There have been many songs calleed "Happiness," but this simple feel-good song became the theme song of zany comedian Ken Dodd, who recorded it in 1964. It was released July 23 that year backed by "All Of My Life."

Although Dodd was a multi-instrumentalist, his musical career was limited to singing, and he released a fair number of singles in the 1960s including the massive hit "Tears."

This song was written by the American country star Bill Anderson - James William Anderson III - known professionally as Whisperin' Bill Anderson. In 2012, he performed in London where he told his audience that whenever you write a song, you have no idea where it might end up, including being recorded by the last person in the world you would think would do so.

"Anybody here heard of a funny man named Ken Dodd," he asked, adding, "how tickled I am" that Dodd had recorded it."

That phrase is straight out of the Dodd lexicon; one of his props was his famous tickling stick.

It was never a hit in the United States, Anderson said.

After bringing much happiness and laughter to millions for decades, Ken Dodd died at his home in Knotty Ash, the town of his birth, on March 11, 2018. The ten-years-younger Bill Anderson was still going strong at 80; the previous month it was revealed he was to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. >>