|
Alf Bigden
Alfred William Bigden (1 March 1932 – 12 October 2007) was a British drummer mainly active from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Bigden had been "drummer for such stars as Tom Jones, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey, Sir Cliff Richard, Kylie Minogue, Eartha Kitt, Lionel Richie, Andy Williams and Tony Bennett", as well as for Stéphane Grappelli on at least one of his albums. Biography Born to Alf & Sarah Bigden with younger sister Margaret and younger brother Colin. Grew up mainly in Dagenham, Essex. In demand as a session drummer throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Bigden played on albums for Alan Hawkshaw, Don Lusher, Geoff Love, Pete Moore and Ray Davies, amongst others. Referring to Bigden, Hawkshaw once said in an interview that "Alf was an amazing drummer; he could more or less put his hand to anything". Don Lusher also commented that "It was Alf Bigden, then Ronnie Verrell. Yes – any way of drumming you like, they've got it". BBC work Alongside the session work, Bigden als ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stepney
Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name applied to a much larger manor and parish. Stepney Green is a remnant of a larger area of Common Land formerly known as Mile End Green. The area was built up rapidly in the 19th century, mainly to accommodate immigrant workers and displaced London poor, and developed a reputation for poverty, overcrowding, violence and political dissent. It was severely damaged during the Blitz, with over a third of housing totally destroyed; and then, in the 1960s, slum clearance and development replaced most residential streets with tower blocks and modern housing estates. Some Georgian architecture and Victorian era terraced housing survive in patches: for example Arbour Square, the eastern side of Stepney Green, and the streets around Matlock Street. Et ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hosted ''The Andy Williams Show'', a television variety show, from 1962 to 1971, along with numerous TV specials. ''The Andy Williams Show'' won three Emmy Awards. He sold more than 45 million records worldwide, including more than 10 million certified units in the United States. Williams was active in the music industry for over 70 years until his death from bladder cancer in 2012, at the age of 84. Early life and education Williams was born in Wall Lake, Iowa, to Florence (''née'' Finley) and Jay Emerson Williams, who worked in insurance and the post office. While living in Cheviot, Ohio, Williams attended Western Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He finished high school at University High School, in West Los Angeles, because of hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing primarily European countries. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU's Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine a winner. Based on the Sanremo Music Festival held in Italy since 1951, Eurovision has been held annually since 1956 (apart from ), making it the longest-running annual international televised music competition and one of the world's longest-running television programmes. Active members of the EBU, as well as invited associate members, are eligible to compete, and 52 countries have participated at least once. Each participating broadcaster se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Two Ronnies
''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, serial stories and musical finales. Origins Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett met in 1963 at the Buckstone Club in the Haymarket, London, where Corbett was serving drinks between acting jobs. At the time, Barker was beginning to establish himself as a character actor in the West End and on radio. They were invited by David Frost to appear in his new show, ''The Frost Report'', with John Cleese, but the pair's big break came when they filled in, unprepared and unscripted, for eleven minutes during a technical hitch at a British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards ceremony at the London Palladium in 1970. In the audience was Bill Cotton, the Head of Light Entertainment for the BBC, and Sir Paul Fox, the Controller of BBC1. Cotton was so i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
To The Manor Born
''To the Manor Born'' is a BBC television sitcom that first aired on BBC1 from 1979 to 1981. A special one-off episode was produced in 2007. Starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, the first 20 episodes and the 2007 special were written by Peter Spence, the creator, while the final episode in 1981 was written by script associate Christopher Bond. The title is a play on the phrase "to the manner born," from Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' ("Though I am a native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance".) In ''To the Manor Born'', Penelope Keith (who was previously best known for her role as Margo Leadbetter in the suburban sitcom '' The Good Life''), plays upper-class Audrey fforbes-Hamilton. Upon the death of her husband, Audrey is forced to sell her vast country estate, Grantleigh Manor. However, she then moves into the estate's small, modest lodge house (where she can keep an eye on the estate's new owner) and manages to keep h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Are You Being Served?
''Are You Being Served?'' is a British sitcom created and written by executive producer David Croft (Croft also directed some episodes) and Jeremy Lloyd, with contributions from Michael Knowles and John Chapman, for the BBC. Set in London, the show follows the misadventures and mishaps of the staff of the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments in the flagship department store of a fictional chain called Grace Brothers. The series was broadcast on the BBC for ten series, totalling 69 episodes between 8 September 1972 and 1 April 1985 – and included five Christmas specials. There was also a 1977 film, a spin-off series ''Grace & Favour'' with the same main cast in 1991–1992, and a one-off episode with a new cast in 2016. Since its original release, all 69 episodes, the pilot, the Christmas specials, the sequel and the film have been released on DVD. ''Are You Being Served?'' was a success in the UK audience ratings. The series was screened in Canada, New Zeal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin
''The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'' is a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role. It is based on a series of novels written by David Nobbs and produced from 1976 to 1979. Nobbs adapted the screenplay for the first series from the novel. Some of its subplots were considered too dark or risqué for television and were toned down or omitted. The story concerns a middle-aged middle manager, Reginald "Reggie" Perrin, who reveals himself in the first series to be aged 46, who is driven to bizarre behaviour by the pointlessness of his job at Sunshine Desserts. The sitcom proved to be a subversion of others of the era, which were often based on bland, middle-class suburban family life. The first novel in the series, ''The Death of Reginald Perrin'', was published in 1975. Later editions were retitled to match the title of the television series. ''The Return of Reginald Perrin'' (1977) and ''The Better World of Reginald Perrin'' (1978) were written by Nobbs to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Jolly Boys' Outing
"The Jolly Boys' Outing" is the eighth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', first screened on 25 December 1989. Despite being aired as a Christmas special, it is set on an August bank holiday weekend, and sees Del and the gang go on a road trip to Margate. Synopsis Rodney is now working for Alan Parry, Cassandra's father, at his printing firm ''Parry Print Ltd'', while Uncle Albert has been promoted to "Executive Lookout" (i.e. watching out for the police) for ''Trotters Independent Traders''. The so-called traditional ''Jolly Boys' Outing'', whereby all the regulars at the ''Nag's Head'' pub go on an annual coach trip ("beano") to the seaside resort of Margate in Kent is also approaching. The following evening, at Rodney and Cassandra's flat, the Trotters enjoy a sophisticated dinner with Cassandra's parents as well as her boss, Stephen, and his wife, Joanne. Rodney is unable to hide his contempt of Stephen due to what he sees as his yuppie ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Only Fools And Horses
''Only Fools and Horses....'' is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until the end of the show in 2003. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it stars David Jason as ambitious market trader Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney Trotter, alongside a supporting cast. The series follows the Trotters' highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich. Critically and popularly acclaimed, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA, the National Television Awards and the Royal Television Society, as well as winning individual accolades for both Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll. Lennard Pearce appeared in the first three series as Del and Rodney's elderly grandad. After Pearce's de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ronnie Verrell
Ronald Thomas Verrell (21 February 1926 – 22 February 2002) was an English jazz drummer. He played in two of the United Kingdom's "most famous" big bands, the Ted Heath Orchestra and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Verrell also worked extensively in television, including as a drummer in Jack Parnell's ATV Orchestra and ''Sunday Night at the London Palladium''. He also provided the drumming for ''The Muppet Show''s Animal, and was a "Skinnerette" on ''The Frank Skinner Show''. ''The Scotsman'' called Verrell a "driving band drummer" and an "exciting soloist". ''The Daily Telegraph'' said Verrell had a "rare combination of craftsmanship and bravura showmanship" and called him "Britain's best-known big band drummer for half a century". Biography Ronnie Verrell was born on 21 February 1926 in Rochester, Kent in England. Initially he showed little interest in music until he saw the Benny Goodman Quartet perform in a film, ''Hollywood Hotel'' in 1938. Verrell was so impressed by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Lusher
Don Lusher OBE (6 November 1923 – 5 July 2006) was an English jazz and big band trombonist best known for his association with the Ted Heath Big Band. In a career spanning more than 60 years, he played trombone with a number of jazz orchestras and bands and was twice President of the British Trombone Society. Early life and career Lusher was born in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England, and started playing the trombone aged six years old in his local Salvation Army band, the third generation of his family to do so. During World War II, he served as a gunner signaller in the Royal Artillery. After the war, he became a professional musician, playing with the bands of Joe Daniels (his first professional job on £12-a-week), Lou Preager, Maurice Winnick, the Squadronaires, Jack Parnell and, lastly, the Ted Heath Big Band. Lusher spent nine years as lead trombone with Ted Heath's Orchestra and toured the United States with him on five occasions. Ted Heath died in 1969. After sev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Hawkshaw
William Alan Hawkshaw (27 March 1937 – 16 October 2021) was a British composer and performer, particularly of library music used as themes for movies and television programs. Hawkshaw worked extensively for the KPM production music company in the 1950s to the 1970s, composing and recording many stock tracks that have been used extensively in film and TV. He was the composer of a number of theme tunes including ''Grange Hill'' (originally library music recorded in Munich known as "Chicken Man") and ''Countdown''. In addition, he was an arranger and pianist, and in the United States with the studio group Love De-Luxe scored a number 1 single on the '' Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Here Comes That Sound Again" in 1979. His song "Charlie" is heard on '' Just for Laughs Gags''. He was the father of singer-songwriter Kirsty Hawkshaw (a member of the dance music group Opus III from 1991 to 1995) and also worked with artists such as Tiësto, Delerium, BT, Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.png "Click for more on -> Eurovision Song Contest")
