Graham Chapman

"Graham Chapman was born on 8 January 1941 in Leicester, England, as the son of a policeman and a nurse. He attended Melton Mowbray Grammar School where he developed an interest in science, acting and comedy. He studied medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, where he met his future writing partner John Cleese. He joined the Cambridge Footlights and performed in several comedy shows with Cleese and other future Pythons. He also wrote for various radio and TV programs such as The Frost Report, At Last the 1948 Show and Doctor in the House. He became one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python, along with Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam. He co-wrote most of the sketches and films of the group and played various roles such as The Colonel, King Arthur, Brian Cohen, Biggus Dickus and many more. He was known for his deadpan delivery, absurd humour and willingness to do anything for a laugh. He also had a solo career and released several albums such as Looks Like Another Brown Trouser Job, Yellowbeard and A Liar's Autobiography. He also collaborated with other artists such as Keith Moon, The Bonzo Dog Band and The Rutles. He was openly gay and a supporter of gay rights. He was in a long-term relationship with David Sherlock, whom he met in 1966. They adopted a teenage runaway named John Tomiczek as their son in 1971. Chapman was also an alcoholic for most of his life and struggled with various health problems. He quit drinking in 1977 after working on Monty Python's Life of Brian. He became interested in dangerous sports such as hang gliding and mountain climbing in his later years. He was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in 1988 and underwent several surgeries and treatments. However, the cancer had spread to his spine and he died on 4 October 1989 at Maidstone Hospital in Kent. He was 48 years old. His death came just one day before the 20th anniversary of Monty Python's Flying Circus. His life and legacy were celebrated at a memorial service at St Bartholomew's Hospital with the other five Pythons two months after his death. They also paid tribute to him at various occasions such as the Aspen Comedy Festival in 1998 and the Monty Python Live (Mostly) show in 2014."