Advanced search

Jill Summers was best known to British TV viewers for her role as the gravel-voiced battleaxe Phyllis Pearce in ITV's Coronation Street but before winning fame in the soap she had a long career as a singer in revue and variety.

Born in Eccles, Lancashire, the daughter of actress Marie Santoni, her father worked in a circus as a tightrope walker. Summers had four sisters and a brother and at the age of six she toured with them, singing and dancing in small scale revues where she was singled out by producers as a budding comedienne. In her early twenties she formed a song and comedy act with her brother Tom.

She toured with ENSA during World War Two entertaining the troops and after the war returned to variety where she worked as a solo act on bills with such stars as Tommy Trinder, Max Wall, Dick Emery and Arthur Askey.

As variety theatres began to close in the 1950s she appeared in summer seasons and pantomimes but in 1972 was offered the role of Bessie Procter, Hilda Ogden's (Jean Alexander) lady friend in Coronation Street. Ten years later she first appeared as Phyllis Pearce expecting the role to last only two weeks. She appeared in more than 500 episodes of the soap although poor health in later years kept her appearances to a minimum. Serious health worries first surfaced when she collapsed with angina on the set of This Is Your Life when host Michael Aspel handed her the famous red book.

Commenting on her role as Phyllis Pearce she said, "Phyllis just grew on me and grew as a character. I love the part."

Milutin Butkovic was born on 1 December 1930 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. He was an actor, known for TV teatar (1956), Radjanje radnog naroda (1969) and Hot Years (1966). He died on 11 January 1997 in Belgrade, Serbia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Jean-Henri Chambois was born on 8 May 1908 in Malaga, Spain. He was an actor, known for Le couteau sous la gorge (1955), I Married a Shadow (1983) and Chouchou poids plume (1932). He died on 11 January 1997 in Saint-Cloud, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Duncan Wood was born on 24 March 1925 in Bristol, England, UK. He was a producer and director, known for Oh Brother! (1968), The World of Beachcomber (1968) and The Bed-Sit Girl (1965). He died on 11 January 1997 in London, England, UK.

Aleksandar Ognjanovic was born on 20 August 1921 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. He was an actor and director, known for Sumnjivo lice (1979), Pesma sa Kumbare (1955) and TV teatar (1956). He died on 11 January 1997 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia.

Greta Lens was born on 3 October 1907 in Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium. She was an actress, known for Gebroeders Karamazow (1968), Een engel van een man (1939) and De tijdscapsule (1963). She died on 11 January 1997 in Jette, Belgium.

Cavan O'Connor was born on 11 July 1899 in Nottingham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for River of Unrest (1936), Honeymoon Hotel (1946) and The Howerd Crowd (1952). He died on 11 January 1997 in London, England, UK.

Jerry Neudecker was born on 13 August 1930 in Marine, Illinois, USA. He died on 11 January 1997 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, USA.

Bohuslav Cáp was born on 26 October 1925 in Borová u Náchoda, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He was an actor, known for The Proud Princess (1952), Ten svetr si nesvlíkej (1981) and Velká neznámá (1970). He died on 11 January 1997 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Paul Smith was born on 4 October 1920 in Dublin, Ireland. He was a writer, known for Theatre 625 (1964). He died on 11 January 1997 in Dublin, Ireland.

Bakhshi Wazir was a composer, known for Mera Naam Raja (1978), Heer Sial (1965) and Ultimatum (1976). Bakhshi died on 11 January 1997 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.