Gary Frederick Holton (22 September 1952 – 25 October 1985) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and actor from London. He was the frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids (1972–77), he worked with Casino Steel (1981–84), and played the part of Wayne in the UK television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983–85). Holton died from an overdose of morphine combined with alcohol in 1985.

Biography

Relationships
Holton had a string of relationships in the early to mid 1970s. In 1977, he dated singer Stella Palmer, with whom he performed his cover version of "Somethin' Stupid" in 1973. Holton and Palmer got engaged on 12 March 1977, but on 2 May the same year, Palmer called off the engagement, stating their relationship was not going quite as planned.

From 1979 he was married to model Donna Campbell. They were amicably separated from 1981 and remained friends, though they were still not divorced at the time of his death. After Donna, Holton had a relationship with model Susan Harrison who gave birth to his son Red.
At the time of his death, Holton had long separated from Harrison and was engaged to hairdresser Jahnet Mclllewan.


Death
Holton was found dead by his fiancée Jahnet in his bed on 25 October 1985. He had died from an overdose of alcohol and morphine, with traces of diazepam and cannabis in his system. Pathologist Dr. Rufus Crompton said during his inquest at Hornsey, North London, that he would have been drinking less than half-an-hour before his death, and that the morphine would have made him unconscious within a matter of minutes.

Holton had a blood alcohol level of 199 mg and a morphine level of 0.8 mg per litre (0.5 mg per litre is considered invariably fatal). He had been a drug user for several years after experiences through the music scene and was addicted to heroin, a habit he had quit some time after the first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet had been broadcast. He was considering setting up a clinic to help others with their addictions.

Holton had considerable debts and had two bankruptcy orders totalling £61,000 over him. These debts were partly due to his not having paid tax since 1979, and also having a mortgage of £48,500 on his flat in Maida Vale, London.

He died midway through the second series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, but the producers used body doubles and clever editing of dialogue already recorded to allow the series to be completed.

In the third-from-last episode of series 2, a body double is seen being carried out of a bar by Bomber; it is obviously a double as his face is never shown, and some dialogue is added "what am I supposed to do?" having been chatting up Ally Fraser's girlfriend Vicki. They eventually rescripted the series, such that in every indoor scene that originally included Holton, excuses were made for his absence, normally tied into the character's love of the opposite sex – for instance, Barry saying: "Where's Wayne? Off down the port chasing skirt again?"

Just before his death, he had released the single "Catch A Falling Star". He was survived by his son, Red, and his adopted son, Max, with model Susan Harrison.


Funeral
Holton's funeral took place on 22 November 1985, with a 15-minute service at Golders Green Crematorium in London. His Auf Wiedersehen, Pet co-stars were all there to pay their respects. His ashes were removed by the undertaker and later placed in his grandparents' grave in Maesgwastad Cemetery, Welshpool, Powys.