Cutler, Ivor 1923-2006
Cutler, Ivor 1923-2006
(Knifesmith)
OBITUARY NOTICE—
See index for CA sketch: Born January 15, 1923, in Glasgow, Scotland; died March 3, 2006. Musician, cartoonist, educator, and author. Cutler was a poet, musician, and writer of a very unconventional sort, much of it popular with children for its anti-intellectual approach to art. During World War II, he worked as an apprentice fitter for Rolls Royce. Joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Cutler was rejected from regular service because his mind was always in the clouds. Returning home, he began to pursue drawing and was hired as a teacher, instructing children in music and art for thirty years and retiring in 1980. Meanwhile, Cutler began writing plays, poetry, and songs, appearing on radio and television, in live concerts, and in recordings, including twelve albums. His quirky poems and stories were often directed at children and include Cock-a-doodle Don't (1966), Balooky Klujypop (1975), and Grape Zoo (1990). He also drew cartoons, which he contributed to such publications as Private Eye, Observer, and the Sunday Times. Among his records are Velvet Donkey (1975), Prince Ivor (1986), and Ludo (1997). Awarded the Pye Radio Award for Humour in 1980, Cutler continued to perform live until 2004, when he gave his last concert at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, England.
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
Times (London, England), March 7, 2006, p. 66.