BILLY CONNOLLY
With a career spanning over five decades, you might forget that the best-loved comedian, actor and musician Sir Billy Connolly has also felt the exhilaration of watching a live per formance. Released in time for the launch of his first- ever autobiography, the ‘Teddy Boy’ inspired graphic from his new Windswept & Interesting collection harks back to the rock ‘n’ roll fashion and electrifying stage presence that shaped his legendary comedy sets. “Teddy Boys were windswept and interesting,” says Billy, who has continued to delight collectors with his humorous Born On A Rainy Day series since 2012. “They chose their clothes to differ from everyone else in society. And that was the hippie thing as well, just choosing your clothes, wearing policemen’s capes and big hats with snakeskin bands. It was a good time.” Available in four vibrant colourways, the limited edition giclée prints are presented on a 100% cotton watercolour paper and framed in a sustainable black pine and spruce that highlights the vivid colours of the blazers and clashing socks. Each ar twork was hand-signed by Billy at his home in the Florida Keys, where he now lives after retiring from stand- up comedy in 2020. The collectible graphic features on the internal front cover and end pages of the Waterstones Exclusive Edition of Billy’s autobiography, also titled Windswept & Interesting . True to
his minimalistic drawing style, Billy is refreshingly frank about the simple inspiration behind his figure. He adds: “They’re just Teddy Boys dancing with maracas. My favourite is the yellow one. He’s the most gaudy and ‘clashy’.” Billy himself is no stranger to flamboyant stage outfits: while per forming for his sell-out one-man shows, his ‘glam-rock ’ style included anything from leotards to his now-infamous banana boots. In the 2020 BBC documentary Billy and Us , his eccentric aesthetic was likened to that of David Bowie, whose Ziggy Stardust persona inspired Billy to experiment with his look. His own musical background – both as a solo ar tist and a member of The Humblebums – also formed a fascination with the link between music and fashion. Billy explains: “Maracas were very popular in the 1950s and 60s to allow a signature look and to leap around. Mick Jagger used to make great use of them.” Billy has used more colour in this collection than ever before. His penchant for standing out from the crowd can be summed up in his hilarious anecdote about buying a pair of brothel creepers. He recollects: “They were lilac with black soles, and I had lime green socks on. I was marching up and down the shop, trying them on, and the shop owner said, ‘They clash great with your socks”, which sums up the whole ethos.”
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