Robert “Bobby” Ball and Thomas Derbyshire—better known as Tommy Cannon—both hail from Oldham and first crossed paths in the early 1960s while working side by side as welders. Their shared interest in entertainment led them to team up initially as Bobby and Stevie Rhythm; over time, they reinvented themselves as the Sherrell Brothers and later the Harper Brothers. What began purely as a singing partnership gradually took on a comedic edge, and by the late 1960s they’d turned professional and adopted the name Cannon and Ball.
Their television debut came in 1968 on Opportunity Knocks — a stint that, despite placing them last, was followed by regular spots throughout the 1970s on shows like Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club. Even so, the bulk of their work remained grounded in club circuits and theatre venues rather than on the small screen.
By 1991, with viewer tastes shifting, their own TV series came to an end. Yet they retained strong box-office appeal in live performance, headlining summer theatre seasons and pantomimes that continued to draw large crowds—and they’ve popped up as guests on various television programmes ever since.
Behind the scenes, the pair’s relationship grew strained during the 1980s. They drifted into near-silence offstage, only communicating when a gig required it, and Bobby’s struggles with alcohol, infidelity and a hot temper made headlines. A turning point came when Bobby embraced Christianity in 1986, followed by Tommy in 1992, which helped mend their bond and reshape their focus.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Cannon and Ball maintained a busy schedule of theatre tours, summer shows and pantomimes, alongside sporadic TV work. In recent years they’ve added faith-based concerts and “An Evening with…” events to their repertoire, combining humour, memoir and testimony in front of appreciative audiences.
