Music: {allcanada} Abbott honoured with TV tribute

Monday, March 28, 2011

{allcanada} Abbott honoured with TV tribute

Roger Abbott would be touched by this effort to laugh through the pain.

CBC will honour the late Roger Abbott on Tuesday night with a TV program titled Royal Canadian Air Farce Special: A Tribute to Roger Abbott.

The special will highlight some of Roger's most memorable moments on Air Farce.

A master of impersonation and comedic characters, Abbott's work covered everyone from former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, to CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge, to singer Leonard Cohen, to misogynist TV critic Gilbert Smythe Bite-Me.

Abbott died Saturday in Toronto at age 64 after a brave 14-year battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Through the years, Abbott won 15 ACTRA awards, a Juno Award and the Governor General's Performing Arts Award. Royal Canadian Air Farce also earned a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

"(Abbott) was a great leader at Air Farce," co-star and business partner Don Ferguson said. "He was our guiding light in many ways."