| Billy T James | |
|---|---|
| Born | William James Te Wehi Taitoko 17 January 1948[1] Cambridge, Waikato, New Zealand[1] |
| Died | 7 August 1991 (aged 42) |
| Cause of death | Heart failure |
| Resting place | Mount Taupiri |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Ethnicity | Māori |
| Occupation | Comedian |
| Known for | Famous New Zealand personality |
Billy T James, (17 January 1948 – 7 August 1991), born William James Te Wehi Taitoko, was a New Zealand entertainer, comedian and actor. He starred in numerous TV shows and variety programmes and performed on stage and in motion pictures.
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James joined the Maori Volcanics Showband in the 1970s and performed around the world. Going solo in Australia and then New Zealand saw him in great demand for his skits and impressions and his cabaret singing. He adopted the stage name "Billy T. James" because "it was something the Australians could pronounce".
In 1980 he appeared in the television variety show Radio Times, the success of which led to his own comedy sketch show in 1981: The Billy T. James Show, featuring Peter Rowley and Annie Whittle. He was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1981 and Entertainer of the Decade in 1985. He made a notable appearance in the 1985 feature film Came a Hot Friday, directed by Ian Mune.
In 1986 James and Chris Slane published a comic book called Billy T. James: Real Hard Case, followed in 1987 by Real Hard Case 2. James also provided a voice for the 1986 animated film, Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tail.
In 1988 James suffered a major heart attack and underwent a quadruple bypass operation. The operation was not successful, and in November 1989 he received a heart transplant. He returned to the stage in April 1990 in the variety special Billy T James, Alive and Giggling. Among the special guests was Howard Morrison, another famous Māori entertainer. James followed this with a family sitcom devised by himself and Tom Parkinson of Isambard Productions, also called The Billy T. James Show. Starring effectively as himself, James' co-stars were Ilona Rodgers and Mark Hadlow, with Tania Wehi and Willa O'Neill.[1] (The pilot for the series was not broadcast, but was included on Te Video: Billy T. James and Friends, a VHS compilation of classic James moments released by Isambard Productions.)
James' health deteriorated swiftly following a stage show in February 1991, and he died of heart failure on 7 August 1991. He was well known for his trademark yellow towel, black singlet and black shorts used in the skits,Te News and Marae Witness News. He is remembered for his famous 'Māori chuckle', and his quotes: "If it wasn't for the Poms you'd all be the same colour as me, mate!",[2] and "I'm half Scot, half Māori. One half wants to drink and the other doesn't want to pay for it".
Billy is survived by his daughter Cherie James, herself an award nominated actress and presenter of the successful documentary, "A Daughter's Story" about her father.
In December 2010, funding was given for the production of a biopic based on Billy T. James' life.[3] In March 2011 it was revealed the film was to be titled "Billy" and was to star Tainui Tukiwaho as Billy T. James and Morgana O'Reilly as his widow.[4] The film premiered on 21 August 2011 on TV One. However immediately following the biopic an article in North And South magazine in October 2011 pointed out that the story was based on stories by Billy's ex-wife, who left Billy for another man seven years prior to his death.
A documentary was also created, directed by Ian Mune and was released in August 2011 with the name Billy T: Te Movie.[5]