William "Bill" John Owen Rowbotham, MBE, born on 14th March 1914, Acton Green, London, England, UK, was an actor and songwriter. He's best known for portraying Compo Simmonite for 27 years, in the Yorkshire based BBC comedy series, Last of the Summer Wine. He died on 12th July 1999, his last appearance on-screen being shown during April 2000. Bill made his first film appearance in 1944, but didn't find lasting fame until 1973, when he took the starring role of William "Compo" Simmonite, in the long-running British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. Owen's character was a scruffy, working-class pensioner, often exploited by the bossy characters played by Michael Bates, Brian Wilde, Michael Aldridge and Frank Thornton to carry out dirty jobs, stunts and escapades, while their indomitably docile friend Norman Clegg, played by Peter Sallis, followed, watching with a smirk. Bill wore a woollen hat, while spending much of his time lusting after stern-faced housewife Nora Batty. As Compo, Owen saw off several co-stars. The series, starting during 1973 then finishing in 2010, was the world's longest-running comedy. Bill became an icon, a darling of its audience and central to its success and episodes for 26 years, until his death. The threesome of Compo, Clegg and Foggy were the most popular trio the show ever produced. The third named character was initially Blamire, played by Michael Bates, later being replaced by Michael Aldridge's, Seymour Utterthwaite, when Brian Wilde's Foggy took a hiatus. Owen was the son of a bus driver, having worked for a short time as a printer's apprentice, played the drums and sung in nightclubs in his teenage years. Bill wed Edith Stevenson during 1947, the couple having a son Tom who also became an actor before their marriage was dissolved in 1964. Owen married Kate O'Donoghue during 1977.