Sid James attack while performing on stage at the Sunderland Empire Theatre; he died in hospital an hour later. Some, including comedian Les Dawson, claim to have seen the ghost of James at the theatre, and subsequently refused to appear at the theatre again. James was born Solomon Joel Cohen on 8 May 1913, to Jewish parents in South Africa, later changing his name to Sidney Joel Cohen, and then Sidney James. His family lived on Hancock Street in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. Upon moving to the UK later in life, he claimed various previous occupations, including diamond cutter, dance tutor and boxer; in
Jim Sweeney (comedian) Jim Sweeney (comedian) Michael James Dominic Sweeney (born 7 February 1955; Bournemouth, England) is an English actor and comedian, best known for his improvisation partnership with Steve Steen. When Sweeney was 11 years old, he moved to London with his parents, along with two brothers and a sister. He became interested in theatre and improvisation while attending Clapham College, an all-boys Roman Catholic school. Sweeney spent the 1970s in theatre productions, creating and touring shows with Steen, who was a friend from school. The pairing's first television work as a duo came on the ITV children's show "CBTV", followed by