Rolf Harris
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== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
| - | Aussie board-wobbler, painter, singer, animal-discusser and genial TV host, with a lively taste in shirts | + | Aussie board-wobbler, painter, singer, animal-discusser and genial TV host, with a lively taste in shirts. |
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
| - | His hit singles included ''Two Little Boys'', which was the very last UK number one of the (ahem) swinging sixties, and an eccentric cover version of ''Stairway to Heaven''. He claims that he performed his interpretation of the latter based solely on the sheet music, having never heard Led Zeppelin's original version. And you know what, we believe him. | + | His hit singles included ''Two Little Boys'', which was the very last UK number one of the (ahem) swinging sixties, and an eccentric cover version of ''Stairway to Heaven''. He claims that he performed his interpretation of the latter based solely on the sheet music, having never heard Led Zeppelin's original version. And you know what, we believe him. Another highly memorable song of his is "Jake The Peg" (with his extra leg) - Harris has often performed this live, complete with the aforementioned additional limb. |
| - | He presented his own series, "Rolf Harris Cartoon Time", for some years, in which he drew the cartoon characters before showing the cartoons - and guess what? He'd constantly use his catchphrase, "Can you tell what it is yet?" throughout the programme | + | He presented his own series, "Rolf Harris Cartoon Time", for some years, in which he drew the cartoon characters before showing the cartoons - and guess what? He'd constantly use his catchphrase, "Can you tell what it is yet?" throughout the programme. |
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| + | One episode of "The Goodies", entitled 'Scatty Safari', showed the trio running a safari park that contained celebrities rather than animals and introducing Rolf Harris to the park, only to find that they were soon very worryingly overrun with Rolf Harrises all over the country. The Goodies therefore piped (or rather didgereedoo'd), Pied Piper-style, the umpteen Rolfs off the scene (ie to ITV) except for one, who was lame (Jake The Peg, of course). Apparently, Rolf himself would have been more than happy to have appeared as himself in this episode, except that he was never asked, because the Goodies and their production team didn't think that he would, so instead we had actors playing his part. What a shame - it certainly shows that it's often worth asking. | ||
His career was suddenly revived in the mid-1990's, when he started hosting and narrating "Animal Hospital" for the BBC. His natural charm and personality and real interest in and empathy for the animals involved shone through at all times and proved a major hit with viewers. | His career was suddenly revived in the mid-1990's, when he started hosting and narrating "Animal Hospital" for the BBC. His natural charm and personality and real interest in and empathy for the animals involved shone through at all times and proved a major hit with viewers. | ||
Revision as of 00:21, 29 November 2009
Biography
Aussie board-wobbler, painter, singer, animal-discusser and genial TV host, with a lively taste in shirts.
Trivia
His hit singles included Two Little Boys, which was the very last UK number one of the (ahem) swinging sixties, and an eccentric cover version of Stairway to Heaven. He claims that he performed his interpretation of the latter based solely on the sheet music, having never heard Led Zeppelin's original version. And you know what, we believe him. Another highly memorable song of his is "Jake The Peg" (with his extra leg) - Harris has often performed this live, complete with the aforementioned additional limb.
He presented his own series, "Rolf Harris Cartoon Time", for some years, in which he drew the cartoon characters before showing the cartoons - and guess what? He'd constantly use his catchphrase, "Can you tell what it is yet?" throughout the programme.
One episode of "The Goodies", entitled 'Scatty Safari', showed the trio running a safari park that contained celebrities rather than animals and introducing Rolf Harris to the park, only to find that they were soon very worryingly overrun with Rolf Harrises all over the country. The Goodies therefore piped (or rather didgereedoo'd), Pied Piper-style, the umpteen Rolfs off the scene (ie to ITV) except for one, who was lame (Jake The Peg, of course). Apparently, Rolf himself would have been more than happy to have appeared as himself in this episode, except that he was never asked, because the Goodies and their production team didn't think that he would, so instead we had actors playing his part. What a shame - it certainly shows that it's often worth asking.
His career was suddenly revived in the mid-1990's, when he started hosting and narrating "Animal Hospital" for the BBC. His natural charm and personality and real interest in and empathy for the animals involved shone through at all times and proved a major hit with viewers.
He recently (and famously) painted a portrait of The Queen.
Books / Tapes
To be added.
Contact
c/o Billy Marsh Associates Ltd, 76A Grove End Road, London, NW8 9ND
Web links
Profile at Billy Marsh Associates
