Members (Members of the Order of the British Empire)
Recipients of the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) past and present.
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- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born May 5, 1988) is a British singer-songwriter who has sold millions of albums worldwide and won a total of 15 Grammys as well as an Oscar. Adele's first two albums, 19 and 21, earned her critical praise and a level of commercial success unsurpassed among her peers. After becoming a mom in 2012, Adele returned to the charts with the ballad "Hello" in 2015, the lead single from what was dubbed her comeback album 25. In 2017 she won five Grammys for her work on 25, including album, record and song of the year.Early on, Adele developed a passion for music. She gravitated toward the songs of Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige and Destiny's Child. But her true, eye-opening moment came when she was 15 and she happened upon a collection of Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald records at a local shop. "There was no musical heritage in our family," Adele told The Telegraph in a 2008 interview. "Chart music was all I ever knew. So when I listened to the Etta James and the Ella Fitzgerald, it sounds so cheesy, but it was like an awakening. I was like, oh, right, some people have proper longevity and are legends. I was so inspired that as a 15-year-old I was listening to music that had been made in the '40s."While clearly bright, Adele wasn't oriented towards traditional classroom settings. Instead, her mother enrolled her in the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology, which counts Amy Winehouse as an alum.While at school, Adele cut a three-track demo for a class project that was eventually posted on her MySpace page. When executives at XL Recordings heard the tracks, they contacted the singer and, in November 2006, just four months after Adele had graduated school, signed her to a record deal.
Adele has recorded a total of three studio albums since the beginning of her career in 2008: 19, 21 and 25.
'19' (2008) Adele's debut album, 19, which is named for the singer's age when she began recording the project, went on sale in early 2008. Led by two popular lead singles, "Adele: Hometown Glory (2009)" and "Adele: Chasing Pavements (2008)" the record rocketed Adele to fame. Released in the United States through Columbia Records, 19 resonated with American audiences, much as it had with British music fans. Adele cemented her commercial success with an appearance in October 2008 on Saturday Night Live (2016). At the taping of the show, the album was ranked No. 40 on iTunes. Less than 24 hours later, it was No. 1.
'21' (2011) Adele's much anticipated follow-up album, 21, again named for her age at the time of recording, did not disappoint upon its release in early 2011. Tapping even deeper into Adele's appreciation for classic American R&B and jazz, the record was a monster hit, selling 352,000 copies within its first week. Anchored by hits like "Adele: Rolling in the Deep (2010)" and "Adele: Someone Like You (2011)" 21 placed Adele in rarified air. In February 2011, she found herself with two Top 5 singles and a pair of Top 5 albums in the same week, becoming the only artist besides The Beatles and 50 Cent to achieve that milestone. And with 21 staying at No. 1 for 11 weeks, Adele also broke the solo female artist record previously held by Madonna's Immaculate Collection for consecutive weeks atop the album charts. 21 went on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide.
'25' (2015) On October 22, 2015, Adele announced that she would release her third album, 25, in November. She posted 25's cover on Instagram, and said of her first full-length studio project in several years: "My last record was a break-up record, and if I had to label this one, I would call it a make-up record. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. 25 is about getting to know who I've become without realizing. And I'm sorry it took so long but, you know, life happened." 25, released in November 2015, is a collection of emotional, sometimes plaintive songs looking at the ins and outs of relationships, owing much of its sound to traditional pop craft. The album went on to become an international smash hit, reaching No. 1 on iTunes in 110 countries. In the U.S., 25 sold 3.38 million copies in seven days, beating the 'NSync record of 2.42 million album copies sold in a week. Among other feats, 25 is also the only album to reach a million copies sold in the U.K. in 10 days.- Actress
April Ashley was born in 1935. Her father was a sailor in the British Royal Navy during WWII with an affinity for drink who sired 10 children in quick succession. As a girl she was frail, refusing to eat most food or drink her school milk and ended up with malnutrition and a calcium deficiency. After leaving the merchant marine, April moved to London at the urging of her friend Ronald Cogan. She worked as a table wiper, bacon slicer and a string of other small jobs to pay the bills. April was absolutely fascinated with London. April acquired the nickname "Eyelashes" after Albert Einstein remarked in the restaurant Quo Vardis in Soho that she should be Madame Butterfly with her thick long lashes. Albert Einstein had asked to be introduced to April (even though she was still dressing androgynous). In 1956, while on holiday in the South of France, April met up with some friends who suggested she work at Le Carrousel nightclub in Paris. The management at Le Carrousel, which specialized in female impersonators, was stunned by her feminine looks. She was immediately asked to join the troupe and stayed with them for four years. April paid 2,000 pounds for her sex-change operation. The process was excruciating and the side-effects - dizziness, nausea and swelling - lasted for two years. As a woman, April felt confident to pursue a career in the public eye. April was queen of the catwalk, Vogue's favorite underwear model photographed by Terence Donovan and David Bailey, and was in constant demand by photographers. She did the Royal shows for Deenfield Furs, appeared in Road to Hong Kong with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Joan Collins. April married Arthur Corbett, son of Lord Rowallen in 1961. They opened a successful nightclub together in Spain and became close friends with Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif. After 7 years of marriage April and her husband filed for divorce. The divorce left April completely without funds and the discovery of her transsexual past by the British tabloids ruined her personal life and modeling career (a la Caroline 'Tula' Cossey). Instead of losing her place in swinging London, though, April rallied by shifting her position slightly and opening a restaurant. April and Desmonds, or AD8, was opened on March 1, 1970, at 8 Egerton Graden Mews, Knightsbridge, just down from Harrods. Lord Lichfield bought it eventually. As London's most glamourous hostess, April was once more all over the paper. She was interviewed about her 23 inch waist, her taste for citrus colours, her beehive, tailored pants and sequined Biba dresses. In 1975, after a massive heart attack, April retreated to Hay-on-Wye on the Welsh border where she lived for 11 years with her dog Flora, before small legacies from two locals allowed her to move to the warmer, more liberal France, Spain and finally America's West Coast.- Being illegitimate he had an unsettled childhood due to his mother not being around much during the first 10 years of his life consequently he was brought up by an aunt. Eventually he met his father, a German named Karl when he was 28, After leaving school he was apprenticed to a Yorkshire firm that built diesel engines for 5 years, In1960 he joined the Merchant Navy with a dream of seeing the world but all he saw was the engine room, After 4 years he settled in London where his first job was with a crew digging the London Victoria tube line tunnel, Relaxing in a folk club he got talking to a man putting on plays with an amateur group and did an audition resulting in him getting a part which led him to be in the last 15 in a drama school in Loughton, Essex, After 3 years he got steady work in the theatre and television including the series Lucky Feller. Soon after he went to Australia where he spent 2 years touring on a motorbike and busking with his guitar before returning to England but all his agent could get him was a tv ad for Yellow Pages which was seen by Granada producers who thought him right for the part of Bill Webster in Coronation Street,
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Ian Anderson, born in Fife, Scotland, is one of the most famous flautists of the last 40 years. A singer and composer, Anderson is also a multi instrumentalist, including acoustic and electric guitars, saxophone, percussion, keyboards, bagpipe, violin, balalaika, clarinet and a large variety of whistles. He is the lead vocalist and founding member of the innovative and influential progressive rock band Jethro Tull. Ian Anderson's style mixes folk, Celtic, jazz, rock, blues and pop, and his lyrics are complex, acerbic and critical of society and religion.
As a flute-player, Anderson is self-taught, his style inspired by another accomplished flautist, Rahsaan Roland Kirk. In 1963 his fellow school friends Barriemore Barlow (drums), John Evan (keyboards), Jeffrey Hammond Hammond (bass guitar) and Michael Stephens (guitar), with Anderson taking singing and harmonica playing duties, formed their first band The Blades, a soul and blues outfit. In 1965 they regrouped into The John Evan Band with major lineup changes. They disbanded two years later when Anderson moved to Luton. In his new surroundings, Ian met the drummer Clive Bunker and the guitarist Mick Abrahams, formerly of McGregor's Engine. With Glenn Cornick, a bassist of The John Evan Band, Anderson created the seed of the group that would become the legendary Jethro Tull. Later, the band would have an ongoing change of members. The most important being the incorporation of Martin Lancelot Barre (guitar), the only musician to remain in the band for more than four decades, who replaced Mick Abrahams in 1969. They also gained Mark Craney (drummer), David Palmer (orchestral arranger) and Eddie Jobson (keyboards and violin, ex-UK and Roxy Music).
Alongside his musical pursuits, he and his wife are the owners of a group of companies including salmon farms in the UK, and as far reaching as Chile, South America. The singer has survived a serious deep vein thrombosis, suffered after air travel. His voice has also suffered in his later years with vocal chord problems.- Actress
- Music Department
- Composer
Joan Armatrading was born on 9 December 1950 in Basseterre, St. Kitts, British West Indies [now Saint Kitts and Nevis]. She is an actress and composer, known for Kill List (2011), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and The Wild Geese (1978).- Tony Adams was born on 10 October 1966 in Romford, Essex, England, UK.
- Viv Anderson was born on 29 August 1956 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Dumping Ground (2013), 1988 UEFA European Football Championship (1988) and Match of the Day 2 (2004).
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Gerry Anderson was born on 14 April 1929 in West Hampstead, London, England, UK. He was a writer and producer, known for Joe 90 (1968), Invasion: UFO (1974) and UFO (1970). He was married to Mary Robins, Sylvia Anderson and Betty Wrightman. He died on 26 December 2012 in Henley-on-Thames, England, UK.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Amma Asante is a British BAFTA award winning screenwriter and director, known for Belle (2013), and A Way of Life (2004). She is a former child actress, who began her writing career at the age of 23 with a script deals from both Channel 4 in the UK and BBC. Her first movie, A Way of Life, which she wrote and directed won her numerous awards, both in the UK and internationally, including FIPRESCI prizes and the Carl Foreman BAFTA Film Award. In 2017 Amma was awarded an MBE on the Queen's New Year's Honours List, for her services to film as a writer and director.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is a British actress known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Young Victoria (2009), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and The Girl on the Train (2016), among many others.
Blunt was born on February 23, 1983, in Roehampton, South West London, England, the second of four children in the family of Joanna Mackie, a former actress and teacher, and Oliver Simon Peter Blunt, a barrister. Her grandfather was Major General Peter Blunt, and her uncle is MP Crispin Blunt. Emily received a rigorous education at Ibstock Place School, a co-ed private school at Roehampton. However, young Emily Blunt had a stammer, since she was a kid of 8. Her mother took her to relaxation classes, which did not do anything. She reached a turning point at 12, when a teacher cleverly asked her to play a character with a different voice and said, "I really believe in you". Blunt ended up using a northern accent, and it did the trick, her stammer disappeared.
From 1999 - 2001, Blunt went to Hurtwood House, the top co-ed boarding school where she would excel at sport, cello and singing. She also had two years of drama studies at Hurtwood's theatre course. In August 2000, she was chosen to perform at the Edinburgh Festival. She was signed up by an agent, Kenneth Mcreddie, who led her to the West End and the BBC, scoring her roles in several period dramas on stage as well as on TV productions, such as Foyle's War (2002), Henry VIII (2003) and Empire (2005). In 2001, she appeared as "Gwen Cavendish" opposite Dame Judi Dench in Sir Peter Hall's production of "The Royal Family" at Haymarket Theatre. For that role, she won the Evening Standard Award for Best Newcomer. In 2002, she played "Juliet" in "Romeo and Juliet" at the prestigious Chichester Festival.
Blunt's career ascended to international fame after she starred as "Isolda" opposite Alex Kingston in Warrior Queen (2003). A year later, she won critical acclaim for her breakout performance as "Tamsin", a well-educated, cynical and deceptive 16-year-old beauty in My Summer of Love (2004), a story of two lonely girls from the opposite ends of the social heap. Emily Blunt and her co-star, Natalie Press, shared an Evening Standard British Film award for Most Promising Newcomer. In 2005, she spent a few months in Australia filming Irresistible (2006) with Susan Sarandon and Sam Neill. Blunt gave an impressive performance as "Mara", a cunning young destroyer who acts crazy and surreptitiously provokes paranoia in others. She also continued her work on British television, starring as "Natasha" in Stephen Poliakoff's Gideon's Daughter (2005), opposite Bill Nighy, a role that won her a 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
She continued the line of playing manipulative characters as "Emily", a caustic put-upon assistant to Meryl Streep's lead in The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Blunt's performance with a neurotic twist added a dimension of sarcasm to the comedy, and gained her much attention as well as new jobs: in two dramas opposite Tom Hanks, then in the title role in the period drama, The Young Victoria (2009). Her most recent works include appearances as antiques dealer "Gwen Conliffe" in The Wolfman (2010) and as the ballerina in The Adjustment Bureau (2011).
Emily is a highly versatile actress and a multifaceted person. Her talents include singing and playing cello; she is also skilled at horseback riding.
On August 28, 2009, Blunt and Krasinski announced their engagement. The couple married on July 10, 2010, at the estate of their friend, George Clooney, on Lake Como in Italy. Blunt and Krasinski live in the Los Angeles area, California, and have two children.Granddaughter of Major General Peter Blunt CB, MBE, GM, FCIT (died in 2003).- Began her career as a professional tennis player when she moved to the USA in 1973. In 1976 she won the French Open Championship, her only Grand Slam title. However, following recurring injuries and loss of form, she retired in 1985, and after a short hiatus began her broadcasting career in Australia, before the BBC recognised her ability. In 2000 she was awarded the MBE for services to tennis and broadcasting.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
June Brown served in the Wrens and was classically trained at the Old Vic Drama School. She enjoyed a long career in the theatre, television and the cinema. The actor Nigel Hawthorne described her as "one of the most beautiful creatures I've seen on stage" after seeing her performance as Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler." Aside from her EastEnders (1985) fame as Dot Cotton, she appeared as "Lady Macbeth" opposite Albert Finney and directed "Double D" at the 1993 Edinburgh Festival.- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Karen Bryson was born on 2 March 1975 in London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), Black Narcissus (2020) and White Wall (2020). She has been married to Chris McMahon since 29 April 2011.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Michael Ball has enjoyed a very successful and varied career over the last 20 years, both in the West End and on the Concert Stage, working with some of the 20th century's most prolific musical theatre composers.
After graduating from the Guildford School of Acting, his professional debut was in "Godspell," playing the role of John the Baptist/Judas. His big break came when he appeared in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" in the role of Frederick. In London's West End, he originated the roles of Marius in "Les Miserables" (his West End Debut) and Alex in "Aspects of Love" - a role he later recreated on Broadway. Michael also played Raoul in "Phantom of the Opera," and Giorgio in Stephen Sondheim's "Passion." In 2001 he appeared on the stage at London's Donmar Warehouse in a one-man show titled "Alone Together." The premise of the show was to tell the story of the life of a performer through song. No props, no orchestra, it was simply Michael alone on the stage with only a pianist accompanying him. The performance was recorded and released on DVD in 2002. He followed his Donmar success by originating the role of Caractacus Potts in the stage adaptation of the popular film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
In May 1992 he represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "One Step Out Of Time." He finished in second place. Following his success in Eurovision, Michael embarked on a recording career, releasing 18 albums in the last 13 years. He also did several tours throughout the United Kingdom. Four of his concerts were released on DVD, "Musicals and More," "Live At the Royal Albert Hall," "This Time It's Personal," and "Live in London."
He returned to "Les Miserables" twice - in 1995 to re-create his role of Marius for the 10th Anniversary Concert Performance at Royal Albert Hall, and again in 2004 when he was asked to play Jean Valjean in a special performance for Queen Elizabeth II and French President Jacques Chirac at Windsor Castle.
In 2004, Michael traveled to Australia, where he did five sold-out concerts. He followed that tour with his first concerts in the U.S., in Salt Lake City Utah. In October of 2004 he reprised his "Alone Together" show in the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, as part of their "Singular Sensations" series.
2005 has been an interesting, active year for him. In February, he unexpectedly returned to the London stage in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical "The Woman in White." He stepped into the role of Count Fosco when Michael Crawford, who originated the role, fell ill. After a month-long concert tour throughout the UK in early summer, Michael went into the recording studio to record his 19th CD, titled Music. In September, he made his New York City Opera Debut in their production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience" at Lincoln Center, playing Reginald Bunthorne. In November, he returned to Broadway after a 15-year absence, playing Count Fosco in the Broadway production of The Woman in White.Son of Tony Ball MBE.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Sound Department
Best known as the voice of David Archer in the BBC Radio series, The Archers, which he has played since 1982, Tim is also an accomplished stage, film, radio and television actor. From the swashbuckling Tom Lacey in the 80s series By The Sword Divided to starring with David Jason in 2012's The Royal Bodyguard, he has recently featured in Twenty Twelve, The Politician's Husband, East Enders, Lucan, Gangsta Granny and played the Home Secretary in the BBC spy series, The Game. He starred as a bank robber in the short film, Locked Up which won Best Short Film at the 2014 Lanzarote Film Festival.
He is a top voice artist and dubbing specialist, also an inventor, writer, travel journalist, computer programmer and musician. He went to Harrow, University of East Anglia, and trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
In 2012 he won Celebrity Mastermind, (specialist subject Winnie the Pooh), beat Judith Keppel head-to-head in Celebrity Eggheads, then defeated Linford Christie and and the tallest couple in Britain in Pointless Celebrities!
Besides broadcasting to 5 million listeners daily in The Archers, he is the voice of James Bond in The World Is Not Enough computer game, Victor Saltzpyre in the video game Vermintide, and for 15 years was strangely familiar to Londoners as the voice of "Mind The Gap" on the Piccadilly Line.
In 2017 he published his autobiography, "Being David Archer - And Other Unusual Ways of Earning a Living".
In 2018 he was made MBE for Services to Drama, receiving his award from the Prince of Wales.
He lives in London with his wife Judy, a leading hat designer, and has two sons, Will and Jasper.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Jeremy Beadle was born on 12 April 1948 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was a writer and producer, known for Ultra Quiz (1983), Hot Shots (1994) and Eureka (1982). He was married to Susan (Sue) Maria Marshall. He died on 30 January 2008 in Westminster, London, England, UK.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
James Christopher Bolam was born in the Sunderland Maternity Home on 16th June 1935 to Marion and Robert Bolam. Later after completing his education at Bede Grammar School he went to drama school then into repertory in Dundee with Sir Ralph Richardson before moving to London. Married to actress Susan Jameson with daughter Lucy, born in 1976 they eventually moved from Fulham to near Horsham in Sussex. He now owns two race horses, 'King Credo', which by 1993 had won three top races including the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury which repaid his purchase and training costs and 'Unique New Yorker'- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
The Beatles were an English rock band that became arguably the most successful act of the 20th century. They contributed to music, film, literature, art, and fashion, made a continuous impact on popular culture and the lifestyle of several generations. Their songs and images carrying powerful ideas of love, peace, help, and imagination evoked creativity and liberation that outperformed the rusty Soviet propaganda and contributed to breaking walls in the minds of millions, thus making impact on human history.
In July of 1957, in Liverpool, Paul McCartney met John Lennon. Both were teenagers. Paul impressed John with his mastery of acoustic guitar, and was invited to join Lennon's group, The Quarrymen. George Harrison joined them in February of 1958. In 1959 they played regular gigs at a club called The Casbah. They were joined by vocalist Stuart Sutcliffe, and by drummer Peter Best, whose mother owned The Casbah club. Early incarnations of the band included The Quarrymen, Johnny & the Moon Dogs, and The Silver Beetles. John Lennon dreamed up the band's final name, The Beatles, a mix of beat with beetle. In 1960 The Beatles toured in Hamburg, Germany. There they were joined by Ringo Starr, who previously played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. In Hamburg, The Beatles made their first studio work as a backing band for singer Tony Sheridan's recordings for the German Polydor label, however, in the credits the band's name was changed to The Beat Brothers. From February 1961 to August 1963, The Beatles played a regular gig at the Cavern. They were paid five pounds for their first show, rising to three hundred pounds per show in 1963. In two and a half years The Beatles gave 262 shows at the Cavern in Liverpool.
Brian Epstein was invited to be the manager of the Beatles in November 1961. His diplomatic way of dealing with the Beatles and with their previous manager resulted in a December 10, 1961, meeting, where it was decided that Epstein would manage the band. A 5-year management contract was signed by four members at then-drummer Pete Best's home on January 24, 1962. Epstein did not put his signature on it, giving the musicians the freedom of choice. At that time McCartney and Harrison were under 21, so the paper wasn't technically legal. None of them realized this and it did not matter to them. What mattered was their genuine trust in Epstein. He changed their early image for the good. Brian Epstein made them wear suits and ties, classic shoes, and newer haircuts. They were advised to update their manners on stage and quit eating and drinking in public. Brian Epstein worked hard on both the Beatles' image and public relations. He improved their image enough to make them accepted by the conservative media. Most if not all of their communication off-stage was managed by Brian Epstein.
On January 1, 1962, The Beatles came to London and recorded fifteen songs at the Decca Records. They were not hired, but the material helped them later. During the year 1962, they made several trips to London and auditioned for various labels. In May of 1962 Epstein canceled the group's contract with Tony Sheridan and the German label. Brian Epstein was persistent in trying to sign a record deal for the Beatles, even after being rejected by every major record label in UK, like Columbia, Philips, Oriole, Decca, and Pye. Epstein transferred a demo tape to disc with HMV technician Jim Foy, who liked their song and referred it to Parlophone's George Martin. On June 6, 1962, at the Abbey Road studios, they passed Martin's audition with the exception of Pete Best. George Martin liked them, but recommended the change of a drummer. Being asked by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison; Epstein fired Pete Best. After a mutual decision the band was completed with Ringo Starr, who duly became the fourth Beatle. In September of 1962 The Beatles recorded their first hit Love Me Do, which charted in UK, and reached the top of the US singles chart.
London became their new home since 1963. On February 11, 1963, The Beatles recorded the entire album 'Please, Please me' in one day, working non-stop during ten-hour studio session. In May and June, 1963, the band made a tour with Roy Orbison. In August of 1963, their single She Loves You became a super hit. Their October 1963 performance at the London Palladium made them famous in Great Britain and initiated the Beatlemania in the UK. The show at the London Palladium was broadcast live and seen by twelve million viewers. Then, in November 1962, The Beatles gave a charity concert at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. There, performing for the rich and famous, John Lennon made his famous announcement: Would the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry.
In early performances the Beatles included popular songs from the 40s and 50s. They played rock-n-roll and R&B-based pop songs while they gradually worked on developing a style of their own. Their mixture of rock-n-roll, skiffle, blues, country, soul, and a simplified version of 1930s jazz resulted in several multi-genre and cross-style sounding songs. They admitted their interest in the music of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Little Richard and other entertainers of the 40s, 50s and early 60s. Beatles' distinctive vocals were sometimes reminiscent of the Everly Brothers' tight harmonies. By 1965 their style absorbed ethnic music influences from India and other Oriental cultures, and later expanded into psychedelic experiments and classical-sounding compositions. Their creative search covered a range of styles from jazz and rock to a cosmopolitan cross-cultural and cross-genre compositions.
Initially the Beatles were a guitars and drums band. In the course of their career every member became a multi-instrumentalist. George Harrison played the lead guitar and also introduced such exotic instruments as ukulele, Indian sitars, flutes, tabla, darbouka, and tampur drums. John Lennon played a variety of guitars, keyboards, harmonicas and horns. Paul McCartney played bass guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, piano and keyboards, as well as over 40 other musical instruments. The Beatles were the first popular band that used a classical touch of strings and keyboard instruments; their producer George Martin scored Baroque orchestrations in several songs, such as Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, In My Life, and a full orchestra in Sgt. Pepper. John Lennon and Paul McCartney played piano in many of their songs. Their jamming on a piano together led to creation of their best-selling hit I Want to Hold Your Hand in 1963.
At first the Beatles were rejected by Dick Clark after testing a recording of their song on his show. Then Brian Epstein approached Ed Sullivan, who discussed them with Walter Cronkite after seeing them on his CBS Evening News in 1963. Brian Epstein also managed to get their music played by influential radio stations in Washington and New York. The US consumer reaction was peaking, a single 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' was released in December 1963 by the Capitol Records. Their sensational tour in the USA began with three TV shows at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, in February of 1964. After that The Beatles endured several years of extremely intensive recording, filming, and touring. They stopped public performances after 1966, but continued their recording contracts. By 1985 The Beatles had sold over one billion records. Music became their ticket to ride around the world. Beatlemania never really ended since its initiation. It still lives as a movable feast in many hearts and minds, as a sweet memory of youth, when all you need is love and a little help from a friend to be happy.
The Beatles' first two feature films, A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help (1965), were made in collaboration with an American director, Richard Lester. Their humorous, ironic, and farcical film performances are reminiscent of the Marx Brothers' comedies. Later The Beatles moved into the area of psychedelic innovations with the animated film Yellow Submarine (1966). Their surrealistic TV movie The Magical Mystery Tour (1967) became the cause for the first major criticism of their work in the British press. Their film music was also released as studio albums. Original music by The Beatles as well as re-makes of their songs has been also used, often uncredited, in music scores of feature films and documentaries. Some of The Beatles concert and studio performances were filmed on several occasions and were later edited and released after the band's dissolution. In 1999 the remastered and remixed film The Beatles Yellow Submarine Adventure (2000) delighted a younger audience with incredible animation and songs.
All four members were charismatic and individually talented artists, they sparked each other from the beginning. Eventually they made a much better group effort under the thorough management by Brian Epstein. His coaching helped consolidate their talents and mutual stimulation into beautiful teamwork. Paul McCartney had the privilege of a better musical education, having studied classical piano and guitar in his childhood. He progressed as a lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, as well as a singer-songwriter. McCartney wrote more songs for the Beatles than other members of the band. His songs Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, Blackbird, When I'm 64, Let It Be are among the Beatles' best hits. Yesterday is considered the most-covered song in history with over three thousand versions of it recorded by various artists. McCartney accepted the agreement that was offered by John Lennon in 1957, about the 50/50 authorship of every song written by either one of them. Most of The Beatles' songs are formally credited to both names, regardless of the fact that many of the songs were written individually.
On June 25, 1967, The Beatles made history becoming the first band globally transmitted on TV to an estimated 400 million people worldwide. The Beatles were a segment in the first-ever worldwide satellite hook-up and their new song "All You Need Is Love" was broadcast live during the show. Two months later The Beatles lost their creative manager Brian Epstein, whose talent for problem-solving was unmatched. "That was it, the beginning of the end", said Lennon. Evolution of each member's creativity and musicianship also led to individual career ambitions.
John Lennon was experimenting with psychedelic poetry and art. His creativity was very unique and innovative. Lennon wrote Come Together, Girl, Revolution, Strawberry Fields and many other Beatles' hits. An out-of-context reprinting of Lennon's remarks on the Beatlemania phenomenon caused problems in the media. His comparison of Beatles' popularity to that of Jesus Christ was used to attack them publicly, causing cancellations of their performances and even burning of their records. Lennon had to apologize several times in press and on TV, including at a Chicago press conference. In 1967 John Lennon met Japanese artist Yoko Ono, whom he later married. George Harrison was the lead guitar player and also took sitar lessons from Ravi Shankar. Harrison had his own inner light of creativity and spirituality, he wrote Something, Taxman, I me mine, and other hits. Ringo Starr sang 'Yellow Submarine' and a few other songs. He has made a film career and also toured with his All Stars Band and released several solo albums. His 1973 release "Ringo" was the last album to feature all four living Beatles, although not on the same song.
The Beatles created over 240 songs, they recorded many singles and albums, made films and TV shows. Thousands of memorable pictures popularized their image. In their evolution from beginners to the leaders of entertainment, they learned from many world cultures, absorbed from various styles, and created their own. Their cross-style compositions covered a range of influences from English folk ballads to Indian raga; absorbing from Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Elvis Presley, Everly Brothers, Little Richard, and others. The songwriting and performing talents of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, fused in the Beatles' music. Lennon and McCartney initiated changes in music publishing industry by breaking the Tin Pan Alley monopoly of songwriting. Their legacy became possible due to highly professional work by Brian Epstein and George Martin. In 1994 three surviving members reunited and produced Lennon's previously unknown song 'Free as a Bird'. It was preserved by Yoko Ono on a tape recording made by Lennon in 1977. The song was re-arranged and re-mixed with the voices of three surviving members. The Beatles Anthology TV documentary was watched by 420 million people in 1995.
The Beatles represent the collective consciousness of several generations. Millions of viewers and listeners across the universe became conditioned to the sounds and images of The Beatles. Their influence on the modern world never stopped. Numbers may only show the tip of the iceberg (record sales, shows admissions, top hits, etc.). As image-makers and role models they pushed boundaries in lifestyle and business, affecting customers behavior and consumption beyond the entertainment industry by turning all life into entertainment. A brilliant blend of music and lyrics in their songs made influence on many minds by carrying messages like: give peace a chance and people working it out. A message more powerful than political control, it broke through second and third world censorship and regulations and set many millions free.
Steve Jobs, being a big fan of Paul McCartney and The Beatles, referred to them on many occasions and also was interviewed on a showing of a Paul McCartney concert. When asked about his business model, Steve Jobs replied: My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each other's negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts. Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people.
The Beatles made impact on human history, because their influence has been liberating for generations of nowhere men living in misery beyond the Iron Curtain. Something in their songs and images appealed to everybody who wanted to become free as a bird. Their songs carrying powerful ideas of real love, peace, help, and imagination evoked creativity that outperformed the rusty Soviet propaganda and contributed to breaking chains and walls in the minds of millions. The Beatles expressed themselves in beautiful and liberating words of love, happiness, freedom, and revolution, and carried those messages to people across the universe. Their songs and images helped many freedom-loving people to come together for revolutions in Prague and Warsaw, Beijing and Bucharest, Berlin and Moscow. The Beatles has been an inspiration for those who take the long and winding road to freedom.
Even after The Beatles had gone, the individual members continued to spread their message; from the concert for Bangladesh by George Harrison and Ringo Starr in 1971, to 2003 "Back in USSR" concert by Paul McCartney on the Red Square in Moscow, and his 2004 show near the Tsar's Winter Palace in St. Petersburg where the Communist Revolution took place, just imagine.
In 2005 the Entertainment magazine poll named The Beatles the most iconic entertainers of the 20th Century. In July of 2006, the guitar on which Paul McCartney played his first chords and impressed John Lennon, was sold at an auction for over $600,000.
In July 2012, Paul McCartney rocked the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He delivered a live performance of The Beatles's timeless hit "Hey Jude" and engaged the crowd of people from all over the world to join his band in a sing along finale. The show was seen by a live audience of 80000 people at the Olympic Park Stadium in addition to an estimated TV audience of two billion people worldwide.- Actor
- Writer
Roy Barraclough began his career as a draughtsman, taking time off to work as an entertainer in a holiday camp on the Isle of Wight. Combining his day job with local amateur theatre for several years, he was eventually offered a full-time acting contract by repertory theatre producer Nita Valerie with her company in Huddersfield. Barraclough regularly appeared on stage and at times played piano in the pit, including for comedian Hylda Baker.
Barraclough later joined the repertory company at Stoke (appearing alongside Ben Kingsley) and then Oldham in 1966, appearing alongside Barbara Knox and Anne Kirkbride, who later both became colleagues on Coronation Street (1960). Whilst at Oldham he made his first TV appearances for Granada Television, including Coronation Street in 1964.
In 1969, he was cast as Harry Everitt in Yorkshire Television's first soap opera Castle Haven with Kathy Staff as his on-screen wife. Although the soap only lasted a year, Barraclough became a regular guest actor on YTV shows. It was whilst having lunch in the canteen there that he was asked to stand in for a missing actor on the first series of The Les Dawson Show. It was the start of a working relationship which would last many years both at YTV and the BBC. Barraclough appeared in the Jack Rosenthal sitcom The Lovers (1970) playing a grumpy barman. He played a similar role in the Rising Damp episode ("Pink Carnations", 1978) and also appeared in ITV's sitcom George & Mildred (1976).
Throughout the 1970s, he formed a partnership with comedian Les Dawson. They played two grotesque old ladies '...of a certain age...', Dawson playing Ada Shufflebotham, Barraclough playing Cissie Braithwaite, the more 'refined' of the two. In 1972 he gained a legion of young fans in the memorable children's series Pardon My Genie (1972-73) as ironmonger Mr Cobbledick, Hal Adden was played by Ellis Jones.
Barraclough made occasional appearances in Coronation Street in 1972 and 1975, playing the rather sleazy Alec Gilroy, theatrical agent to night club singer Rita Littlewood. He returned permanently in 1986 and a marriage to Bet Lynch was included in his character's narrative. After several departures and comebacks, Barraclough finally left Coronation Street at the end of 1998.
Barraclough was later to appear in a sitcom, Mother's Ruin (1994), in which he played a bachelor dominated by his belligerent mother (Dora Bryan). He made a guest appearance in Last of the Summer Wine ("Has Anyone Seen A Peruvian Wart? 2005) playing opposite his friend Kathy Staff and appeared in a variety of TV shows including _Casualty_, Peak Practice (1994, 2001) and Funland (2005).
In 2009, he played the vicar in the BBC1 drama All the Small Things and from 2012 to 2013 he played Maurice in Last Tango in Halifax. In 2016 he played Mr Grainger in a reboot of Are You Being Served?. In 2001, he appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.
On stage, Barraclough appeared in everything from musicals (The Boy Friend and Gypsy) to high drama (Death of a Salesman and A Different Way Home) and Christmas shows and pantomimes. He created the role of Santa in the lavish stage musical Santa Claus, which he reprised for several Christmases.- Actor
- Additional Crew
R.S.M. Brittain was born on 12 September 1899 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Lisa (1962), Rotten to the Core (1965) and The Concrete Jungle (1960). He died on 9 January 1981 in Chester, Cheshire, England, UK.- Born in South London on Sept 5, 1935, to Ernest and Rose Briggs, Johnny had a younger sister, Barbara, who died in 1955 at age 15. As a boy, he sang soprano in a church choir and during World War II he was evacuated to the safety of the English countryside. Back in London he won a scholarship, at age 12, to the Italia Conti Stage Academy. Among his classmates were Nanette Newman and Anthony Newley. A scattering of parts followed in movies, stage plays and TV shows. In 1953 Johnny began two years of service in Germany with the Royal Tank Regiment. He then resumed his acting career.
In 1961 he married Caroline Sinclair and they had two children, Mark and Karen, before divorcing in 1975. In 1975 Johnny married schoolteacher Christine Allsop and they've had four children: Jennifer, Michael, Stephanie, and Anthony. British audiences know him best as 'Mike Baldwin', the part he played on the Coronation Street (1960) TV series for almost 30 years beginning in 1976. American audiences are more likely to remember him as the young sailor who was stripped to the waist and flogged in 1962's Damn the Defiant! (1962)! Though working less frequently these days, Johnny remains an avid golfer. - Eric Bristow was born on 27 April 1957 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Heartlands (2002), Never the Twain (1981) and The Unipart British Professional Darts Championship (1981). He was married to Jane Higginbotham. He died on 5 April 2018 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK.
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Jenson Button was born on 19 January 1980 in Frome, Somerset, England, United Kingdom. He is an actor and producer, known for Breakneck, The Last Weekend and Untitled Jenson Button Project.- Actor
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Rob Brydon was born on 3 May 1965 in Swansea, Wales, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016), Marion & Geoff (2000) and Barbie (2023). He has been married to Claire Holland since 6 October 2006. They have two children. He was previously married to Martina ?.- Roger Black was born on 31 March 1966 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK. He is married to Julia Burgess. They have two children. He was previously married to Elsa de Vassoigne.
- Trevor Brooking was born on 2 October 1948 in Barking, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Match of the Day Live: UEFA Cup (1997), Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (2005) and Pro Evolution Soccer 2 (2002).
- Peter Beardsley was born on 18 January 1961 in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Shouting Men (2010), Englandneworder: World in Motion (1990) and 1988 UEFA European Football Championship (1988).
- Transportation Department
Derek Bell was born on 31 October 1941 in Pinner, Middlesex, England, UK. He is known for Le Mans (1971), Formula 1 (1950) and Art on Wheels (2023).- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Don Burrows was born on 8 August 1928 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was a composer and actor, known for Fluteman (1982), Two Thousand Weeks (1969) and Death of a Soldier (1986). He died on 12 March 2020 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.- Composer
- Actor
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Gary Brooker was born on 29 May 1945 in Southend, Essex, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for Oblivion (2013), The Net (1995) and Widows (2018). He was married to Françoise Riedo. He died on 19 February 2022 in Surrey, England, UK.- Actor
- Producer
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Considered a legend of English football, especially by Liverpool fans, John Barnes was born in Jamaica and moved to England aged 12. His most notable playing career was for Watford between 1981 and 1987 and Liverpool between 1987 and 1997. He also played in 79 matches for England, scoring 11 goals, and was a member of the England squads for the 1986 World Cup, when the team reached the quarterfinals, and the 1990 World Cup, when England reached the semifinals, which became their best run since 1966 (and remained so until 2018). He also famously performed a rap on (and appeared in the video for) the New Order World Cup song "World in Motion", which was a number-one hit in 1990. He finished his England career as the country's most capped black footballer.- Actor
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Born in Glasgow, Scotland, and raised in Joliet, Illinois. He returned to the UK, for a 6 month Shakespeare semester with the United States International University of San Diego, but left to star in the musical production of "Anything Goes," with Elaine Paige. He went on to star in "Miss Saigon," "Matador," "Rope," and "Hair" at London's West End. Barrowman has homes in London and Cardiff, Wales.- Music Department
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Kuljit Bhamra is known for The Four Feathers (2002), Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Frank Bruno was born on 16 November 1961 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Calcium Kid (2004), Family Fortunes (1980) and Cass (2008). He was previously married to Laura Mooney.- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
- Actress
- Edith Cavell was born on 4 December 1865 in Swardeston, Norfolk, England, UK. She was a writer, known for Nurse and Martyr (1915) and Les funérailles d'Edith Cavell (1915). She died on 12 October 1915 in Brussels, Belgium.
- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
Eliza Carthy is known for Tulip Fever (2017), Eliza and Martin Carthy - Live at the Pavilion (2018) and BBC Music: God Only Knows (2014).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sharon D Clarke was born on 12 August 1966 in England, UK. She is an actress, known for Rocketman (2019), Tau (2018) and Holby City (1999). She has been married to Susie McKenna since 15 June 2008.- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Executive
David Coulthard was born on 27 March 1971 in Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire [now Dumfries & Galloway], Scotland, United Kingdom. He is an actor and executive, known for FIA World Rally Championship (2014), Formula 1 (2016) and Heineken: WYDND (2018). He was previously married to Karen Minier.- Actor
- Producer
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James Cosmo was born on 24 May 1948 in Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Braveheart (1995), Troy (2004) and Highlander (1986). He has been married to Annie Harris since 24 May 2000.- Ray Clemence was born on 5 August 1948 in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything (1999), First Division Liverpool FC versus Derby County (1978) and 1984 UEFA Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur Vs Anderlecht (1984). He was married to Veronica M. Gillespie. He died on 15 November 2020 in Desborough, Northamptonshire, England, UK.
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Russell Ira Crowe was born in Wellington, New Zealand, to Jocelyn Yvonne (Wemyss) and John Alexander Crowe, both of whom catered movie sets. His maternal grandfather, Stanley Wemyss, was a cinematographer. Crowe's recent ancestry includes Welsh (where his paternal grandfather was born, in Wrexham), English, Irish, Scottish, Norwegian, Swedish, Italian, and Maori (one of Crowe's maternal great-grandmothers, Erana Putiputi Hayes Heihi, was Maori).
Crowe's family moved to Australia when he was a small child, settling in Sydney, and Russell got the acting bug early in life. Beginning as a child star on a local Australian TV show, Russell's first big break came with two films ... the first, Romper Stomper (1992), gained him a name throughout the film community in Australia and the neighboring countries. The second, The Sum of Us (1994), helped put him on the American map, so to speak. Sharon Stone heard of him from Romper Stomper (1992) and wanted him for her film, The Quick and the Dead (1995). But filming on The Sum of Us (1994) had already begun. Sharon is reported to have held up shooting until she had her gunslinger-Crowe, for her film. With The Quick and the Dead (1995) under his belt as his first American film, the second was offered to him soon after. Virtuosity (1995), starring Denzel Washington, put Russell in the body of a Virtual Serial Killer, Sid6.7 ... a role unlike any he had played so far. Virtuosity (1995), a Sci-Fi extravaganza, was a fun film and, again, opened the door to even more American offers. L.A. Confidential (1997), Russell's third American film, brought him the US fame and attention that his fans have felt he deserved all along. Missing the Oscar nod this time around, he didn't seem deterred and signed to do his first film with The Walt Disney Company, Mystery, Alaska (1999). He achieved even more success and awards for his performances in Gladiator (2000), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and A Beautiful Mind (2001).Grandson of a recipient, Stan Wemyss who worked for Geoff Murphy MBE.- Alastair Cook was born on 25 December 1984 in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England, UK.
- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Martin Carthy was born on 21 May 1940 in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Serjeant Musgrave's Dance (1965), Remember Me (2014) and Plays of Today (1969). He was previously married to Norma Waterson.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The son of a naval officer who ran what were called "concert parties", Kenneth Connor made his stage debut at age two, and by 11 was performing in both a solo act and a doubles act with his brother in various revue shows. He later decided to become a serious actor rather than just a revue performer, and attended a professional music and drama school. After a six-year stint in the army, he returned to the theater as an actor, and secured quite a few roles on the stage. For all his training, though, he found his greatest success doing voice characterizations on radio comedy shows. His success there led to his being cast in the first "Carry On" film, and he went on to become one of the regulars in the long-running series. After it ended Connor did a lot of television work, and achieved another round of success as the undertaker Alphonse in the popular TV series, 'Allo 'Allo! (1982). He died of cancer in 1993.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Richard Curtis was born on 8 November 1956 in Wellington, New Zealand. He is a writer and producer, known for Love Actually (2003), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and About Time (2013).- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Peter Cattaneo was born on 1 July 1964 in Twickenham, London, England, UK. He is a director and producer, known for The Full Monty (1997), Opal Dream (2006) and The Rocker (2008).- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Robin Cousins was born on 17 August 1957 in Bristol, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for The Sleeping Beauty (1987), The Nutcracker: A Fantasy on Ice (1984) and The Cutting Edge (1992).- Producer
- Actor
- Stunts
Hong Kong's cheeky, lovable and best-known film star, Jackie Chan endured many years of long, hard work and multiple injuries to establish international success after his start in Hong Kong's manic martial arts cinema industry.
Jackie was born Kong-sang Chan on April 7, 1954, on Hong Kong's famous Victoria Peak, to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, and the family immigrated to Canberra, Australia, in early 1960. The young Jackie was less than successful scholastically, so his father sent him back to Hong Kong to attend the rigorous China Drama Academy, one of the Peking Opera schools. Chan excelled at acrobatics, singing and martial arts and eventually became a member of the "Seven Little Fortunes" performing troupe and began lifelong friendships with fellow martial artists / actors Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Biao Yuen. Chan journeyed back and forth to visit his parents and work in Canberra, but eventually he made his way back to Hong Kong as his permanent home. In the early 1970s, Chan commenced his movie career and interestingly appeared in very minor roles in two films starring then rising martial arts superstar Bruce Lee: Fist of Fury (1972) (aka "The Chinese Connection"), and the Warner Bros. production Enter the Dragon (1973). Not long after Lee's untimely death, Chan was often cast in films cashing in on the success of Bruce Lee by utilizing words like "fist", "fury" or "dragon" in their US release titles.
Chan's own film career was off and running and he swiftly appeared in many low-budget martial arts films that were churned out at a rapid-fire pace by Hong Kong studios eager to satisfy the early 1970s boom in martial-arts cinema. He starred in Shaolin Wooden Men (1976), To Kill with Intrigue (1977), Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978) and Magnificent Bodyguards (1978), which all fared reasonably well at the cinemas. However, he scored a major breakthrough with the action comedy Drunken Master (1978), which has become a cult favorite among martial arts film fans. Not too long after this, Chan made his directorial debut with The Young Master (1980) and then "Enter the Dragon" producer Robert Clouse lured Jackie to the United States for a film planned to break Jackie into the lucrative US market. Battle Creek Brawl (1980) featured Jackie competing in a "toughest Street fighter" contest set in 1940s Texas; however, Jackie was unhappy with the end result, and it failed to fire with US audiences. In a further attempt to get his name known in the United States, Jackie was cast alongside Burt Reynolds, Sir Roger Moore and Dean Martin in the Hal Needham-directed car chase film The Cannonball Run (1981). Regrettably, Jackie was cast as a Japanese race driver and his martial arts skills are only shown in one small sequence near the film's conclusion. Stateside success was still a few years away for Jackie Chan!
Undeterred, he returned to East Asia to do what he did best--make jaw-dropping action films loaded with amazing stunt work. Chan and his legendary stunt team were without parallel in their ability to execute the most incredible fight scenes and action sequences, and the next decade would see some of their best work. Chan paired with the dynamic Sammo Kam-Bo Hung to star in Winners & Sinners (1983), Project A (1983), Wheels on Meals (1984), My Lucky Stars (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 2"), Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 3"). Chan then journeyed back to the United States for another shot at that market, starring alongside Danny Aiello in The Protector (1985), filmed in Hong Kong and New York. However, as with previous attempts, Jackie felt the US director--in this case, James Glickenhaus--failed to understand his audience appeal and the film played to lukewarm reviews and box-office receipts. However, Jackie did decide to "harden" up his on-screen image somewhat and his next film, Police Story (1985) was a definite departure from previously light-hearted martial arts fare, and his fans loved the final product!
This was quickly followed up with the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)-influenced Armour of God (1986), during filming of which Jackie mistimed a leap from a wall to a tree on location in Yugoslavia and fell many quite a few feet onto his head, causing a skull fracture. It was another in a long line of injuries that Chan has suffered as a result of doing his own stunt work, and he was soon back in front of the cameras. Project A 2 (1987), Police Story 2 (1988), Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989) (aka "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose)", Armour of God 2: Operation Condor (1991) (aka "Armour of God 2") and Supercop (1992) (aka "Police Story 3") were all sizable hits for Jackie, escalating his status to phenomenal heights in Asia, and to his loyal fanbase around the globe. US success was now just around the corner for the hard-working Jackie Chan, and it arrived in the form of the action film Rumble in the Bronx (1995) (though it was actually filmed in Canada) that successfully blended humor and action to make a winning formula in US theaters.
Jackie did not waste any time and went to work on First Strike (1996) (aka "Police Story 4"), Mr. Nice Guy (1997), Who Am I? (1998), which all met with positive results at the international box office. Jackie then went to work in his biggest-budget US production, starring alongside fast-talking comedian Chris Tucker in the action comedy Rush Hour (1998). The film was a bigger hit than "Rumble in the Bronx" and firmly established Jackie as a bona fide star in the United States. Jackie then paired up with rising talent Owen Wilson to star in Shanghai Noon (2000) and its sequel, Shanghai Knights (2003), and re-teamed with Tucker in Rush Hour 2 (2001), as well as starring in The Tuxedo (2002), The Medallion (2003) and the delightful Around the World in 80 Days (2004). Not one to forget his loyal fanbase, Jackie returned to more gritty and traditional fare with New Police Story (2004) and The Myth (2005). The multi-talented Chan (he is also a major recording star in Asia) shows no sign of slowing down and has long since moved out of the shadow of Bruce Lee, to whom he was usually compared early in his career.
Chan is truly one of the international film industry's true maverick actor / director / stuntman / producer combinations - he has done this the hard way, and always his way to achieve his dreams and goals to be an international cinematic star. Off screen, he has been directly involved in many philanthropic ventures providing financial assistance to schools and universities around the world. He is a UNICEF GoodWill Ambassador, and he has campaigned against animal abuse and pollution and assisted with disaster relief efforts to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami victims.- Sebastian Coe is a British politician and former track and field athlete.
As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, including the 1500 meters gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. He set nine outdoor and three indoor world records in middle-distance track events - including, in 1979, setting three world records in the space of 41 days - and the world record he set in the 800 meters in 1981 remained unbroken until 1997.
Following Coe's retirement from athletics, he was a member of parliament for the Conservative Party from 1992 to 1997 for Falmouth in Cornwall, and became a Life Peer on 16 May 2000.
He headed the successful London bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics and became chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. In 2007, he was elected a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and re-elected for another four-year term in 2011. In August 2015, he was elected president of the IAAF.
In 2012, Coe was appointed Pro-Chancellor at Loughborough University where he had been an undergraduate, and is a member of the University's governing body. In November 2012, he was appointed chairman of the British Olympic Association.MBE in 1982 - Actress
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Elizabeth Mary "Betty" Driver, MBE was a British actress and singer, best known for her role as Betty Williams (previously Betty Turpin) on the British soap opera, Coronation Street (1960) from 1969 to 2011, appearing in more than 2,800 episodes.
She had previously appeared as Mrs Edgley in Coronation Street spin-off Pardon the Expression (1965-1966) opposite Arthur Lowe. Her early career focussed on her as a singer, appearing in musical films such as Boots! Boots! in 1934, opposite George Formby and Penny Paradise in 1938, directed by Carol Reed. She was made an MBE in the 2000 New Year Honours.
At the age of 8, Driver began performing professionally, forced by her mother to appear with Terence Byron Repertory Theatre Company. She was singing for the BBC by the age of 10 and began touring across the UK in her first revue at the age of 12. While performing in London at the age of 14, Driver was spotted by the agent Bert Aza, who was in partnership with his brother Archie Pitt, Gracie Fields' husband. Despite her young age, he booked her for the lead in a revival of Mr Tower Of London, which had brought Gracie Fields to prominence 19 years earlier. She was also approached by George Formby after he and his wife Beryl Formby saw her perform in Manchester. The Formbys wanted Driver to appear in their new film Boots! Boots!, but according to Driver, when Beryl Formby saw her rehearsing, she decided that she did not want to be outperformed by Driver and sent her away; however, the producers felt so bad about the way Betty Driver was treated that they refused to take her name off the film credits, even though she did not appear in the theatrical release. In fact, it is now known that Driver did indeed perform in the film and her scene was included in the original release. In 1938, an edited version of the film was released which did not include Driver's scene. A restored version of the film (including Driver's scene) has recently been released on DVD which finally confirms the involvement of Driver in the film.
At 16 she was in a West End show called Home and Beauty. Film director Basil Dean, after seeing her in Jimmy Hunter's Brighton Follies, cast her in the 1938 film Penny Paradise, filmed at ATP studios in Ealing. After a few months of variety and radio work, she returned to the studio to make her second film, Let's Be Famous. They had just completed the film when the Second World War was announced and the studios were closed down. Nineteen at the time, Driver resumed touring the country in variety shows. It was at this time that her act and image altered. Against her mother's wishes, Driver and her sister modernised her performance and Driver became a ballad singer. Shortly after, during a six-month run in a revue called Twice In A Blue Moon, Driver and her sister parted company with their mother following a cardiac asthma attack which restricted her mobility.
Driver continued in variety, opening in the Coventry Hippodrome and sharing the bill with the Andrews family - father Ted, mother Barbara and Julie. She made regular trips to Bristol to sing on a radio show called Ack Ack Beer Beer and made her final film in 1941 Facing the Music.
In the 1940s, she became a noted big band singer. During the Second World War, Driver travelled through Europe with ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association), entertaining the troops. She also appeared for seven years on the radio show Henry Hall's Guest Night and on her own show, A Date with Betty, which was broadcast live from the People's Palace in London's East End on 14 July 1949. The show's format was based around Driver singing, doing sketches and introducing guests. All her words were scripted by a young Bob Monkhouse. She recorded many popular tunes in the 1940s and became an established singer during this time. When she was 14, she made her first record "Jubilee Baby", and had another major success with "The Sailor with the Navy Blue Eyes" and made several more hit records. Betty travelled to Australia where she performed her own show and her career took her to Cyprus, Malta and the Middle East. On her return to England she appeared in various Ealing Comedies, on stage in The Lovebirds, Pillar to Post and What A Racket, and on television with James Bolam in Love on the Dole.
In 1964, she auditioned for the role of Hilda Ogden on the television series Coronation Street (the role went to actress Jean Alexander as the casting directors wanted someone who did not weigh as much). She was cast later in the series Pardon the Expression, a spin-off of Coronation Street alongside Arthur Lowe. She has described Lowe as "such a difficult man to work with", so after a much-publicised injury (she damaged her back after the script called for throwing Arthur Lowe), she retired and started running a pub, the Cock Hotel in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, with her sister Freda.
In 1969, she was persuaded to come out of retirement to play police officer's wife Betty Turpin on Coronation Street, a role she would play for over 40 years. She was the longest serving barmaid in the history of the Rover's Return and Betty's Hot Pot (served at lunchtime in the Rovers) is an iconic dish, which has also been offered as a ready meal in UK supermarkets.
She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1976 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.
Driver wrote a memoir on her years in radio and television, called Betty, which was published in 2000. In an interview on the Parkinson show on 11 November 2006, Sir Ian McKellen revealed that Driver still drove herself into work at 07:30am each morning, despite her age. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the Millennium New Year's Honours List on 31 December 1999.
In August 2008, it was announced that Driver was one of several Coronation Street stars facing large salary cuts. In April 2010 Driver was reportedly admitted to hospital with a chest infection. In May 2010 Driver was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards. There were also rumours that Driver was to retire, however these were confirmed as false. Driver vowed in September 2010 never to retire stating that: "If I retire, I'll be dead in six months with boredom" and stated she still "loved" being part of Coronation Street.
On 23 January 2011, Driver was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
On 11 May 2011, Driver was rushed to hospital, suffering from pneumonia. She died on 15 October, aged 91, after around six weeks in hospital.- Sylvia Butterfield MBE, known professionally as Elizabeth Dawn or Liz Dawn, was an English actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. First starting on the serial in 1974, she had more of a recurring role as a factory worker until her husband Jack (played by William Tarmey) first appeared in 1979, and later a more concrete role in 1983. For her role as Vera, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 British Soap Awards. She was made an MBE in the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Dawn started her show business career as a nightclub singer. By the late 1960s she had ventured into acting, often taking small parts in television programmes as well as advertisements. During the 1970s she appeared in a variety of programmes including All Creatures Great and Small and Colin Welland's play Leeds United, as well as an early appearance in Crown Court as a non-speaking background artist.
In January 1990, Dawn was featured on This is Your Life. She published her autobiography, Vera Duckworth - My Story, in 1993.
In 2000, Dawn was chosen as the Lady Mayoress of Leeds and was awarded an MBE in October of that year for her services to charity, having helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for hospitals in the Manchester and Leeds areas.
On 12 October 2010, Dawn appeared in a wheelchair at the naming ceremony of the new Cunard cruise ship, MS Queen Elizabeth in Southampton.
She appeared at the 2011 British Soap Awards giving the Lifetime Achievement Award to her former co-star Bill Tarmey.
On 12 June 2014, Dawn was the subject of one of five celebrity specials of The Jeremy Kyle Show. She appeared on the show, talking about her career and health.
On 11 November 2015, it was announced that Dawn was to briefly come out of retirement and make a guest appearance in Emmerdale over Christmas 2015, in the role of Mrs Winterbottom. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Eileen Derbyshire was born on 6 October 1930 in Urmston, Manchester, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Coronation Street (1960), Coronation Street: A Christmas Corrie (2012) and All Star Comedy Carnival (1969). She was previously married to Thomas Holt.- Director
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Erica started taking and developing photos at the age of twelve with a Nikon EM camera and a set of lens that her father made for her. Joe Dunton BSC, MBE is a BAFTA winning cinematographer and legendary camera and lens technician who invented the video assist in 1968. She grew up on the sets of Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Alan Parker and spent much of her youth learning from DP's like Freddie Francis BSC, Jack Cardiff BSC, Pete Biziou BSC, Freddie Young BSC and Billy Williams BSC. Her brothers both became cinematographers. It is in her blood and she was born with an eye. Yet her most important gift is that she is an actors' director. Her spirit excites actors and her instincts for finding the moments in-between the lines has proved invaluable in helping casts navigate emotional terrains. She has become known as a director actors can trust, a director who will help them do their best work, day in, day out. She sees directing as a collaborative sport and believes in the balance of helping actors follow their own instincts yet at the same time creating space to play with new possibilities. The place where Dunton feels most at home is on a set and in the edit room. She strives every day to be prepared, work hard, have fun, make her day and lead with compassion towards everyone on the cast and crew. Dunton graduated from Durham University with a law degree and then went on to study for three years at the UK's National Film and Television School, NFTS. She has written, directed and produced multiple award winning features... Her first feature film "Find Love" starred Christian Camargo, Alexie Gilmore and Craig Sheffer. It successfully premiered at Slamdance, where it was picked up for distribution by Lionsgate/Maple and won several awards including the 'Best Independent Vision' at Sarasota Film Festival. John Anderson wrote for Variety that, "Dunton comes close to the epiphany of erotic connection." Her second feature "The 27 Club" starred Joe Anderson and introduced Eve Hewson, The Knick, Tesla. It premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and also won many awards including, 'Best Script, Film and Director' at the Milan Film Festival. It is distributed by IFC. Variety wrote, "Dunton displays a lightness of touch that defies social norms." Her third feature "To.get.her" introduced Jazzy De Lisser, Game of Thrones and Adwoa Aboah, Ghost in the Shell. It won the Best of Next Audience Award and also the Best Fiction Film at Sarasota FF and Best American Indie at RiverRun FF. This Week magazine called it, "The smartest film I have ever seen at Sundance." Erica directed the indie feature "Black Eyed Dog" starring Mackenzie Foy, Hilarie Burton, Joshua Leonard and Paul Schneider. Erica's latest feature "Abigail Falls" stars Jazzy De Lisser and Billy Baldwin. Her multiple television credits include "Bluff City Law" for Nbc, "Baker and The Beauty" for Abc, Freeform's "The Bold Type" and "Good Trouble", the Cw's "One Tree Hill" and E's "The Royals" plus the Dolly Parton Anthology Series "Heartstrings" for Netflix with Bellamy Young, Scandal, Holly Taylor, The Americans, Robert Taylor, Longmire, and Golden Globe Winner Camryn Manhiem.Daughter of Joe Dunton BSC MBE.- Sharron Davies was born on 1 November 1962 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Optimist (1983), 3-2-1 (1978) and Olympic Games (1936). She has been married to Tony Kingston since 2002. They have one child. She was previously married to Derek Redmond and John Crisp.
- Matt Dawson was born on 31 October 1972 in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Jamie Johnson (2016), A Question of Sport (1970) and Inside England Rugby: Sweet Chariot (2003).
- Actor
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Steve Davis was born on 22 August 1957 in Plumstead, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Harry's Mad (1993), Make My Day (2002) and Swiss Toni (2003). He was previously married to Judith Greig.- Actor
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Fred Dinenage is a television presenter who has hosted quiz shows, including Gambit (1975) and Tell the Truth (1989), as well as his own documentary series, such as Fred Dinenage Murder Casebook (2011). However, he is probably best known as one of the original presenters of the childrens' television series How (1966), and its two revivals, How 2 (1990) and How (2020). Born in Birmingham, most of his work for the ITV network has been for their southern region, with Southern Television and, later, TVS, being the producer of a number of his shows.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Slim Dusty was born on 13 June 1927 in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for The Slim Dusty Movie (1984), Wolf Creek 2 (2013) and Dirty Deeds (2002). He was married to Joy McKean. He died on 19 September 2003 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.- Kenny Dalglish was born on 4 March 1951 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He is an actor and editor, known for First Division Liverpool FC versus Derby County (1978), Will (2011) and Eyewitness to History (1959). He has been married to Marina Dalglish since 26 November 1976. They have four children.
- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Phyllis Dalton was born on 16 October 1925 in London, England, UK. She is a costume designer, known for Doctor Zhivago (1965), The Princess Bride (1987) and Much Ado About Nothing (1993). She is married to Dalton.- Actor
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- Composer
Jim Dale began his career as a stand-up comic. He sharpened his comedy skills during a stint in the army, where he organized and performed in camp shows. After his discharge he pursued a comedy career, and landed a job as the warm-up comic on a musical variety show. He did so well that the producers gave him a spot on the show as a singer, and he quickly became a recording star. He was signed for a small part in one of the "Carry On" films, Carry on Cabby (1963), but the audience reaction to him was so great the he was soon made a regular member of the cast. Unlike many comics, Dale insisted on performing his own stunts, and in fact injured his arm performing a stunt in Carry on Again Doctor (1969), his last film of the series until 1992.
After his departure from the series he returned to the stage, notably in Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theater. In the 1970s Dale moved to the US for film and stage work, achieving success in the Broadway show "Barnum" and in a string of film comedies for Disney.
He returned to Britain in 1992 for an appearance in the final "Carry On" film, Carry on Columbus (1992).- James DeGale was born on 3 February 1986 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK.
- Producer
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Stacey Dooley was born on 9 March 1987 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She is a producer, known for Justice (2003), Blackpool's Dance Fever (2022) and Stacey Dooley Investigates (2009).- Alan Edwards was born on 3 June 1892 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Show-Off (1934), Mr. Ace (1946) and Help! Help! Police! (1919). He was married to Nita Pike. He died on 8 May 1954 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Sir Gareth Owen Edwards CBE (born 12 July 1947) is a Welsh former rugby union player who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".
In 2003, in a poll of international rugby players conducted by Rugby World magazine, Edwards was declared the greatest player of all time. In 2007, former England captain Will Carling published his list of the '50 Greatest Rugby players' in The Telegraph, and ranked Edwards the greatest player ever, stating; "He was a supreme athlete with supreme skills, the complete package. He played in the 1970s, but, if he played now, he would still be the best. He was outstanding at running, passing, kicking and reading the game. He sits astride the whole of rugby as the ultimate athlete on the pitch". - Actress
- Additional Crew
Dawn Lorraine Fraser (born 4 September 1937) is an Australian freestyle champion swimmer and former politician. She is one of only three swimmers to have won the same Olympic event three times - in her case the women's 100-metre freestyle. Fraser was born in the Sydney suburb of Balmain, New South Wales in 1937 into a poor working-class family, the youngest of eight children. Her father, Kenneth Fraser, was from Embo, Scotland. She was spotted at the early age of 14 by Sydney coach Harry Gallagher swimming at the local sea baths. Within Australia, she is often known for her controversial behaviour and larrikin character as much as for her athletic ability.- Actor
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Justin Fletcher was born on 15 June 1970 in Reading, Berkshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015), Something Special (2004) and Jollywobbles! (2010).- Andrew Flintoff was born in Preston, Lancashire. He played in the Lancashire Leagues for Preston before being picked up as a school boy by Lancashire County Cricket Club. 'Freddie' as he is more often known made his debut for England in the home test series against South Africa in July 1998.
He more recently helped England win one of, if not the best series of all time against an experienced Australian side, taking 24 wickets and making 400 runs. Known earlier in his career as a big hitter he never reached his potential until the last 2 years when his batting has become more stable and controlled. His 73 v Australia in the second test match helping England win and level the series. - Les Ferdinand was born on 8 December 1966 in Paddington, London, England, UK.
- Nick Faldo was born on 18 July 1957 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, UK. He was previously married to Valerie Bercher, Gill Bennett and Melanie Rockall.
- Michael Fish was born on 27 April 1944 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Mickey One (1965), My Hero (2000) and Bad Girls (1999).
- Carl Frampton is known for Undisputed (2023), Grace and Goliath (2018) and BT Sport: Face Off (2018).
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Dario Franchitti was born on 19 May 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Driven (2001), Turbo (2013) and Suddenly Susan (1996). He has been married to Eleanor Robb since 2015. They have two children. He was previously married to Ashley Judd.- Actor
- Producer
Carl Froch was born on 2 July 1977 in Nottingham, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Salvable, Undisputed (2023) and Sky Sports World Championship Boxing (1989).- Sarah Gordy is known for her roles in Ralph & Katie (2022), The A Word (2020), Upstairs Downstairs (2010), Call the Midwife (2014) and Holby City (2012). She has acted in TV, short films, radio dramas, commercials and many theatre productions.
She was the first woman with Down syndrome to receive an MBE, the first person with Down syndrome to be awarded an honorary degree by a British university and Mencap's first celebrity ambassador with a learning disability.
Born in London to a British mother and American father, she has lived in both the UK and US. Sarah is an actor, dancer and charity campaigner. She is a patron of the Down's Syndrome Association (DSA) and Circus Starr. - Actor
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At his first school in Bournemouth he used to stand outside the Pavilion Theatre listening to the Follies shows and learning the songs. At 9 he entered a song contest at the Rank Cinema in Sydenham and sang 'Eat More Fruit' In 1939 while in the army at Lincoln a friend came back from leave and remarked about the black out. Hubert said 'I'm going to get lit up when the lights go up in London' and thought it would make a good song. He'd previously done odd lyrics. Three years later it was featured in a West End show After the war he read a lot of Jerome K Jerome on the radio in 'Let's Go Jeroming' He did 18 years of 'Thanks For the Memory' and in the 60's wrote the musical version of 'Three Men in a Boat'.- Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English professional football manager and former player, who manages Premier League club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Gerrard spent the majority of his playing career as a central midfielder for Liverpool and the England national team, captaining both.
- Shane Gould was born on 23 November 1956 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- Kelly Holmes was born on 19 April 1970 in Pembury, Kent, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Absolutely Fabulous (1992), Superstars (2008) and Ten Count.
- Additional Crew
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- Actress
Katherine Haber MBE was born in 1944 in London, England. She is best known for her work as Production Executive on Blade Runner (1982) as well as her collaboration with Sam Peckinpah on 8 of his films, including Straw Dogs, The Getaway, Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid and Cross of Iron. She is a Founding Member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles and served on the Board for 23 years, co-founding the Community Education and Outreach Committee, and served on the BAFTA Council for 4 years. In 2011 she was awarded Honorary Doctor of Arts at the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of her career in the film industry and her contribution to countering homelessness, crime prevention and transformational education through the Arts. In 2012 she was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (M.B.E) for services to the community in Los Angeles. By Katherine Haber- Doris Hare was born on 1 March 1905 in Bargoed, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for On the Buses (1969), The Avengers (1961) and Second Best (1994). She was married to John Fraser Roberts. She died on 30 May 2000 in Denville Hall, Northwood, Hillingdon, London, England, UK.
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- Actress
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Polly Jean Harvey was born in England on October 9th 1969. The daughter of a quarryman father and an artist mother, Polly Jean, or PJ as she is more commonly known, was raised on a sheep farm in Yeovil, Somerset. She learned to play a number of instruments as a child (including guitar, saxophone, and violin) and as a teenager played in several bands. After much procrastination and self-doubt regarding her future profession (she was torn for quite a while between her passion for music and her desire to become either a nurse or a vet) she eventually, at age 21, formed the band dubbed "PJ Harvey" with bassist Steve Vaughn and drummer Robert Ellis. The newly formed trio recorded their debut EP 'Dress' for very little money, but the demos were good enough to get them signed to British indie label Too Pure who released the EP in late 1991 (to enormous acclaim from the British music press.) PJ's first full-length record was released the following Spring, again to lavish praise from the music press. The album was released on the highly credible Island label in the US that same year.
Shortly after touring in support of the record PJ suffered what was very nearly a total nervous breakdown (due to the pressure of her new found acclaim, success, and the strains of touring.) Nevertheless, she recorded her second album 'Rid Of Me' with notorious alternative producer Steve Albini later that year. The record was released in 1993 and was her biggest success to date. After the tour for the album Polly Jean parted ways with the two other members of the band and ventured out alone for her next album, 1995's 'To Bring You My Love'. Yet another critical success upon its February 1995 release, Polly toured the album for the next year, then took 1996 off. She recorded her next album 'Is This Desire?' in late 1997. Its release in 1998 prompted speculation in the music press about her mental state, the album being a deeply disturbing, dark, and confusing work. Ever stoical about her private life, PJ refused (for the most part) to comment. Two years later, after living in New York City for much of 1999, she reunited with her former bandmates and recorded her fifth album 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea'. The record was released in 2000 and received, as per usual, much acclaim. It was a slightly more mainstream effort than her previous "difficult" works, but nevertheless was well received by both old fans and newcomers to her distinctive musical sound. She toured the album for most of 2001 and received the Mercury Music Prize (one of the highest honours in the British music industry) for it on September 12th. She accepted the award by telephone from Washington DC (where she was on tour at the time) and called receiving the award "a very strange end to a very strange 24 hours." (in reference to the terrorist attacks of the previous morning in Washington and New York.) In December 2001 PJ was named the Number 1 female rock star in history by Q magazine.- Additional Crew
Odette Hallowes was born on 28 April 1912 in Amiens, Somme, France. She is known for Carve Her Name with Pride (1958), This Is Your Life (1955) and Premier Plan (1959). She was married to Geoffrey MacLeod Hallowes, Peter Churchill and Roy Sansom. She died on 13 March 1995 in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK.- Margaret Hodge was born on 8 September 1944 in Cairo, Egypt. She was previously married to Henry Hodge and Andrew Watson.
- Kelly Hoppen was born in 1959 in Cape Town, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016), Would I Lie to You? (2007) and 8 Out of 10 Cats (2005). She was previously married to Ed Miller and Graham Corrett.
- Emma Hayes was born on 18 October 1976 in London, England, UK.
- Ayesha Hazarika was a Labour party special adviser to Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband from 2007 to 2015. She was a speechwriter, prepared leaders for big parliamentary debates including Prime Minister's Questions, managed media relations, specialised in women's issues and helped draft the landmark Equality Act 2010. She is now a much sought-after political commentator and broadcaster. In August 2019, Ayesha was appointed editor of The Londoner, the prestigious diary pages in the Evening Standard. She is also a columnist for the Evening Standard, the Scotsman and the i paper. She frequently appears on television and radio including the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Newsnight, Sky News, Good Morning Britain, LBC and CNN International. From July, Ayesha will also present her own news and current affairs show on Times Radio every Saturday and Sunday 4-7pm. She's a familiar face and voice on many satirical panel shows including The News Quiz, BBC Radio Scotland's Breaking the News and Have I Got News For You. Her first book 'Punch and Judy Politics' - an insider's guide to Prime Minister's Questions - was published in May 2018. Ayesha is also an award-winning stand-up comedian and since leaving politics has performed critically acclaimed one woman shows at the Edinburgh festival and around the country. She was awarded an MBE for services to politics in 2016 and an Honorary Doctorate in Law from her alma mater Hull University in January 2019.
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Tony Hawks originally started out as a singer and song writer, however his first brush with the charts was with novelty pop act "Morris Minor and the Majors". Their first hit was the Beastie Boys parody "Stutter Rap" which in 1988 hit #4 in the UK charts, #2 in Australia and #14 in Canada. Their follow up single "This is the Chorus" a spot-on dig at the Stock, Aitken and Waterman music writing machine failed to live up to the first effort and entered the UK charts at #95. It faired only very marginally better in Australia hitting #22. After gaining the prestigious accolade of one-hit wonder Tony toured with the group for many years on the comedy circuit before departing from the act and even wrote and starred in UK series Morris Minor's Marvellous Motors (1989) which lasted 1 series.
These days a stand-up comedian, singer and writer he has recently been collaborating with music projects with sort of namesake Chesney Hawkes and Ash Alexander. He regularly appears as a panelist on radio and television including: Grumpy Old Men (2003), Have I Got News for You (1990) and was a regular favorite guest actor/voice on Red Dwarf (1988). He has written 4 books including: "One Hit Wonderland", written for obvious reasons; "Round Ireland with a Fridge" the result of a bet he'd made with a friend; "Playing the Moldavans at Tennis" another result of drunken bet and most recently "A Piano in the Pyrenees". Tony donated half of his royalties from "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis" to a trust fund for Moldova which was used to open the Hippocrates Centre, a medical centre that provides rehabilitative therapy for disabled children from socially vulnerable families. Tony continues to support this cause.- Additional Crew
- Sound Department
Michael Heath is known for Bar Girls (1994), Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life (1997) and The GQ Men of the Year Awards (1997).- John Higgins was born on 18 May 1975 in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He has been married to Denise Higgins since 2000. They have three children.
- Actor
- Writer
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Ricky Hatton was born on 6 October 1978 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for The Green Green Grass (2005), Ricky Hatton's Hot Shots (2008) and Shameless (2004).- Stephen Hendry was born on 13 January 1969 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Adam (2013), The Rothmans Grand Prix (1984) and Gods of Snooker (2021).
- Ron Haddrick was born on 9 April 1929 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. He was an actor, known for Quigley Down Under (1990), Shirley Thompson Versus the Aliens (1972) and Water Rats (1996). He died on 11 February 2020 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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- Music Department
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Rolf Harris came to London in 1952 to study Art. A year later he was appearing on TV as an artist and storyteller and had his first hit as a singer in the early sixties with Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport. After a relatively quiet period in his life in the late seventies, his brother Bruce Harris became his manager and reinvented him. Harris is perhaps best known for his 1969 hit song Two Little Boys. His hero is Val Doonican. Harris enjoys taking photos, and dislikes unnecessary bad manners and inconsiderate behaviour.
In 2014, Harris was jailed for five years and nine months following his conviction for historic sexual abuse against four girls dating back to the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His crimes came to light following the death and subsequent sordid revelations of prolific sexual abuse by broadcaster, DJ and charity fundraiser Sir Jimmy Savile, which in turn led to the establishment of Operation Yewtree, a police investigation into historic sexual abuse by celebrities. Harris was arrested and charged by Operation Yewtree officers, although his crimes were not directly connected to Savile, and convicted by a unanimous verdict of the jury.- Mike Hailwood was born on 2 April 1940 in Great Milton, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom. He was married to Pauline. He died on 23 March 1981 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom.
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Ricky Hatton was born on 6 October 1978 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for The Green Green Grass (2005), Ricky Hatton's Hot Shots (2008) and Shameless (2004).- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
A master musician, a film producer and actor, best known as the lead guitarist and occasionally lead vocalist of The Beatles, George Harrison was born February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. He was also the youngest of four children, born to Harold Harrison and Louise Harrison.
Like his future band mates, Harrison was not born into wealth. Louise was largely a stay-at-home mom while her husband Harold drove a school bus for the Liverpool Institute, an acclaimed grammar school that George attended and where he first met a young classmate, Paul McCartney. By his own admission, Harrison was not much of a student and what little interest he did have for his studies washed away with his discovery of the electric guitar and American rock-'n'-roll.
There were a lot of harmonies in the Harrison household. He had a knack of sorts for it by age 12 or 13, while riding a bike around his neighborhood and hearing Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel", playing from a nearby house. By the age of 14 George--who was a fan of such legends as , Harrison, who grew up in the likes of listening to such rock legends Carl Perkins, Little Richard and Buddy Holly--had purchased his first guitar and taught himself a few chords.
McCartney', who had recently joined up with another Liverpool teenager, John Lennon, in a skiffle group known as The Quarrymen, invited Harrison to see the band perform. Harrison and Lennon had a few things in common, such as the fact that they both attended Dovedale Primary School but didn't know each other. Their paths finally crossed in early 1958. McCartney had been egging the 17-year-old Lennon to allow the 14-year-old Harrison to join the band, but Lennon was reluctant; as legend has it, after seeing McCartney and Lennon perform, George was granted an audition on the upper deck of a bus, where he wowed Lennon with his rendition of popular American rock riffs.
The 17-year-old Harrison's music career was in full swing by 1960. Lennon had renamed the band The Beatles and the young group began cutting its rock teeth in the small clubs and bars around Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany. Within two years, the group had a new drummer, Ringo Starr, and a manager, Brian Epstein, a young record store owner who eventually landed the group a record contract with EMI's Parlophone label.
Before the end of 1962, Harrison and The Beatles recorded a song, "Love Me Do", that landed in the UK Top 20 charts. Early that following year, another hit, "Please Please Me," was released, followed by an album by the same name. "Beatlemania" was in full swing across England, and by early 1964, with the release of their album in the US and an American tour, it had swept across the States as well.
Largely referred to as the "Quiet Beatle" Harrison took a back seat to McCartney, Lennon and, to a certain extent, Starr. Still, he could be quick-witted, even edgy. During the middle of one American tour, the group members were asked how they slept at night with long hair.
From the get-go, Lennon-McCartney were primary lead vocalists. While the two spent most of the time writing their own songs, Harrison had shown an early interest in creating his own work. In the summer of 1963 he spearheaded his first song, "Don't Bother Me," which made its way on to the group's second album. From there on out, Harrison's songs were a staple of all Beatle records. In fact, some of the group's more memorable songs--e.g., "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Something," which was the only Beatle song ever recorded by Frank Sinatra--were penned by Harrison.
However, his influence on the group and pop music in general extended beyond just singles. In 1965, while on the set of The Beatles' second film, Help! (1965), Harrison took an interest in some of the Eastern instruments and their musical arrangements that were being used in the film. He soon developed a deep interest in Indian music. He taught himself the sitar, introducing the instrument to many western ears on Lennon's song, "Norwegian Wood"" He soon cultivated a close relationship with renowned sitar player Ravi Shankar. Other groups, including The Rolling Stones, began incorporating the sitar into some of their work. It could be argued that Harrison's experimentation with different kinds of instrumentation helped pave the way for such ground-breaking Beatle albums as "Revolver" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".
Harrison's interest in Indian music soon extended into a yearning to learn more about eastern spiritual practices. In 1968 he led The Beatles on a journey to northern India to study transcendental meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Having grown spiritually and musically since the group first started, Harrison, who wanted to include more of his material on Beatle records, was clearly uneasy with the McCartney-Lennon dominance of the group. During the "Let It Be" recording sessions in 1969, Harrison walked out, staying away for several weeks before he was coaxed to come back with the promise that the band would use more of his songs on its records.
However, tensions in the group were clearly high. Lennon and McCartney had ceased writing together years before, and they, too, were feeling the need to go in a different direction. In January of 1970 the group recorded Harrison's "I Me Mine." It was the last song the four would ever record together. Three months later, McCartney announced he was leaving the band and The Beatles were officially over.
After the breakup of The Beatles, Harrison pursued a solo career. He immediately assembled a studio band consisting of ex-Beatle Starr, guitar legend Eric Clapton, keyboardist Billy Preston and others to record all the songs that had never made it on to The Beatles catalog. The result was a three-disc album, "All Things Must Pass". While one of its signature songs, "My Sweet Lord," was later deemed too similar in style to The Chiffons' 1963 hit "He's So Fine," forcing the guitarist to cough up nearly $600,000, the album as a whole remains Harrison's most acclaimed record.
Not long after the album's release, Harrison combined his charitable work and his continued passion for the east when he put together a series of ground-breaking benefit concerts at New York City's Madison Square Garden to raise money for refugees in Bangladesh. Known as the "Concert for Bangladesh", the shows, which featured Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, and Ravi Shankar, would go on to raise some $15 million for UNICEF, produced a Grammy-winning album, a successful documentary film (The Concert for Bangladesh (1972)) and laid the groundwork for future benefit shows like "Live Aid" and "Farm Aid".
Not everything about post-Beatle life went smoothly for Harrison, though. In 1974, his marriage to Pattie Boyd, whom he'd married eight years before, ended when she left him for Eric Clapton. His studio work struggled, too, from 1973-77, starting with, "Living in the Material World", "Extra Texture," and "33 1/3," all of which failed to meet sales expectations.
Following the release of that last album, Harrison took a short break from music, winding down his own label, Dark Horse Records--which he had started in 1974, and which had released albums by a number of other bands--and started his own film production company, Handmade Films. The company produced the successful Monty Python film Life of Brian (1979) and would go on to make 26 other films before Harrison sold his interest in the company in 1994.
In 1979, he returned to the studio to release his self-titled album. It was followed two years later by, "Somewhere in England," which was still being worked on at the time of John Lennon's assassination in December of 1980. The record eventually included the Lennon tribute track, "All Those Years Ago," a song that reunited ex-Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with ex-Wings members Denny Laine and Linda McCartney. While the song was a hit, the album, its predecessor and its successor, "Gone Troppo," weren't. For Harrison the lack of commercial appeal and the constant battles with music executives proved draining and prompted another studio hiatus.
A comeback of sorts came in November 1987, however, with the release of the album "Cloud Nine," produced by Jeff Lynne (of Electric Light Orchestra). The album turned out several top-charting hits, including "Got My Mind Set On You"-- remake of the 1962 song by Rudy Clark--and "When We Was Fab," a song that reflected on the life of Beatlemania, with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, who was dressed up as a walrus, but was a camera shy, in February 1988. Later that year Harrison formed The Traveling Wilburys. The group consisted of Harrison, Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, and spawned two successful albums. Buoyed by the group's commercial success, Harrison took to the road with his new bandmates in 1992, embarking on his first international tour in 18 years.
Not long afterwards he was reunited with McCartney and Starr for the creation of an exhaustive three-part release of a Beatles anthology--which featured alternative takes, rare tracks and a John Lennon demo called "Free as a Bird," that the three surviving Beatles completed in the studio. The song went on to become the group's 34th Top 10 single. After that, however, Harrison largely became a homebody, keeping himself busy with gardening and his cars at his expansive and restored home in Henley-on-Thames in south Oxfordshire, England.
Still, the ensuing years were not completely stress-free. In 1997, Harrison, a longtime smoker, was successfully treated for throat cancer. Eighteen months later, his life was again put on the line when a deranged 33-year-old Beatles fan somehow managed to circumvent Harrison's intricate security system and broke into his home, attacking the musician and his wife Olivia with a knife. Harrison was treated for a collapsed lung and minor stab wounds. Olivia suffered several cuts and bruises.
In May 2001, Harrison's cancer returned. There was lung surgery, but doctors soon discovered the cancer had spread to his brain. That autumn, he traveled to the US for treatment and was eventually hospitalized at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. He died November 29, 2001, at ex-bandmate McCartney's house in Los Angeles, at aged 58, with his wife and son at his side.
Just one year after his death, Harrison's final studio album, "Brainwashed," was released. It was produced by Lynne, Harrison's son Dhani Harrison and Harrison himself, and featured a collection of songs he'd been working at the time of his death. Dhani finished putting the album together and it was released in November of 2002.