Photo: Neil_Innes_by_Luke_Ford.jpg: Luke Ford derivative work: Tabercil (talk) / CC BY-SA 2.5 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Neil Innes occupied a wonderful niche: the man who could write a real song and then lovingly demolish it. He started in the gloriously silly Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, became so central to Monty Python's music that he is often called the seventh Python, and contributed to Holy Grail. Then he created The Rutles, a Beatles parody so affectionate and well-crafted it became a classic in its own right. That takes serious musicianship; you can only send something up that precisely if you genuinely love and understand it. He died in 2019, but he sits right at the heart of British comic invention. A delight.
Overview
Neil James Innes (; 9 December 1944 – 29 December 2019) was an English songwriter, writer, comedian and musician. He first came to prominence in the comedy rock group the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later became a frequent collaborator with the Monty Python troupe on their BBC television series and films, and is often called the "seventh Python" along with performer Carol Cleveland.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Neil Innes
- Name (Japanese)
- ニール・イネス
- Reading
- にーる・いねす
- Born
- December 9, 1944 – December 29, 2019
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Monkey
- Origin
- Danbury, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- comedian / composer / actor / singer / pianist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Goldsmiths, University of London
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Comedian — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.