How exactly did Tommy Cooper die?

Question

I know it was on-stage during a performance. What was he doing and what did he die of? Did any people see it?

Answer 1

Can't tell you how he died, but here's a web link on masses of his jokes I found while looking for a yellow tablecloth (!):

www.mkccc.com/humour/t.htm

Guaranteed to have you in stiches.

Answer 2

I SAW  it and thought it was an act.It wasnt. very sad he was the funniest men on and off tv.I met him on numerous occassions.

Answer 3

He had an heart attack on stage.

Answer 4

Heart attack. (Sandra T - good one - lol)

I saw it replayed after the event. I thought he was really funny and I laughed, couldnt help myself.

He would have wanted it that way wouldnt he!

I thought he was very funny. Good comic.

Answer 5

He had a massive heart attack.

Answer 6

Ive seen him die on stage hundreds of times.

He wasnt very funny ...........

Edit: Oh come on people, it was a quarter of a century ago ...... im sure he's up there now saying 'dave s ......... keep the humour a comin!'

Answer 7

At the age of 63, Tommy Cooper suffered a massive heart attack whilst appearing at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. In addition to the live audience of more than one thousand,  millions were also watching live on television in their homes.

Answer 8

Are you pulling your sausage!.....

Answer 9

Just like that.............. couldnt resist sorry...............

Answer 10

He had a heart attack     He had been in hospital  shortly before  having excess fluid drained from his lungs.

Answer 11

i watched him die on tv. he fell over through the curtains on stage and every body thought it was part of the act.

turns out he had a heart attack.

Answer 12

Heart attack on stage.

He pulled in to a petrol station one day(true story) asked the guy to fill his tank.After paying he slipped something in the guys shirt pocket and told him to have a drink.

It was a teabag.

Answer 13

I remember watching this , he was doing a trick where he stands with his back to the center of the curtain with a sack between his legs and he pulls things out of it. But a bit like mary poppins he pulls out things that are far too big, like a standerd lamp and hat stand etc, Just after he pulled something out he just fell over backwards into the curtains and through the middle  so you could just see his legs. The shot stayed like this for about a minute then very quickly panned out and went to an advert break.

It sounds like a bizzare trick but he had done a few others as well already and seemed fine.

Answer 14

On April 15, 1984, Tommy Cooper collapsed from a massive heart attack in front of millions of television viewers, midway through his act, on the popular ITV variety show Live From Her Majesty's. Most of the audience thought it was part of his act and were laughing, until it became apparent that he was seriously ill. At this point the show's director, Alasdair Macmillan, cued the orchestra to play music for a commercial break and Jimmy Tarbuck's manager tried to pull Tommy back through the stage curtains, where he was given CPR. For legal and medical reasons, Cooper's body could not be removed from the stage except by paramedics or the police. It was decided to continue the show and other stars proceeded to present their acts in the limited space in front of the stage. For a long time, a rumour circulated that the size 13 feet from his 6 foot 3 frame protruded into view underneath the curtains. While the show continued, efforts were being made backstage to revive Cooper though these were not made easier by the darkness. It was not until a second commercial break that ambulancemen were able to move his body and rush him to Westminster Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Cremated at Mortlake Crematorium in London. Cooper was survived by his wife, Gwen (whom he always called 'Dove'), and two children, Thomas and Vicky. Thomas died just four years later from cirrhosis of the liver.