Jimmy Savile

Sir Jimmy Savile
Born	James Wilson Vincent Savile (1926-10-31) 31 October 1926 Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Nationality	British
Occupation(s)	DJ, actor, television and radio personality
Known for	Jim'll Fix It, Top of the Pops

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 media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC chart show Top of the Pops. He is also noted for his support of various charities and fundraising efforts.

Early life

Savile was born in Leeds, one of 7 children born to Agnes Monica (Kelly) and Vincent Joseph Marie Savile, a bookmakers clerk and insurance agent. He was a Bevin Boy, conscripted 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; according to his autobiography, the first person to use two turntables and a microphone, which he did at the Grand Records Ball at the Guardbridge Hotel in 1947. Savile is widely acknowledged as being one of the first in England to use twin turntables for continuous play of music, thus pioneering the concept of DJing as we know it today.

Savile later lived in Salford and worked as manager of the Plaza Ballroom on Oxford Road, Manchester in the mid fifties. He lived on Great Clowes Street in Higher Broughton, Salford and was often seen sitting on his front door steps. 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 has said

"If you look at the athletics of it, I've done over 300 professional bike races, 212 marathons and 107 pro fights." He proudly announces that he lost 35 of his first 35 fights. "No wrestler wanted to go back home and say a long-haired disc jockey had put him down. So from start to finish I got a good hiding. I've broken every bone in my body. I loved it."

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.

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 30 July 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 turning off the studio lights after the closing credits. 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 Louis Theroux documentary.

Savile visited the Celebrity Big Brother house on 14 January and 15 January 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.

Current Jimmy now resides on the Island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides where he spends his time collecting winkles on the shores and he is also a member in a local folk band called the five bearded rocklings.

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.

From 1989 to 1997 he was heard on various stations around the UK (mostly taking the Gold format, such as the West Midlands' Xtra AM and the original Classic Gold network in Yorkshire) where he revived his Radio 1 shows.

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 25 December 2005, and 1 January 2007, Savile presented shows on the Real Radio network. The Christmas 2005 show counted down the festive Top 10s of 10, 20 and 30 years previously, while the New Year 2007 show (also taken by Century Radio following its acquisition by GMG) featured Savile recounting anecdotes from his past and playing associated records, mostly from the 1960s although some were from the 1970s.

Catchphrases and appearance

Savile's catchphrases include "How's about that, then?", "Now then, now then, now then", "Goodness gracious", "as it happens" (pronounced "as it 'appens") 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.

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 is a member of Mensa.

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.

Savile is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and drives a Rolls Royce; when he became successful he acquired a pink Rolls-Royce and at one time his personalised car registration plate was HIS 1.

In November 2007 Savile was mugged by a fan who made off with his glasses whilst in a Leeds 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. He assumed the woman was going to hug him but she instead reached for his glasses before sprinting off down the corridor. He 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".

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.

Savile was interviewed by the BBC on 20 November, 2008 when he was asked about the return of the programme Top of The Pops which is being revived for a Christmas comeback to which he said he would welcome a "cameo role" on the programme. [1]

Honours

• In 1971 he was awarded the OBE, which he always subsequently appended to his signature.
• Awarded honorary Commando Green Beret by the Royal Marines.
• 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 honourary 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.
• He is a Freeman, of the Borough of Scarborough

Charitable works

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 worked for many years as a volunteer porter. For years, he was the honorary president of Phab and has helped raise over £40,000,000.

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.

Works

Books

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

Recordings

• 1962 : "Ahab the Arab" with Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.

External links

• BBC article about the "Clunk Click Every Trip" safety belt advert featuring Jimmy Savile, including video of the advert