Roger McGough
The playful, accessible poet who brought the rhythms of Liverpool and pop music into Britain's literary mainstream.
Born 1937 (age 89)·English poet and performer·Birthday: November 9·The Silent Generation
Biography
Roger McGough made poetry feel like something that happened on a street corner or in a pop song, not just in a library. He rose to prominence in the 1960s as part of the Liverpool poets, a group that fused the energy of the Beatles' hometown with a Beat sensibility. His work, often performed with the group The Scaffold (who had a novelty hit with 'Lily the Pink'), was witty, melancholic, and instantly relatable. McGough had a genius for the everyday observation, turning bus rides and misheard phrases into poignant, funny verse. For decades, as a broadcaster on BBC Radio 4's 'Poetry Please' and a prolific author for both adults and children, he has served as a beloved ambassador for poetry, proving that depth and popularity are not mutually exclusive.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Roger was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Roger Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Roger's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 89 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was a central member of the Liverpool poets, a movement that revitalized British poetry in the 1960s.
- Co-wrote and performed with the comedy-poetry-music group The Scaffold, which achieved a UK number-one single.
- Served as the long-time presenter of BBC Radio 4's flagship poetry programme, 'Poetry Please'.
- Awarded the CBE for services to literature and served as President of the Poetry Society.
Did You Know?
He provided the voices for The Beatles in the animated film 'Yellow Submarine'.
He published his first collection of poetry, 'Summer with Monika', in 1967.
He has written numerous well-loved poetry collections for children, including 'Sky in the Pie'.
“Let me die a youngman's death / not a clean and inbetween / the sheets holywater death / not a famous-last-words / peaceful out of breath death.”
