Ryan Davies (22 January 1937 — 22 April 1977) was a popular Welsh entertainer of the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in the Carmarthenshire village of Glanamman in the Black Mountain, Wales, and was educated in Bangor and at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His first professional appearance was in the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1966. He made his name on Welsh language television shows such as the sitcom Fo a Fe and Ryan a Ronnie, in which he appeared with Ronnie Williams. Davies had a simultaneous solo career as a singer, pianist and songwriter. His best-known compositions are: “Ceiliog y Gwynt”, “Nadolig Pwy a Wyr” and “Blodwen a Mary”. His album, Ryan at the Rank, is now regarded as a classic. Davies starred as “2nd Voice” in the 1972 film Under Milk Wood with Richard Burton.
Ryan and Ronnie’s show became so popular that it was moved to BBC1 and broadcast in English, winning them a much wider audience, and three series were shown between 1971 and 1973. Ryan’s speciality was dressing up as a “typical” Welsh housewife for a weekly sketch on the show known as Our House, in which Ryan played “Mam” and Ronnie played Will, the father. Ryan and Ronnie were hugely popular in Wales. They were the first comedians ever to make TV series in Welsh and English, and were thought of fondly as the Welsh answer to Morecambe and Wise.
In 1975, the duo split (the official reason being Ronnie’s ill-health), with Ryan continuing to appear extensively on television and making a traditional Christmas appearance in pantomime at the Swansea Grand Theatre. However, it was Ryan who died suddenly of an asthma attack while visiting friends in Buffalo, New York, USA. The story goes that he had just been offered the part of Compo in Last of the Summer Wine. Ronnie’s career never flourished after the break with Ryan and he had a problem with alcohol and severe depression. His final role was in the comedy film Twin Town. He eventually committed suicide in 1997.
Ryan’s son, Arwyn Davies, has been an actor in the Welsh television serial Pobol Y Cwm since 1993.
