Biography

In 1989, he was charged with tax evasion. Thanks to the work of George Carman QC who defended him, he was acquitted. For a while afterwards, he used the experience in his stage acts, introducing himself by saying "Good evening, my name is Kenneth Arthur Dodd: singer, photographic playboy and failed accountant.".

He resided in the same house, in the Liverpool suburb of Knotty Ash, all his life: he was born there and died there. He also married his long-term fiancée Anne Jones at the house, two days before he died.

He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1982 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to entertainment and to charity.

In 2012 at age 84, he played the Princes Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex on 7 July. Starting at 7.15pm, he continued until just before 9.00pm when Sybie Jones took to the stage. Returning at 9.30pm, he continued until 10.00pm. The second support act performed until Dodd's return just before 11.00pm when he continued until 00.25am. As of 2016, Dodd continued to tour extensively.

In July 2010, the regional UK airline Eastern Airways named one of their Jetstream 41 aircraft after Dodd, in celebration of one year of scheduled services to Liverpool, and the support that Dodd shows for the region and in particular the airport.