Ronnie Golden’s death at 78 has prompted tributes from across British comedy and music. The performer, born Tony De Meur, died at home on Saturday while his partner, film producer Grace Carley, was out walking their dog.

Carley said his death came without warning. She did not disclose an official cause.

“Without any fuss or bother, he simply slipped away yesterday afternoon while I was walking the dog,” she wrote in her announcement.

“I know it will be an enormous shock, as it was to me, but I am consoled by his complete lack of pain or suffering.”

Golden was known for his work on Spitting Image and The Young Ones, as well as a career that moved through rock, television, radio and live comedy with unusual ease. He remained active until shortly before his death.

How fellow performers remembered Ronnie Golden

Musical comedian Steve Gribbin called Golden a “comedy legend” and an “all-round good fella”. He said meeting him at the annual Comedians’ Christmas Party had always been a highlight.

“He was such a brilliant raconteur and he loved his music with a rare and incandescent passion,” Gribbin said. “He was a very funny man, and a lovely human being. My heart goes out to Grace and all his family.”

Comedian Charmian Hughes, who had known Golden for decades, said she was “devastated”. She first saw his band, The Fabulous Poodles, while studying at the University of St Andrews. The pair later became friends and regularly appeared on the same comedy bills.

Hughes described him as a “true comedy friend” and paid tribute to his relationship with Carley, saying their happiness together had been “beautiful to behold”.

Music industry figure David Stark also remembered Golden as a “top musician, comedian and all-round good bloke”. The two had exchanged messages in the days before his death and had arranged to meet for Christmas lunch.

What did he do before becoming Ronnie Golden?

Golden began his professional career in music under his birth name. In the mid-1970s, Tony De Meur founded The Fabulous Poodles and served as the group’s lead singer and guitarist.

The eccentric pre-new wave band appeared on The Old Grey Whistle Test, released three albums and built a particularly strong following in the United States. They toured extensively and shared bills with Meat Loaf, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and The Ramones.

The group also worked as Chuck Berry’s backing band, a job that probably required both musical precision and a flexible approach to workplace expectations. Their 1978 US album, Mirror Stars, reached number 61 on the Billboard album chart.

After The Fabulous Poodles broke up around 1980, De Meur adopted the stage name Ronnie Golden and entered London’s growing alternative comedy scene.

He performed at the influential Comedy Store and became involved with The Comic Strip, alongside Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Alexei Sayle. It was a compact group of performers who would soon occupy a rather large part of British comedy.

Which television roles made him famous?

Golden appeared in The Young Ones as Buddy Holly, discovered hanging upside down from a ceiling after apparently becoming trapped there by his parachute. It was a brief but memorable role, in keeping with a programme that rarely allowed logic to obstruct the joke.

He also supplied voices for the original 1980s run of Spitting Image, impersonating musicians including Mick Jagger and Roger Daltrey.

That connection produced an unexpected chart success. Golden performed on The Chicken Song, the 1986 Spitting Image novelty single that reached number one in the United Kingdom. His career had begun with serious touring musicianship and eventually delivered a chart-topping comedy record, which is certainly one route through the industry.

Away from television, Golden continued making music with his R&B and soul group Ronnie and the Rex. He also wrote songs and sketches for the BBC Radio 4 comedy programme The Right Time.

How long did he work with Barry Cryer?

Golden formed a lasting comedy partnership with Barry Cryer, performing with him at the Edinburgh Fringe and in theatres around the United Kingdom for many years.

Their stage collaborations included Barry Cryer and Ronnie Golden Unplugged and Men in Beige. They also appeared together in Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People in 2009.

The partnership combined Golden’s musical impersonations and original songs with Cryer’s precise comic delivery. Stark recalled that their work took them from Edinburgh to venues across the country.

Golden continued performing after Cryer’s death in 2022. Earlier in 2026, he appeared at Bath Comedy Festival, where organisers billed him as a performer who could move between impersonations, one-liners and his own comic songs.

Friends said he was still exchanging messages and making plans in the days before he died. That made the news especially sudden for those who knew him, though Carley said she took comfort from the fact that he experienced no pain or suffering.

Golden is survived by Carley.