A passion for rugby has fueled the comedy and songs of Welsh singer and storyteller Max Boyce. With a sharp-edged sense of humor, Boyce, who refers to himself as "a singing cartoonist," has become a popular entertainer throughout the United Kingdom where his albums have collectively sold more than two million copies. According to British newspaper The Listener Boyce "is uproariously and happily unique." The month he was born, his father died during a tragic explosion in the coal pit where he was working. At the age of fifteen, he went to live with his grandfather. Boyce's destiny seemed to be in his father's footsteps as he spent his late teens working in the pits. Although he took a factory job in his early twenties, Boyce didn't find his natural talents until beginning to tell funny stories and sing songs in the mid-'70s. In addition to eight albums, Boyce has written two books: I Was There published in 1979, and In the Mad Pursuit of Applause, published in 1984. A collection of his songs and poems was published in 1976. In 1998, Boyce starred in the lead role of his original version of Jack and the Beanstalk presented at the King's Theater in Edinburgh. ~ Craig Harris