A man whose name was synonymous with amateur variety entertainment across six decades has died aged 84.

John Alfred Kingdon first started out as a singer with an early 1960s pop band known as the Humperdincks. They were moderately successful, touring Britain and Europe.

He then made a name for himself on the local stage with the County Towners, a variety group founded in 1961 by Basil Yates, Derek Lloyd and John Sparrowhawk, whose shows at the Maidstone Municipal Theatre – now known as The Hazliit – always drew packed audiences.

Mr Kingdon initially performed as a singer, but later he also directed and produced shows until the County Towners eventually disbanded in 1998.

Not willing to leave theatre behind, he then founded the Harmony Variety Group, based at St Hilary’s Hall in Mangravat.

A cabinet-maker by trade; he ran his own business called Kingdon Lock from his premises at The Boatyard in Tovil.

His skills were an added bonus when it came to making sets for the stage shows.

His aim at Harmony was specifically inclusivity – to give a love of theatre and performance to children and adults with special needs or from underprivileged backgrounds who wouldn’t usually get the chance to appear on stage.

Mr Kingdon, of West Park Road, Maidstone, remained the group’s leader until Covid put a temporary stop to performance, by which time he was 80.

In his last few years, he suffered increasingly poor health,

His first stroke had been in 2012, but this was followed by repeated smaller attacks that eventually left him blind in one eye and without the use of his right hand, except for his middle finger.

He also had a number of hip operations.

Never daunted, just last year he proceeded to write his memoir, tapping out the sentences at the rate of 2,000 words a day, using just his one working finger.

It was called, appropriately, ‘The Clot That Almost Killed Me’.

He told Kent Online at the time of its publication: “It was like I was trying to get into the Guinness Book of Records with all the illnesses I have had!

"Life is so precious, you can't let it go just because you feel a bit down sometimes.

"I'm lucky to have got this far, I'm very lucky. I have had a brilliant life; I've helped a lot of people."

The former mayor of Maidstone Cllr Dave Naghi said: “John will be remembered by hundreds – no, thousands – of people who went through his classes or saw him on stage.

“He helped so many people, always determined to help them reach their full potential, no matter what difficulties they had.

“He was a credit to Maidstone.”

Mr Kingdon’s legacy is the continuation of the all-inclusive theatre group, now known as the Harmony Community Theatre.

He died in Maidstone Hospital on Wednesday from complications arising after an operation.