Hubert Gregg British radio presenter, writer, stage and film actor, director Date of Birth: 14.07.1914 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Hubert Gregg
2. Early Life and Career
3. Contributions during World War II
4. Later Career and Personal Life
5. Later Life and Recognition

Biography of Hubert Gregg

Hubert Robert Harry Gregg was a British radio presenter, writer, theatre and film actor, director, and author of several popular songs. He gained the most recognition for his two long-running radio programs, 'A Square Deal' and 'Thanks For The Memory'.

Early Life and Career

Hubert Gregg was born on July 19, 1914, in Islington, one of the inner districts of London. He studied at the Webber-Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art. After completing his studies, Gregg performed in various plays for the Birmingham Theatre Company, the Old Vic theatre, and others. In 1937, Gregg rose to stardom with the show 'French Without Tears', which debuted on Broadway and went on to run successfully in London for two years.

Contributions during World War II

During the war, Hubert Gregg served as an officer in the 60th Royal Rifle Corps. He began his service by writing two popular songs. In 1940, he composed 'I'm Going To Get Lit Up When The Lights Go On In London', which was recorded in 1943 and served as a signal for resistance members in Europe, indicating that the invasion of Europe was imminent. In 1944, when Gregg witnessed the bombing of London, he wrote the song 'Maybe It's Because I'm A Londoner', which became a popular anthem in 1947.

Gregg was fluent in German, which allowed him to host radio broadcasts in German targeting the enemy. His command of the language was so impressive that Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany, believed the broadcasts were being presented by a German defector.

Later Career and Personal Life

In 1951, Gregg published his first novel, 'The April Gentleman', and the same year directed the play 'Appointment with Death' based on Agatha Christie's book. Two years later, he directed the theatrical version of another work by the renowned detective writer, 'The Mousetrap'. Gregg later described this experience in his memoirs, which were published in 1980 under the title 'Agatha Christie and All That Mousetrap'.

Hubert Gregg was married three times. His first wife, whom he married in 1943, was musical comedy star Zoe Gail, a native of Cape Town. Zoe gave birth to their daughter, Stacy Gregg-Maxwell, who would later become an actress and writer in the United States. In 1950, Zoe and Hubert divorced, and in 1956, he married singer and actress Pat Kirkwood. This was Patricia's third and final marriage. They divorced in 1979, and a year later, at the age of 66, Hubert married Carmel Litton, who gave him two children.

Later Life and Recognition

In 2002, on the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, Hubert Gregg was honored for his outstanding contributions to broadcasting and his songwriting. He was made a Knight of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) and was granted the right to add the initials M.B.E. to his signature. Gregg remained one of the oldest employees of the BBC, having started working there in the 1930s. His final radio broadcast aired less than a month before his death.

Hubert Gregg passed away on March 29, 2004, at the age of 89, in Sussex.