For the leader of the English cricket team's Barmy Army, popularly known as Jimmy Savile, see Vic Flowers.

Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile OBE, KCSG (born 31 October 1926), commonly known as Jimmy Savile, is an English DJ, actor and television 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 as both the first and last presenter of Top of the Pops.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Television career 3 Radio career 4 Honours 5 Works 6 Discography 7 External links 8 References

Early life

Savile was born in Leeds, where he resides to this day, one of 7 children of a bookmakers clerk. He was a Bevin Boy, drafted during World War II to work as a coal miner. He later worked as manager of the Plaza Ballroom on Oxford Road, Manchester in the mid fifties. He also managed the Mecca Locarno ballroom in Leeds around the late 50's and early 60's, prior to becoming a household name. He was an early inovator of the 'Rock-n-Roll' DJ. He was the first to play popular Rock-n-Roll records during the dance bands interval for the younger dancers. He was also a hospital porter at Broadmoor Hospital. He also became a semi-professional sportsman, competing in the 1951 Tour of Britain cycle race and as a professional wrestler.

Savile was the first person to DJ using two turntables and a microphone, which he did at the Grand Records Ball at the Guardbridge Hotel.

Television career

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 commercials 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 was the sound of the door and the click was the sound of the seatbelt).

In 1974 he hosted the BBC's Eurovision Song Contest selection show, A Song for Europe.

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 memorable Louis Theroux documentary.

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.

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 here up until 1997.

In 1994 Chris Morris announced on BBC Radio 1 (as a joke) that Savile had collapsed and died; this prompted legal action.

On December 25, 2005, and January 1, 2007, Savile presented shows on the Real Radio network.

Honours

• In 1971 he was awarded the OBE, which he always subsequently appended to his signature.
• In 1990 he was knighted for his services in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. The same year he was honoured with a papal knighthood from the Vatican making him a Knight Commander of Saint Gregory the Great (KCSG).
• He holds an honorary doctorate of law (LLD) from Leeds University.
• He is an Honorary fellow of the Royal College of Radiology (FRCR).
• He is a Knight of Malta and an Esteemed Friend of Israel.

His catchphrases include "How's about that, then?", "Now then, now then, now then" and "Guys and gals". He has frequently been spoofed for his distinctive appearance (track suit, lots of jewellery, cigar and masses of white hair). He 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 recognised personalities, he 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, and for years he was the honorary president of Phab. In total he has "helped raise" over £40,000,000.

He is also known for running marathons (many of them again for Phab, including their annual half marathon around Hyde Park) and 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, he 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 [1]).

Savile also 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. In the entry tests his IQ was assessed as 149.

UK Punk band The Toy Dolls dedicate their song "When your Jimmy Savile" in his honor.

He is teetotal.

A Rolls Royce driver, he is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. At a time, his licence plate was HIS 1.

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. [2]

Works

Books

• Jimmy Savile, Love is an Uphill Thing, ISBN 0-340-19925-3, Coronet 1976
• Jimmy Savile, As it happens, ISBN 0-214-20056-6, Barrie & Jenkins 1974
• Jimmy Savile, God'll Fix It, ISBN 0-264-66457-4, Mowbray, Oxford 1979

Discography

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

External links

• Radio Rewind Biography
• Jimmy Savile at the Internet Movie Database
• BBC article about the "Clunk Click Every Trip" safety belt advert featuring Jimmy Savile, including video of the advert
• Entry on Radio Luxembourg DJ page

References

1. Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends: When Louie met Jimmy BBC documentary, 13th April 2000