Editing Lenny Henry (section)

===1980s===
[[File:Lenny Henry 1980s.jpg|thumb|right|Henry in the 1980s]]
In 1980, Henry performed in Summer Season in [[Blackpool]] with [[Cannon and Ball]].<ref name="blackpool">{{Cite web |title=Comedy Kings – an unofficial Cannon and Ball website |url=http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/summer-season/1980-blackpool |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310031220/http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/summer-season/1980-blackpool |archive-date=10 March 2011 |access-date=4 March 2011}}</ref><ref name="lenny">{{Cite web |last=Henry, Lenny |title=About Me: The Story So Far |url=http://www.lennyhenry.com/about/story.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713200520/http://www.lennyhenry.com/about/story.aspx |archive-date=13 July 2011 |access-date=4 March 2011}}</ref> He has since said that "the summer season was the first time [he] felt that [his] act had received a proper response from an audience".<ref name="lenny" /> Around the same time, he co-hosted the children's programme ''[[Tiswas]]'' from 1978 until 1981 playing such characters as [[Rastafarian]] Algernon Razzmatazz, [[David Bellamy]] and Trevor McDoughnut (a parody of [[Trevor McDonald]]), and subsequently performed in and wrote for the show ''[[Three of a Kind (1981 TV series)|Three of a Kind]]''.

Also in 1980, he teamed up with alternative-comedy collective [[The Comic Strip]]. While involved with the group, he met his wife, comedian [[Dawn French]].<ref name="bbc">{{Cite web |title=BBC Comedy Profiles: Lenny Henry |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/profiles/lenny_henry.shtml |access-date=4 March 2011}}</ref> She encouraged him to move over to the fledgling [[alternative comedy]] scene, where he established a career as a stand-up comedy performer and character comedian.

He introduced characters who both mocked and celebrated [[Black British people|African Caribbean British]] culture, such as Brixton pirate radio disc jockey DJ Delbert Wilkins. His stand-up material, which sold well on [[vinyl record|LP]], owed much to the writing abilities of [[Kim Fuller]]. During this time, he also spent three years as a DJ on [[BBC Radio 1]], playing [[Soul music|soul]] and [[Electro (music)|electro]] tracks and introducing some of the characters that he would later popularise on television. He made a guest appearance in the final episode of ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'' as The Postman, in 1984.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Summer Holiday (1984) |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b78e6cf5f |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613054049/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b78e6cf5f |archive-date=13 June 2018 |access-date=27 May 2020 |website=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=oGeMmAo |title=The Young Ones – Summer Holiday – Part 3 |date=11 April 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0OD6RCb1II#t=5m10s |access-date=23 July 2016 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/K0OD6RCb1II |archive-date=2 November 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The first series of ''[[The Lenny Henry Show]]'' appeared on the BBC in 1984. The show featured stand up, spoofs like his send-up of [[Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video)|Michael Jackson's Thriller video]], and many of the characters he had developed during Summer Season, including Theophilus P. Wildebeeste (based on [[Teddy Pendergrass]]) and Delbert Wilkins. A principal scriptwriter for his television and stage shows during the 1990s was [[Jon Canter]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jon Canter |url=http://www.pbjmgt.co.uk/clients/jon-canter |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315231002/http://www.pbjmgt.co.uk/clients/jon-canter/ |archive-date=15 March 2007 |website=Pbjmgt.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Guide to Comedy: Jon Canter |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/talent/c/canter_jon.shtml |website=[[BBC.co.uk]]}}</ref> ''The Lenny Henry Show'' ran periodically for a further 19 years in various incarnations. Across the incarnations, he performed impressions of several iconic American celebrities such as [[Beyoncé]], [[Jay-Z]], [[Tina Turner]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Michael Jackson]] (the two men shared a date of birth), [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Run-DMC]], [[Cee Lo Green]], [[Denzel Washington]], [[Idris Elba]] and [[Wesley Snipes]].

It was in 1985 that Henry co-founded the British [[Comic Relief (charity)|Comic Relief]] charity organisation,<ref name="Lenny Henry {{!}} Comic Relief" /> and 1988 when the first-ever Red Nose Day was celebrated. Over 150 celebrities and comedians, including Henry, took part in an evening-long BBC broadcast, which was watched by 30&nbsp;million viewers and raised over £15&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our history {{!}} Comic Relief |url=https://www.comicrelief.com/about-comic-relief/history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813191407/https://www.comicrelief.com/about-comic-relief/history |archive-date=13 August 2017 |access-date=8 December 2020 |website=ComicRelief.com |language=en}}</ref>

Prior to the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 general election]], Henry lent his support to [[Red Wedge]] by participating in a comedy tour organised by the campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Where will the next generation get its political anthems from? |url=http://www.labourlist.org/my-generation-red-wedge-paul-richards-weller-bragg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716081859/http://www.labourlist.org/my-generation-red-wedge-paul-richards-weller-bragg |archive-date=16 July 2011 |access-date=28 December 2015 |publisher=[[LabourList]]}}</ref>

In 1987, he appeared in a TV film, ''[[Coast to Coast (1987 film)|Coast to Coast]]''. It was a comedy thriller with [[John Shea]] about two DJs with a shared passion for [[Motown]] music being chased across Britain. The film has a strong following, but contractual problems<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Coast To Coast'' details |url=http://www.guerilla-films.com/coast_to_coast.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127045742/http://www.guerilla-films.com/coast_to_coast.htm |archive-date=27 January 2013 |access-date=11 March 2013 |publisher=guerilla films}}</ref> have prevented it from being distributed on video or DVD.