Vivian Stanshall (born Victor Anthony Stanshall on 21 March 1943 in Shillingford, Oxfordshire, England) was a singer-songwriter, musician, poet and author. He studied at Walthamstow College of Art, performed with fellow students, heand co‑founded the Bonzo Dog Doo‑Dah Band, achieving a 1968 hit with "I’m the Urban Spaceman" before the group disbanded in 1970. Stanshall pursued a solo career, releasing Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (1974) and Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (1978), which later inspired a 1980 film. He continued with Teddy Boys Don't Knit (1981) and Sir Henry at N’didi’s Kraal (1984). He also collaborated with artists such as Eric Clapton, Keith Moon and Mike Oldfield. Stanshall died on 5 March 1995 after an electrical fire.
