Former colliery worker Max Boyce started off as a singer on the Welsh club circuit in the early Seventies, telling stories between his songs that were an early form of modern, conversational stand-up.

Boyce's songs were first recorded by an independent label at the Valley Folk Club in Pontardawe in 1971, on the back of which EMI snapped him up for a two-album deal, mixing music and anecdotes. The first, Live at Treorchy, went gold but it was the second, We All Had Doctors' Papers, that was his big breakthrough, reaching No.1 in the album charts – the only comedy album to have done so. On the back of that, the BBC gave him his own TV series, recorded live in theatres across the country, which was again a ratings-topper. He recorded several more albums over the years.

In 1998, BBC Wales screened An Evening With Max Boyce, which broke Welsh viewing records, and on the 2000 New Year Honours list, he was made an MBE