John Dowie (born 3 August 1950 in Birmingham)[1] is a British comedian, musician and writer, often viewed as a pioneer of alternative comedy.
[2] Described as an "idiosyncratic original" and "lone pioneer", Dowie's "arthouse proto-alternative" work mixed parody, fantasy, impersonations and taboo topics.
However his best remembered song remains the satirical "British Tourist (I Hate the Dutch)" from his debut EP Another Close Shave, issued by Virgin in 1977.
[11] As a director, he worked on Heathcote Williams’ Whale Nation and Falling for a Dolphin, as well as directing shows by, among others, Neil Innes, Arthur Smith, Barry Cryer and Ronnie Golden, Simon Munnery and the late Pete McCarthy in The Hangover Show.
An archive CD titled An Arc of Hives was issued by LTM Recordings in 2012, with sleevenotes by Stewart Lee and Dave Cohen.