Ronnie Golden, the musician turned comedian who hung upside down as Buddy Holly in an early episode of “The Young Ones” and lent his voice to “Spitting Image,” died at home on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at 78.

Golden, whose real name was Tony De Meur, died while his partner, the film producer Grace Carley, was out walking their dog. Carley, who confirmed the death in a statement, gave no cause and described it as sudden and unexpected.

“Without any fuss or bother, he simply slipped away yesterday afternoon while I was walking the dog,” Carley said.

She invited his friends and colleagues to share their memories, and the replies arrived quickly from across the British comedy circuit.

A Rock Career Before the Comedy

Before any of that, De Meur was a bandleader. He founded the quirky pre-new wave group The Fabulous Poodles in 1975, fronting it as lead singer and guitarist. The band appeared on “The Old Grey Whistle Test,” released three albums and toured with Meat Loaf, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and The Ramones. They also served as Chuck Berry’s backing band. Their 1978 U.S. album “Mirror Stars” reached No. 61 on the Billboard album chart.

The Poodles disbanded around 1980, and De Meur reinvented himself as Ronnie Golden on the alternative comedy circuit. He worked solo and as part of The Comic Strip, performing at London’s Comedy Store alongside performers including Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Alexei Sayle.

An Upside-Down Buddy Holly

Television followed. In episode two of the BBC sitcom “The Young Ones,” Golden played Buddy Holly, dangling upside down from the ceiling, still in his parachute, opposite series stars Mayall and Edmondson. On “Spitting Image,” watched by 15 million people at its peak, he voiced impersonations including the musicians Mick Jagger and Roger Daltrey during the satirical show’s original 1980s run, and he featured on its 1986 novelty track “The Chicken Song.”

An early television appearance came in 1983, on the Channel 4 show “Stomping On The Cat,” where he performed his song “Drinking At Home.” He also turned up in “Pushing Up Daisies” and “The Lenny Henry Show.” In later years he fronted the R&B and soul group Ronnie And The Rex and worked regularly with the late comedy writer Barry Cryer, the two of them appearing together at a Nerdstock gig put on by Robin Ince.

Tributes From the Comedy Circuit

“Such sad news about the death of comedy legend, very funny act, excellent musician and all-round good fella Tony De Meur aka Ronnie Golden,” musical comic Steve Gribbin wrote. He added that he had looked forward to seeing Golden each year at the Comedians’ Christmas Party, and sent his sympathies to Carley and the family.

Comedian Charmian Hughes, who said she was devastated, first saw The Fabulous Poodles while at St Andrews University and went on to share bills with Golden for decades, calling him a true comedy friend. Alternative comedy pioneer Jenny Lecoat said the news had left everyone stunned and that Golden, a significant figure in her life for more than 40 years, would not be forgotten.

Richard Vranch, a Comedy Store Player, remembered Golden as a hugely talented performer and writer and a fine storyteller over a pint. He said Ronnie And The Rex played a set at his wedding, and recalled the two of them appearing together in a striptease act called Hunx.

Peter Grahame, who runs Downstairs At The King’s Head in Crouch End, said the loss was still sinking in and that he felt as though he had known De Meur forever. He sent his thoughts to Carley and to Golden’s family and friends.