British DJ and TV presenter Jimmy Savile dies, aged 84

DJ, TV presenter and charity fundraiser Sir Jimmy Savile has died, aged 84. Savile, who was one of the most famous names on British TV and radio in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, died on Saturday.

His family programme, Jim’ll Fix It, drew in huge audiences and the programme received 20,000 letters a week at the height of its popularity.

Savile started out as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 and was the first host of Top of the Pops in 1964. He also appeared on the music show’s final edition in 2006.

His TV persona included chunky gold jewellery, a huge cigar, his trademark snowy white hair and a number of catch-phrases which were frequently parodied by impressionists such as Mike Yarwood.

Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Savile was conscripted as a Bevin Boy, working in the coal mines during the war. But he was one of Britain’s first DJs in the 1950s and began his broadcasting career at Radio Luxembourg before moving to the BBC. Off screen he did a lot of charity work, running 200 marathons and raising £40m over the years.

Savile was knighted by the Queen in 1990 for his charity work.

via BBC News

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano’) about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.