Jimmy Savile

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Sir Jimmy Savile

Born James Wilson Vincent Savile
October 31, 1926 (1926-10-31) (age 81)
Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Nationality British
Occupation DJ, actor, television and radio personality
Known for Jim'll Fix It, Top of the Pops
For the leader of the English cricket team's Barmy Army, popularly known as Jimmy Saville, see Vic Flowers.

Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile OBE, KCSG (born 31 October 1926), commonly known as Jimmy Savile (often misspelled 'Saville'), is an English DJ, actor and television/ radio personality. He is best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, in which he made the wishes of members of the public (mainly children) come true, and for being the first and last presenter of Top of the Pops.

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[edit] Early life

Savile was born in Leeds, where he resides to this day, one of 7 children born to Agnes Monica (Kelly) and Vincent Joseph Marie Savile, a bookmakers clerk and insurance agent.[1] He was a Bevin Boy, drafted during World War II to work as a coal miner. Having started playing records in dance halls in the early 40s, Savile was effectively the first ever DJ; the first person (according to his autobiography) to use two turntables and a microphone, which he did at the Grand Records Ball at the Guardbridge Hotel in 1947[1]. Indeed, Savile is widely acknowledged as being one of the first (perhaps THE first) to use twin turntables for continuous play of music, thus pioneering the concept of DJing as we know it today. [2][3]The book 'Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: 100 Years of the Disc Jockey' bears this out.

Jimmy later lived in Salford and worked as manager of the Plaza Ballroom on Oxford Road, Manchester in the mid fifties. He lived on Clowes Street in Higher Broughton, Salford and was often seen sat on his front door steps. To many locals he was an odd, scruffy character and a bit of a 'beatnik'. Savile was a hospital porter at Broadmoor Hospital and became a semi-professional sportsman, competing in the 1951 Tour of Britain cycle race and working as a professional wrestler. He also managed the Mecca Locarno ballroom in Leeds around the late 50s and early 60s, prior to becoming a household name. He was the first[citation needed] to play popular Rock-n-Roll records during the dance bands' interval for the younger dancers. Mecca also owned the Palais, a dance hall in Ilford, Essex and Jimmy also did a stint as manager there between 1952 and 1953. His Monday evening records-only dance sessions (admission one shilling) were a huge favourite with local teens.[citation needed]

[edit] Television career

In 1960 he presented Tyne Tees Television's music programme Young at Heart. Although the show was broadcast in black and white, Savile dyed his hair a different colour every week.[2]

On New Year's Day, 1964, he presented the first edition of British music chart television programme Top of the Pops from a television studio - a converted church - in Rusholme, Manchester. On July 30 2006, he also co-hosted the final edition, ending the show with the words "It's still number one, it's Top of the Pops", before being shown after the closing credits turning off the studio lights. He presented the television programme Jim'll Fix It from 1975 to 1994.

He is also remembered for fronting a long running series of advertisements in the early 1980s for British Rail's InterCity 125 (in which he declared "This is the age of the train") and a series of Public Information Films promoting road safety, notably "Clunk Click Every Trip" which was about wearing seatbelts, the clunk representing the sound of the door and the click the sound of the seatbelt fastening. This led to Savile hosting his own Saturday night chat/variety show on BBC1 from 1973 entitled Clunk, Click, which in 1974 featured the UK heats for the Eurovision Song Contest featuring Olivia Newton-John. After two series, the show was replaced by Jim'll Fix It.

He was featured on This Is Your Life twice. His second appearance was a result of the production team being unaware of his previous appearance. He also appeared in a very memorable Louis Theroux documentary, which exposed what a strange and eccentric character he is in real life.

Savile visited the Celebrity Big Brother house on January 14 and January 15, 2006. During these visits he "fixed it" for some of the housemates to receive their wish; for example, Pete Burns received a message from his significant other and friend while Dennis Rodman was able to trade Savile's offering for a supply of cigarettes for other housemates.

Savile has recently returned to television with Jim'll Fix It Strikes Again, in which he shows some of the most popular 'fixits' ever, recreating them with the same people, as well as making new dreams come true.

[edit] Radio career

Savile started his radio career working as a Radio Luxembourg DJ from 1958 to 1967.

In 1968 he joined BBC Radio 1, where he initially presented Savile's Travels and the discussion show Speakeasy. His best-remembered contribution to Radio 1, however, is the Sunday lunchtime show Jimmy Savile's Old Record Club, where entire top tens from years gone by were played. The format was similar to Alan Freeman's Pick of the Pops show. It began in 1973 (initially called The Double Top Ten Show) and ended in 1987, at which point he left Radio 1 after 19 years.

He was then heard on Local Classic Gold stations around the UK where he revived his Radio 1 shows. He remained there up until 1997.

In 1994, satirist Chris Morris announced on BBC Radio 1 (as a joke) that Savile had collapsed and died, which allegedly drew threats of legal action from Savile and forced an apology from Morris.

On December 25, 2005, and January 1, 2007, Savile presented shows on the Real Radio network which revisited festive charts of 10, 20 and 30 years previously.

[edit] Catchphrases and appearance

Savile's catchphrases include "How's about that, then?", "Now then, now then, now then", "Goodness gracious", and "Guys and gals". Savile has frequently been spoofed for his distinctive appearance, which almost always consists of a track suit or shell suit, along with gold jewellery.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Other information

Jimmy lives in a penthouse apartment overlooking Roundhay Park, Leeds (shown in the aforementioned documentary) and is frequently spotted in the local area, jogging, eating in Italian restaurants and generally going about his life.

One of the United Kingdom's most recognisable personalities, aside from his TV and radio work Jimmy has carried out a considerable amount of charity work, including raising money for the Stoke Mandeville Hospital where he also worked as a volunteer porter. For years, he was the honorary president of Phab and has "helped raise" over £40,000,000[3].

Savile is also well known for running marathons (many of them again for Phab, including their annual half marathon around Hyde Park). He completed the London Marathon in 2005.

He was named as one of the Radio Times "Top 40 most eccentric TV presenters of all time" in July 2004. A bachelor, Savile lived with his mother (whom he refers to as "The Duchess") until her death, and has kept her bedroom and wardrobe exactly as it was when she died. Every year he has her clothes dry cleaned.

He is rumoured to have a grand piano in his flat, on which he recorded a piano version of the song Afraid to Shoot Strangers by the English band Iron Maiden (see [4]).

Savile has one of the most commonly misspelt names in show business: the correct spelling is "Savile" with one 'l' (as in Savile Row), not two.

He is a member of Mensa [4], in the entry tests his IQ was assessed as 149.

UK Punk band The Toy Dolls dedicated their novelty song "When You're Jimmy Savile" to him.

Jimmy is teetotal.

A Rolls Royce driver, Savile is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. At one point his 'personalised' car registration plate was HIS 1. As he became successful he famously acquired a pink Rolls-Royce and in the 1960's and 70's was often seen around the Manchester area, particularily in Market Street before pedestrianisation.

He also has a bench in memory of himself with the words 'Jimmy Savile - but not just yet!' engraved on it, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

He has a long association with the Fort William area of Scotland and ran part of the Ben Nevis Race course several times in his younger days. He has had a house in Glen Coe for some years and lives there part of the time. He has been Honorary Chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games for 35 years and most years led the pipe band through Fort William to the Games. He could not do the final Top of the Pops live because of his commitment to the Lochaber Highland Games so it was recorded in the previous week. He announced his retirement from the honorary post at the games on 29 July 2006 but said he will continue as a "Special Friend" of the games.[5]

According to the BBC News website (15/11/07) in November 2007 the eighty-one year old Savile was "mugged" by a fan who made off with his glasses whilst in a Leeds, England hotel. According to Savile, he was walking down a corridor of the Queens Hotel at around midnight after attending a function at the hotel when he became aware of a woman walking beside him. The former DJ assumed the woman was going to hug him but instead reached for his glasses before sprinting off down the corridor. On being mugged Savile later said "I thought it was marvellous, it was just like old times!". Savile has promised his 'assailant' a box of chocolates for giving him a "50s thrill in 2007".[6]

[edit] Works

Books

[edit] Discography

  • Jimmy Savile, "Ahab the Arab" 1962 with Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.
  • Jimmy Savile (Backing Vocals) "Shaddap You Face" 1981 with Joe Dolce.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/03/17/nosplit/ftwdet17.xml
  2. ^ Sixties Pop and Music Television 1960-64. Sixties City. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
  3. ^ Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends: When Louie met Jimmy BBC documentary, 13th April 2000
  4. ^ http://www.lycos.co.uk/celebrity/clevercelebs.html

[edit] External links