Another musing from Neil K.
I want to write a little more about Neil but, first, let me show you what he passed to me a few days ago.
Ten years ago we had Steve Jobs, Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and Jimmy Saville; now we’ve no jobs, no cash, no hope and no one to fix it.
I’m aware that there will be many people who read this who may not be familiar with Jimmy Saville and his long-running television programme Jim’ll Fix It. Here’s a taste of that programme,
Sir Jimmy was an amazing man and natural performer. More on his life later. Let me turn back to Neil.
Those of you who are regular readers of Learning from Dogs will have seen over the last few months a number of entries from Devon friend of many years, Neil K. Neil’s surname is Kelly, no relation to the infamous Ned Kelly! Do a search from the home page of the Blog for more of Neil’s contribtions. Or try this one, The Story of Adam & Eve’s Pets.
Anyway, Neil has very kindly offered to contribute on a regular basis and, of course, I welcomed that with open arms. So a big ‘thank you’ from me and I’m sure many others will look forward to Neil’s contributions. Neil is updating his website, at which point I will ask Neil to say a little more about himself.
Back to Jimmy Saville.
There’s a comprehensive report of the life of Sir Jimmy Saville on Wikipedia here but, perhaps this further YouTube video is just as nice a way of understanding Jimmy. (Sound track is a little quiet.)
Veteran broadcaster and charity campaigner Sir Jimmy Savile has died at his home in Leeds. He would have celebrated his 85th birthday on Monday. Police found his body when they were called to his home at 12.10pm on Saturday. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
Born in Leeds in 1926, the youngest of seven children, Savile is perhaps best-known for the wildly successful 70s TV series Jim’ll Fix It. Thousands of children would write into the show in the hope of having their wishes granted.
Sir Jimmy was widely regarded as Britain’s first ever celebrity DJ, fronting the original series of Top Of The Pops. He was invited back to present the final show in 2006 with former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read.
“He was an exceptional character in a world that’s got greyer, more normal, more dull,” Mr Read told Sky News. “He was a one off. He was the first to go into halls and clubs and play records. You knew it was Jimmy, he stood out in the crowd. He was pure, pure showbiz.”
Another former DJ-ing colleague, Tony Blackburn, told Sky News nobody ever got close to the “real” man.
“He was just a big, over-the-top personality. He was just great fun. He was an unusual person, a one off.”
Savile’s distinctive style and catchphrases endeared him to the British public, whose support enabled him to reportedly raise over £40m for charity over the course of his career. He was awarded an OBE in 1972 and was knighted by the Queen in 1990 for his charity work. In 2009 he received an honorary degree from the University of Bedfordshire for his support of the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury.
A notoriously private man, Savile never married and very little is known about his personal life. However, in 2000 he was the subject of a Louis Theroux documentary which revealed something of his life, including his closeness to his mother who he affectionately called “The Duchess”.
Mr Theroux said he is “deeply saddened” by the news, describing the Yorkshireman as a “professional enigma”.
“He lived his life according to his maxim, often uttered, ‘If it ain’t a game it’s a shame’.He loved to entertain, to dazzle, and to joke. In an age of agents, PRs, and media handlers, he was completely the opposite, utterly free of showbiz airs. He was as far from being a diva as one could imagine. There won’t be another one like him.”
Friend and fellow DJ Dave Lee Travis has also paid tribute. “For some unknown reason, with Jim, you couldn’t anticipate that he wasn’t going to be around anymore – he was such a powerful presence,” he told Sky News.
“He was one of the first DJs that actually became a personality. He was a very larger-than-life character, and I think we’re all going to be worse off without him around.”
Jim’ll Fix It ran for over 20 years and, at its peak, received 20,000 letters a week from eager children.
“Jimmy fixed it for me to fly with the Red Arrows in 1990,” fan Rhys Appleton told Sky News.
“What a guy. Gave you all the time in the world. A genuinely nice man. Will be sadly missed.”
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