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Celebrities and Famous Brummies Past and Present
(Birmingham born and bred).
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| Carrott, Jasper | |
 Comedian. b Robert Davies. Jasper Carrott was born in Acocks Green
Birmingham in 1945, and educated at Moseley Grammar School. His first
showbiz appearance was as resident singer at the Boggery Folk Club in
Solihull. There he discovered his talent for comedy, and the rest, as
they say, is history. In 1975 Jasper released his first single.
Funky Moped / Magic Roundabout was a massive chart hit, selling
over half a million copies and giving Jasper his first Silver Disc. In
1992, Jasper was named BBC TV's 'Personality Of The Year' and in this
year teamed up with actor Robert Powell to record
The Detectives, a comedy series based on the hilarious antics
of two bungling detectives. Such was the success of the initial series
that there have been five further series of The Detectives to
date with a Christmas Special in 1997. >
more
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| Cartland, Barbara (1901�2000), | |
 Barbara Cartland "The Lady in Pink" Born: Edgbaston July
9th 1901. The family home was on Cartland Road,
Kings Heath. At the time of her death at
the age of 98, she had published 732 books, translated into 36
languages. Hardly surprising, then, that she�s listed in the
Guinness Book of Records as the world�s top-selling author. In 1991
she was made a Dame of the Order of the British Empire. She claimed to
write a book in a week, and in one year alone (1983) wrote 26 books!
She was also famous for her love of pink chiffon clothing. She died in
her sleep May 21st 2000 after a short illness, just two months short
of her 99th birthday.
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| Clayton Lisa | |
 Lisa Clayton, the first British woman to sail single-handed and
non-stop around the world .......was educated in Birmingham at the
Church of England School for Girls. On September 17th, 1994, Lisa
Clayton set out to attempt two world records namely Fastest Sail
Around The World By A Woman, Single-Handed Without Assistance and
First* Woman To Sail Single-Handed And Non-Stop Around The
World. Lisa returned on June 29th, 1995 after 285 days at sea Her
thirty-eight foot yacht, the Spirit of Birmingham - named after
her home city and the University which contributed over �40,000 and
inestimable expertise to make it possible for Lisa to realise her
dream - I survived the 31,000 mile journey, despite capsizing 'seven
times that I know of,' as Lisa casually puts it.Lisa is now better known as Lady Cobham married to Lord Cobham of Hagley Hall in Worcestershire. |
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*
The World Sailing Speed Record Council
recognise Kay Cottee (now Kay Sutton), of Australia sailing
"First Lady" First non stop, singlehanded,
circumnavigation by woman in 1987-1988, 189 days
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| Dedicoat, Alan | |
 "Voice of the Balls" Alan Dedicoat was born in
Hollywood and went to school at King Edward
VI Camp Hill School for Boys Birmingham and then on to
Birmingham University. He decided
against a career in law, opting instead for the world of showbusiness
(in the form of BBC Radio Birmingham) and then BBC Radio Devon. In
1987 he joined Radio 2's presentation department at Broadcasting House
in London, and now leads a team of announcers which keeps the network
on air 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Alan is also the "Voice
of the Balls" - calling out the numbers twice a week on the
National Lottery draw.
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| Deeley, Cat | |
 Cat Deeley a TV presenter; born in Sutton Coldfield. Cat Deeley is
one of Britain's most famous TV personalities. She hosts a multitude
of shows on MTV UK and ITV, and is a regular on the cover of most
glossy men's magazines in England.
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| Eve, Trevor | |
 Actor Trevor Eve born 1951,Trevor's had a long and distinguished career in TV, film and theatre. He is perhaps best remembered for his role as Private Eye Eddie Shoestring in the late 1970s, but has matched that success with the part of Boyd, the leader of the cold case team in Waking The Dead. |
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| Heywood Anne | |
 Violet Joan Pretty b1931 was was born in Handsworth. She joined St
Mary's School Acocks Green at the end of August 1938 from York Road
School. She lived at 147 Shaftmoor Lane. During the War the
family moved to Erdington, to 197 Bleak Hill Road, where they stayed
until c.1950. Violet went to Fentham Road Secondary School. she
changed her name to Anne Heywood, and in 1956 was given a seven year
contract with Rank as an actress. Miss Great Britain (1949) - Lady Godiva rides again (1951), , G) and a string of other films followed. Altogether Anne
starred in over thirty films, in Italy and in Hollywood as well as in
Britain, many produced by her husband, Raymond Stross, whom she
married in 1960. Now living in Beverly Hills.> more |
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| Jones, Ann | |
 Ann Jones is one of Britain's most successful-ever tennis players.
Now a TV summariser for the BBC, she was Wimbledon ladies champion in
1969, and the beaten finalist in 1967.Birmingham-born Ann was also a
semi-finalist on a further six occasions, and a mixed doubles champion
(with Fred Stolle) in 1969. Away from Wimbledon, she won the French
Open in 1961 and 1966, reached the final in Paris a further three
times, and was twice a finalist at the US Open.
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| Jamelia | |
 Pop sensation Jamelia was born and grew up in the Handsworth and
Aston area of Birmingham, went to Brookfield Primary School and
Kingshurst Technology College. she first came into the public's
attention with her single Money which hit the top spot, she had
another hit Call Me. The 23 year old superstar is now Queen of the
Mobos after she scooped three awards including Best Single for Thank
You and best video for See It In A Boy's Eyes. The
MOBOS Music
of Black Origin awards were held in London on 30th September 2004Jamelia started singing from a young age, but it was when her cousin took one of her Karaoke machine tapes she recorded to an A&R representative at Parlophone records that she was noticed and subsequently signed up. Her favourite venue in her home-town is Star City. >Jamelia's official website |
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| Kilroy-Silk, Robert | |
 Robert Kilroy-Silk,
Former MP now a former TV talk show presenter. Educated at Sparkhill
Commercial School, elected as a Labour MP In 1974. Kilroy was
first broadcast on 24 November 1986 The BBC took Robert Kilroy-Silk's
morning talkshow off air whilst it investigated comments he made in
the Sunday Express at the in January 2004.In a piece titled 'We owe the Arabs nothing', Kilroy-Silk - a former Labour MP - called Arabs "suicide bombers, limb-amputators, women repressors". source In the news again! June 2004 Kilroy-Silk was elected as MEP to the East Midlands for the UK Independence Party. Pledging to "wreck" the European Parliament. >more from BBC News |
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| Lavender, Ian | |
 Ian Lavender b1946 plays Derek Harkinson in EastEnders Ian's had a
long career in TV, most famously as Private Pike in Dad's Army.
He's been in episodes of Casualty, Yes, Minister and
Goodnight, Sweetheart. His film roles include
Carry on Behind in 1975.
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| Lawley, Sue | |
Sue Lawley was born in Dudley. TV and radio presenter; current
presenter of Desert Island Discs.
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| Mansell, Nigel | |
 Nigel Mansell, b1953 one of Britain's greatest racing drivers,
spent most of his childhood and early adult years in Hall Green.
He was a pupil at Rosslyn School then Hall Green Bilateral before
studying engineering at Matthew Boulton College his final home in
Hall Green was a detached house in Doveridge Road before he moved
to the Isle of Man in 1985. He is also an accomplished low
handicap amateur golfer and combines golf with his World of Motor
Racing Experience at
Woodbury Park
Hotel and Country Club in Devon.
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| Maughan Susan | |
 1960's singer. Susan Maughan b1942 lived in Greenway Street Small
Heath and went to Tilton Road school before hitting the charts with
Bobby's Girl.
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| Move, & Electric Light Orchestra | |
 The Move was one of the finest and most contradictory groups of the
sixties. A successful string of memorable hit singles were set
against a brutal, dynamic and musically thrilling live act that
featured heavier, West Coast-style material, usually by other
writers and bands that were strong influences on the group.
The Move was formed during an impromptu after-hours jam session at Birmingham's legendary Cedar Club in February 1966. "Moving" from the cream of the city bands were: Bev Bevan, Carl Wayne, Chris "Ace" Kefford (Carl Wayne & the Vikings); Roy Wood (The Nightriders); and Trevor Burton (Danny King & The Mayfair Set.) |
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| Nichols Janice | |
 Janice Nichols Born in Wednesbury and became famous for
saying
'Oi'll give it foive'
on Thank Your Lucky Stars recorded at Aston Studios. in the
1960's
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| Osbourne, Ozzy | |
 Vocalist and founding member of Black Sabbath; real name John
Michael Osbourne, born December 3, 1948 at
14 Lodge Road Aston,
Birmingham, England. Ozzy Osbourne founded Black Sabbath with fellow
Brummies Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums) and Tony Iommi
(guitar) in 1969; left band in 1979 to pursue a solo career, and
returned to the band in March 1997. Album appearances: Black Sabbath
thru Never Say Die & Reunion.
Other bands: Blizzard of Ozz (aka Ozzy Osbourne Band).
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| Rattle, Simon | |
 Conductor. Sir Simon Rattle was born in Liverpool in January 1955
He came to Birmingham in 1980, when the City of Birmingham Symphony
Orchestra was looking for a new conductor. A combination of
brilliantly chosen repertory, rigorous training, the firm support of
Birmingham City Council. Rattle developed a rapport with the
Birmingham audience who came to trust his taste whether he took them
into Messiaen�s Turangalila Symphony, new music from Robin
Holloway and Nicholas Maw, Sibelius and Nielsen symphony cycles, or
the challenges of the second Viennese school.
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| Rhodes, Nick | |
 Nick Rhodes was born Nicholas Bates in Moseley, . Rhodes began
playing guitar while he was at
Woodrush School and still living with his
parents in Hollywood, . Rhodes left Woodrush
at sixteen, his first and only occupation outside of a band being as
the disc jockey for the Rum Runner dance club in Birmingham, where he
established the core that would evolve into Duran Duran. Aside of
replacing occasional band members and early changes to the band's
name, Duran Duran is the only group Rhodes had been a part of until
1985, when he and bandmates Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor (III) took a
sabbatical from Duran Duran to record an album as Arcadia. Rhodes, Le
Bon, John Taylor, and guitarist Warren Cuccurullo returned to Duran
Duran in 1986, recording seven more studio albums through 2000.
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| Rice-Davies Mandy | |
 Mandy Rice-Davies lived in Shirley before achieving notoriety
in the Profumo scandal of 1963,
In July 1961, the British Secretary of State for War, John Profumo,
shared a sexually charged frolic with goodtime girl Christine Keeler
in the swimming pool of Cliveden, the Berkshire mansion owned by
Lord Astor. At the same time as seeing Profumo, Keeler was also
having an affair with a Russian naval attach�, Yevgeny Ivanov,
about whom allegations of espionage later surfaced. Amidst
accusations that national security had been breached, Profumo
initially lied to Parliament regarding his involvement with Keeler.
He was later unmasked and compelled to resign, in June 1963. Stephen
Ward, the society osteopath and painter who first introduced Keeler
to Profumo, Ivanov and Lord Astor, was then charged with living off
immoral earnings. During the trial in 1963, Keeler's friend Mandy
Rice-Davies gave evidence in court that she and Lord Astor had slept
together. Ward committed suicide before the jury returned their
verdict.
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| Roach Pat | |
 'Bomber' Pat Roach -Actor and former wrestling champion. at 6ft 5in
Pat was an accomplished actor, having appeared in films such as
Raiders of the Lost Ark, Never Say Never Again and
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Television credits include
Life With Billy and five years as 'Bomber' of the highly
popular "Auf Wiedersehen Pet". As a wrestler he
was trained by Alf Kent and held the British & European
Heavyweight Championship title. He was still involved in the
world of acting, and also found time to run a Gymnasium and Fitness
Centre at Gravelly Hill North, Erdington, in Birmingham. Sadly Pat
died in July 2004 after a long illness. Biography If : The Pat Roach story Tells his unique life story to his co-writer Shirley Thompson. If traces Pat's life, from poverty stricken childhood to famous celebrity, it reveals 'the man behind the image', and covers his considerable achievements in the fields of sport, film and television. |
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| Manners Sarah | |
 Sarah Manners better known as Bex Reynolds, the new, feisty
receptionist on BBC's Casualty at Holby General. With the longest legs
and shortest skirts, it is hard to believe this lad�s rag centrefold
was once a gawky grammar school teenager who used to be called
�Uggers Manners�! A growth spurt and a brace later, the Birmingham
born actress landed five adverts in just one year and has since become
one of FHM�s Hot 100 Sexiest Women. She was educated at the Bluecoat
School in Harborne and later left the renowned King Edward�s Grammar
School with 10 GCSEs and four A-Levels.
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| Moody Blues, | |
 In the beginning.... There were five. It was the lads from the
Birmingham area; Ray Thomas, Graeme Edge, Mike Pinder, Denny Laine,
and Clint Warwick that put together the R&B group that would
evolve into the Moody Blues. The name was originally going to be
'The M&Bs' named after M&B or Mitchell and Butler, an English
brewery based in the Midlands. The band, started their life in a pub.
JOHN LODGE was born on 20th July 1945 in Birmingham and
attended Birches Green Junior School, Central Grammar School and the
Birmingham College of Advanced Technology, where he was an Engineering
Student. RAY THOMAS was born on 29th December 1941 in Stourport
on Severn, attended the Paget Road Secondary Modern School, and later
qualified as a toolmaker. In the early '50s Ray joined the
Birmingham Youth Choir and then sang with various groups including The
Saints and Sinners and The Ramblers >more
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| Sattar Zita | |
 Actress Zita Sattar played Nurse Anna Paul in the BBC TV Series
Casualty other TV credits include Heartburn Hotel; Back Up; Hale &
Pace; The Bill; Drop the Dead Donkey; Gimme Gimme Gimme; Zita was also a celebrity contestant for the TV Medics round of The Weakest Link. After winning she returned (8-Feb-2003) to face the wrath of Anne Robinson again in a champion of champions final in a bid to win �50,000 for her favourite charity. Zita reached the head to head final and just missed out on winning. Zita was also one of the founder members of Birmingham's Central Television Workshop. |
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| Short, Clare | |
 Rt Hon Clare Short, b1946 MP for Birmingham Ladywood was Secretary
of State for International Development. Educated at St Francis JI
School, Handsworth; St Paul's Grammar, Birmingham. Ms Short had
threatened quit the cabinet before the start of war with Iraq,
describing Tony Blair as "reckless" during the build-up to
military action. Clare later quit her cabinet job, after accusing Tony
Blair of breaking promises over Iraq's future.
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| Tarrant, Chris | |
 Who wants to be a Chris Tarrant millionaire. Chris started as a
young presenter on ITV's Midlands News before presenting the cult kids
Saturday morning show TISWAS which later became OTT.
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| UB40 | |
 Their recording studio is in Digbeth. Band
members James Brown Born 1957, he attended Marlborough Road
Primary School, and Mosley School Of Art, Robin Campbell Guitar /
Vocals Born 1954, he attended St. Paul's and St. Luke's primary
schools, and George Dixon's grammar school (which he loathed). Ali
Campbell Vocals / Guitar Born 1959, he went to St. Luke's Junior
School and Moseley Road School of Art. Michael Virtue Keyboards He was
born on January 19th 1957, and attended Clifton Road primary school
and Golden Hillock comprehensive. Norman Hassan Percussion / Vocals he
was born 1958, and went to school at Tindall Street, Clifton Road,
Park Hill and Queensbridge Road. Earl FalconerBass / Vocals He was born 1959, and attended St. Benedict's junior school and Mosley Road School Of Art, Astro Vocals / Trumpet Astro toasts and plays trumpet. He is also the show's M.C. Born 1957, he attended Greet and Golden Hillock Schools, Brian Travers Saxophones / Horn Arrangements Born on February 7th, he went to Cape Hill and Lakey Lane primary schools, and Moseley School Of Art. >more |
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| Walker Johnnie | |
 Johnnie Walker Born 30 March 1945
(Hampton-in-Arden) DJ who started out on the pirate Radio Caroline in 1966, before moving to BBC Radio 1 not long after Caroline's demise. Since then he's been a continual presence on various stations, most recently presenting Radio 2's Drivetime Show. Born Peter Dingley, he announced in June 2003 that he was suffering from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. |
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| Walker Murray | |
 Murray Walker Former Racing driver before becoming better
known as a commentator. He was born With his beaming personality and high-octane television commentaries peppered with wonderful blunders, Murray Walker was a national treasure known far beyond Formula 1. to the great man's retirement at the end of 2001, The first chapter in his autobiography is call A Proud Brummie |
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| Walters, Julie | |
 British character actress Julie Walters OBE has made a career out
of playing working-class women with good hearts and sharp tongues --
which should come as no surprise, given her background. Born in
Birmingham on February 22, 1950,,
lived in Bearwood, went to Holly Lodge Girls School.
Walters was raised in a strong, practical family where she was
encouraged to study nursing. Walters made her London stage debut in
Funny Peculiar, and in 1980, she was cast in the title role of the
Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Willy Russell's play
Educating Rita. Walters was cast in the film version of Educating
Rita opposite Michael Caine, and the movie was a solid critical and
financial success in both Europe and the United States. Other films
include Personal Services, Buster, but her next major screen success
wouldn't arrive until 2000, when she played dance instructor Mrs.
Wilkinson in the international hit Billy Elliot; the role earned her
another Academy Award nomination, as well as a British Film Academy
nomination. In 1999, Walters received special recognition for her
work in the arts when she was presented an Order of the British
Empire by Queen Elizabeth for her services to British drama. In 2003
Julie stars with Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls The film is based on
the story of how they stripped off for a WI calendar to raise almost
�600,000 for charity.
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| Webb Graham | |
 Graham Webb was cycling World Road Race champion in 1967, still the only living British male to have won this event in the more than 80 year history of this highly contested sporting event. He was born at Dudley Rd Hospital 13th January 1944 and lived his youth in Leamington Rd, Sparkbrook. He attended Clifton Rd School & Dennis Rd School. He moved abroad in 1966 to race as a professional and now lives in Belgium. |
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| Wilcox, Toyah | |
 Toyah Wilcox singer and TV presenter. Born 1958 in Kings Heath and
went to Queensbridge School before fame as a Punk singer. in 2003 was
a celebrity in "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" more
recently Toyah has been on screen as a presenter of programs about
Tolkien
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| Winwood, Stevie | |
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Acknowledgements Steve Thorne a born and bred Brummie and a lecturer in the History of the English Language and Modern English Language at the University of Birmingham. |
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