THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF NEIL INNES, SONGWRITING POWERHOUSE AND 'SEVENTH PYTHON', BY THE PERSON CLOSEST TO HIM
Nominated for the Chortle Comedy Awards 2025
'A lovely writer and performer. A very sweet man, much too nice for his own good...' - John Cleese
'He was a great writer and he was eccentric and he was clever without being pretentious' - Sir Michael Palin
Few individuals have had such an impact on British culture over the past fifty years as the comedy and music icon Neil Innes.
He was the songwriting powerhouse of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band. Beatles muse and collaborator. Injector of art college surrealism into 1960s TV comedy. Instigator of a revolution that led directly to Monty Python, the group he repeatedly joined on screen and stage. He was Ron Nasty, co-founder of the much-loved Rutles, the 'pre-fab four'. Accidental inventor of the phrase 'Cool Britannia'. Much-loved children's TV storyteller, thinker, maker, creator, undisputed national treasure and Britain's sweet idiot laureate.
And through it all, Neil remained one of the kindest and brightest individuals in showbusiness. Musicians, comedians and fans alike loved being around Neil. He created music and joy and art wherever he went. And the person who loved having him round more than anybody else was Yvonne. Neil and Yvonne met at Goldsmiths College in the 1960s and they went on to walk hand-in-hand through life for over fifty years, until Neil's untimely death in 2019.
This book is a heartfelt, eyewitness tale of the life of one of British culture's quiet geniuses. It is tribute to life inside the circus, with the gentlest and wisest of clowns.

- 320 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Trusted byย 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Subtopic
MusicTable of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- About the Author
- Introduction
- Chapter One: This Love of Ours
- Chapter Two: Stoned on Rock
- Neil and .โ.โ. Fame and Ambition
- Neil and .โ.โ. Philosophy
- Neil and .โ.โ. Home
- Neil and .โ.โ. Meaning
- Neil and .โ.โ. Music and Musicians
- Neil and .โ.โ. Eric
- Neil and .โ.โ. Body and Soul
- Night
- Morning
- Acknowledgements
- Photos
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, weโve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere โ even offline. Perfect for commutes or when youโre on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Dip My Brain in Joy: A Life With Neil Innes by Yvonne Innes in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Music. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.