I get annoyed by some young Scottish comedians who say ‘I don’t really listen to Billy Connolly’ and it’s like ‘no, you don’t realise, if there wasn’t Billy Connolly we wouldn’t have the live stand-up comedy circuit that we have today. So I still find him the king of comedy  

 Billy Connolly is arguably the world's best known Glaswegian and is truly deserving of the freedom of the city. He has presented himself as a proud citizen of Glasgow. In doing so, he has shown the world the unique humour, generosity and resilience of Glaswegians.  

 I was in on the folk scene, singing and cracking jokes when the likes of Billy Connolly, Jasper Carrot and Mike Harding were up here making their way. I couldn't have asked for a better apprenticeship, nor, many years later, a better film director. Martin Scorsese cast me in Gangs of New York. I was a member of the Shirt Tail Gang in the movie.  

 Not many people recognised him – only a taxi driver did. Amazingly when we walked back down the South Bank to the studios, Billy Connolly walked out and he recognised Frank!