Billy Connolly Biography

Fast Facts

• Dropped out of school at 15
• Became a welder after a five-year apprenticeship and did a brief tour building an oil rig off the coast of Nigeria
• Nickname is "The Big Yin
• " Formed a folk band in 1965 called the Humblebums; he played the banjo
• In 1975, had a No
• 1 song in the UK called "D
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• " Received an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 2001
• Longtime supporter of the Glasgow Celtic Football Club
• Was made a commander of the British Empire in 2003; was elevated to a knight in 2017
• Broke a rib and got a gash on his leg when he crashed his motorized trike while filming the 2011 documentary series Route 66
• Started sketching in 2007, and had his first gallery show of his pen and ink drawings in March 2012