Edward Tudor-Pole
| Edward Tudor-Pole | |
|---|---|
 Cardiff 2013 | |
| Born |
Edward Tudor-Pole 6 December 1955 Lambeth, London, England, UK |
| Other names | Eddie Tenpole |
Edward Felix Tudor-Pole[1] (born 6 December 1955) is an English musician, singer (as Eddie Tenpole), TV presenter and actor.
Ancestry and name
In interview with Phil Singleton, Tudor-Pole explained the history of his unusual name and said that it is "a bit bogus really." His true name is Edward Pole, a name that goes back to the Norman Conquest. When his great-grandfather did some genealogical research and unearthed a connection to the royal house of Tudor, Tudor was added with the complete surname thereafter becoming "Tudor-Pole".[2]
Musical career
Tudor-Pole formed the band Tenpole Tudor in 1977, and eventually came to prominence after appearing in the film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle as a possible replacement for Johnny Rotten in the Sex Pistols. He sang "Who Killed Bambi?", "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" and a cover version of "Rock Around the Clock" in the film and on the soundtrack.
Tenpole Tudor returned in 1980, signing to Stiff Records and releasing two successful albums, Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary and Let the Four Winds Blow. They had three hit singles, one of them UK Top 10 hit "Swords of a Thousand Men".
After parting ways with his band, he became a solo performer, and continues to play to audiences all over the country. His live acoustic shows tend to attract both ageing punks and new fans attracted by his TV and film roles, and exhibit a mix of punk rock, country-western and pure rock 'n' roll. Each of his tunes pays tribute to a variety of stars. Standard punk anthems stand side by side with influences as diverse as Status Quo, Freddie Mercury, Tammy Wynette and Shakin' Stevens. His last album 'Made It This Far' was released in the summer of 2009.
Acting career
Tudor-Pole has appeared in numerous films and plays, as well as appearances on Top of the Pops, and was the presenter on The Crystal Maze, replacing Richard O'Brien from 1993 until the show's end in 1995.
His film and play credits include The Rocky Horror Show (written by his Crystal Maze predecessor), Jim Cartwright's play 'Road' at the Royal Court Theatre,The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners, Drowning by Numbers, The Queen's Sister, White Hunter, Black Heart with Clint Eastwood and several films by Alex Cox including Sid and Nancy and Straight to Hell.
In Kull the Conqueror, a film from 1997, he played Enaros, an adversary of the title character played by Kevin Sorbo. He also was seen in Quills alongside Geoffrey Rush and Kate Winslet and in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers as Spike Milligan. Most recently he had a small part in an episode of Agatha Christie's Marple entitled "A Pocket Full of Rye", shown in 2009.
His appearance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as Mr. Borgin, the owner of Borgin and Burke's store, was cut from the film, but is included as a deleted scene on the DVD. He also appeared as a sleazy landlord in the 1998 film version of Les Misérables starring Liam Neeson. He also appeared as a ranting street preacher in season two of Game of Thrones.
Personal life
Tudor-Pole was born on 6 December 1955 in Lambeth, London[3] and was educated at King Edward's School in Witley, Surrey. He later attended RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art). He is the grandson of the spiritualist, Wellesley Tudor Pole. He lives in London and has one son. He was also a keen biker for almost 17 years; his motorcycling skills can be witnessed in the early 1990s film Tunnel of Love, in which he played the lead role of "The Biker".
References
- ↑ Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. Adrian Room, p 483
- ↑ God Save the Sex Pistols website, "Ed Tudor-Pole in conversation with Phil Singleton." Quoted by permission. Accessed 9 March 2013.
- ↑ England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916–2005, vol.5c, p1516
External links
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