Michael Crawford

An enormously gifted singer-actor, Michael Crawford became a child star of radio, stage and screen thanks to his soprano voice and innate acting talent. Maturing into a gifted adult performer, he charmed in such films as "The Knack and How to Get It" (1965), "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (1966) and "Hello, Dolly!" (1969). Crawford became a sitcom star and household name as the accident-prone Frank Spencer on "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" (BBC1, 1973-78), but found even more success as a musical theater actor, winning an Olivier Award in "Barnum" and becoming a worldwide icon as the titular star of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera." An unprecedented global phenomenon, "Phantom" defined an era, earning Crawford another Olivier Award, a Tony and the status of Officer of the British Empire. Buoyed by all the adulation, Crawford launched a Grammy-nominated solo recording career, headlined the Las Vegas musical spectacular "EFX," and filmed his own Emmy-nominated special, "Michael Crawford in Concert" (PBS, 1998). A born performer who only became more likable and charismatic with age, Michael Crawford continued to build upon his status as a beloved international icon and as one of the most respected English entertainers of all time.