'He's danced his last dance:' Tributes as funeral of Donny Dancer takes place

Gary Marshall became a familiar face around the streets of Doncaster with his distinctive blond hair, sunglasses, colourful leather jackets and a portable speaker constantly blasting out a selection of 80s and 90s pop favourites as he danced around the town centre.

And his send-off was suitably music themed, with a musical note floral tribute adorning his white coffin while mourners heard songs from Tony Christie, Elton John and Laurel and Hardy at the service at Rose Hill Crematorium

Family and friends entered the service to Conisbrough born Christie’s Is This The Way To Amarillo?, while Your Song by Elton John and the comic duo’s On The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine were also played.

An eulogy to Gary, who died at the age of 55 last month, described him as a ‘confident showman’ with an ‘eccentric persona’ whose ‘performance touched hearts and warmed souls.’

The crematorium’s registrar said: “Gary used his ability to bring a smile to even a stranger’s face with his quirky moves and his renditions of catchy ballads.”

Moving to Doncaster in 2000, Gary first turned to music following the death of his dad Craig in 2016.

Interviewed by the Free Press in 2018, Gary said he began hitting the streets with his portable music system following the death in November of that year.

He said: "I just started dancing in my living room one day. It is very much my own style, like a mix of dancing and walking."

Mourners at the socially distanced service, which was streamed online heard that Gary, an ardent gamer, Laurel and Hardy enthusiast and Manchester United fan, was a huge lover of Star Wars and would go to comic conventions dressed as his favourite character Boba Fett.

He also used his skills as an artist to design and customise his Donny Dancer leather jackets, which became one of his trademarks on the streets of Doncaster and Thorne, where he lived.

His cousin Anne said that he developed the Donny Dancer to share his love of music and dance with others.

"The Donny Dancer enabled him to travel throughout the area, dancing and singing as he went along. He spread fun and joy.”

"But the rhythm has stopped, Gary has danced his last dance and sung his last song.”

Ahead of the funeral, his cortege travelled through Doncaster with some of his favourite music being played on his final journey.

Gary became an overnight viral internet sensation a couple of years ago, with one video of him dancing being viewed more than 250,000 times.

A Facebook page was even set up in his honour and Donny Dancer fans used it to share memories of one of Doncaster’s more colourful characters following his death.

He headed to Doncaster several times each week, sporting his "Donny Dancer" uniform - which was based on the character Soldier 76 from best-selling video game Overwatch.