a cost-cutting measure; Peter Sellers threatened to leave the series, and Geldray remained. The Goon Show finished its ten-series run on 28 January 1960. In 1961, with his six-year relationship with Barbara at an end, Geldray worked as an entertainer on four trips on the RMS Queen Elizabeth. On visiting Los Angeles he was impressed by the city and decided to emigrate to the US. Moving to the US (1961–2004) Geldray worked in the casinos of Reno, appearing with Sarah Vaughan and Billy Daniels; he did not like the city, so returned to Los Angeles. In 1962, he met a divorcee with three children, Susan Donofrio; the couple married that year, and in 1964 they had a son, Philip. Geldray worked for a period as a sales assistant in a clothes shop before becoming the regional sales supervisor for The Christian Science Monitor. In 1972, Geldray returned to the UK to appear in The Last Goon Show of All, a special programme recorded on 30 April and broadcast on 5 October 1972 to mark the 50th anniversary of the BBC. When the BBC refused to pay to fly Geldray from the US, two of the show's cast—Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers—contributed to his expenses. After the performance, at the Camden Theatre, Princess Margaret came backstage and asked if she could be introduced to Geldray as she was an admirer of his playing. In 1973, Geldray and his family moved to Palm Springs to look after his ailing stepfather; he also played harmonica in the local Trinidad Bar. A local doctor approached him after one set and asked if Geldray would put on a show at his stroke centre, which led to Geldray undertaking voluntary work teaching stroke victims to play the harmonica. Following the death of Geldray's youngest step-son, Timmy, Susan Geldray began drinking to excess, and she underwent treatment at the Betty Ford Center. Geldray volunteered to help at the clinic and qualified as a counsellor and technician. To raise funds for the clinic he started "Jazz without Booze", a series of concerts, which included prominent local musicians, including Stan Getz. In 1989, Geldray published his autobiography, Goon With the Wind, using the same title as he had for his 1957 album. Geldray died in Palm Springs of natural causes on 2 October 2004 at the age of 88. Notes and references Notes References Bibliography External links 1916 births