Routh grew up in a working-class family with parents that were considered rebellious talkers and story tellers . Routh 's great-grandfather James Diston was a bare knuckle prize fighter who also ran a circus . Routh attended the Bifron 's Secondary Modern School in Barking , Essex , UK , graduating in 1963 . In Routh 's youth , he participated in boxing , poetry and singing . He learned to play the piano , harmonium , organ , and later the drums . Routh played in a rock group as a drummer in the early 1960s and later performed as a singer/guitarist . He attended East 15 Acting School where he met fellow student Martin von Haselberg . They became good friends , and together they created The Kipper Kids . They performed in small theaters , clubs and festivals in the Netherlands , Germany , Italy and Austria . They received an invitation to perform at the Munich Olympics as the Kipper Kids in 1972 , which was marred by the Munich massacre
Munich massacre
Munich massacre
Brian Routh