr to allow him to work in a number of Gaiety Whirl shows at the town’s theatre and in local clubs. By tradition, working men’s clubs booked single performers, but Ron persuaded many of the clubs’ management com-mittees to stage small variety shows and brought in musicians, singers, dancers and comedians for these shows. For years, they proved popular. However club audiences, like those in the theatres, were changing and the demand for the shows began falling away. As they did, Ron was approached by P&O Lines and in 1983 he made his debut aboard a cruise ship; on the Sea Princess sailing out of Hong Kong.

Now billed as a comedy entertainer and with bagpipes and the kilt, he modified his comedy to suit international audiences. It was a successful format and for 33 years he entertained on ships of the Royal Caribbean Line, Fred Olsen, Saga and P&O.

Ron died at Ayr Hospital following a short illness. He is survived by his wife Eve, their three children Sharon, Steven and Scott and their grandchildren; and his brother George who lives in Canada.