With his act James toured the musical halls, theatres and clubs around the country. He appeared at the Royal Variety Performance in 1953 and stole the show with his routine The Chipster—a lecture on the occupational hazards of preparing chips. [1] After the war, James was initially transferred to the reserve, but retained on active service, [8] [9] but was later granted a regular commission in the RAF (though in a non-flying role). [10] On 9 December 1952, he transferred to the RAF Regiment, [11] and retired as a squadron leader on 11 June 1958. [12] Later life [ edit ] The Vagabonds disbanded in 1970, but James, who owned the name, enlisted Alan Wood to form a band with a new, all-white line-up in 1973. [7] They had hits in the UK Singles Chart with " I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me"(1976) and " Now Is the Time". [8] In 1976, they recorded funky disco song "Disco Fever" also. Phil Chen performed bass on Rod Stewart songs such as " Hot Legs", " Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Young Turks". [9] He was born as James Casey on 20 May 1892, the eldest of four sons of Jeremiah Casey, an iron puddler or steelmaker, [2] [6]

William R Chorley (1992). RAF Bomber Command Losses, Volume 2. Midland Counties. ISBN 0-904597-87-3. His funeral was held at St Peter's Catholic Church, Ludlow on 31 January 2008. A party of RAF Regiment gunners from RAF Honington served as pallbearers. Other personnel from the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering at Cosford were also present, as was Air Commodore Bob McAlpine, a former CO of No. 9 Squadron. Hundreds of local people from Ludlow lined the procession route to pay their respects to the great war hero as four Tornado GR4s of 9 Squadron (Jimmy's former squadron) performed a flypast in the missing man formation. [2] Jimmy James wrote an excellent account of his time as a prisoner of war in his book, "Moonless Night". Michael "Jimmy" James (born 13 September 1940) is a Jamaican ska and soul music singer, known for songs like "Come To Me Softly", "Now Is the Time" and "I'll Go Where the Music Takes Me". Based in Britain, he has performed as the lead singer of Jimmy James and the Vagabonds since the mid 1960s. a b c d e f g "Let there be lights ... eventually". The Northern Echo. 19 April 2001. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012 . Retrieved 24 January 2009. After the war, he married Madge who was a nurse, who he met in an Officers Club at Vlotho in Germany. Their honeymoon was a remarkable journey as they drove to the far tip of Norway in a former German Army VW Beetle.James had limited use for jokes as such, preferring to say things in a humorous manner, sometimes in surreal situations and as such was seen by some as well ahead of his time. Bertram Arthur "Jimmy" James, MC, RAF (17 April 1915 – 18 January 2008) was a British survivor of The Great Escape. He was an officer of the Royal Air Force, ultimately reaching (some years after the Great Escape) the rank of Squadron Leader. The Vagabonds disbanded in 1970, but James, who owned the name, reformed the band with a new, all white line-up in 1974. They had hits in the UK Singles Chart with " I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me" and "Now Is The Time". Without James, the Vagabonds recorded an album (Ska-Time) as "Jamaica's Original Vagabonds" which was released in 1970. The name of the character Jimmy James played by Stephen Root on the television series NewsRadio came from this song. [1] Personnel [ edit ] Beastie Boys

The Merlin-engined Wellington Mark II. This aircraft actually belongs to No. 104 Sqn. Notice the criss-cross geodesic construction through the perspex fuselage panels. Prisoner of war [ edit ] In James's first film for Mancunian Films in 1950, he starred with Norman Evans in Over the Garden Wall with Evans playing the role of his wife. [12] His second film was Those People Next Door where he and Eli reprise James's drunk routine. Young, Cy (26 May 2011). "James Casey: Comedian, writer and producer who created 'The Clitheroe Kid' and discovered Ken Dodd". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022 . Retrieved 28 May 2011. James regularly performed around the UK with former Foundations frontman, Clem Curtis. [ citation needed] The pair, along with Flirtations vocalist Earnestine Pearce toured with 'The Soul Explosion'. In April 2007, James performed at the Classic Gold Weekender along with Marmalade, Love Affair and Showaddywaddy. [10] In 2013, they toured with James' early hero, Ben E. King. [4] Following initial interrogation, James and a small band of others were taken to Berlin and paraded through the capital.In this week’s #ForgottenFriday we are so excited to talk about a surprising recent donation made to Eden Camp. The Donation

They signed a recording contract with Pye Records and released their best known studio album, The New Religion in 1966. The band also played as support for The Who, and Sonny & Cher, Rod Stewart (who was also on Pye Records at the time), and The Rolling Stones. The band often used the Abbey Road Studios, once being there at the same time as The Beatles were recording. Their live performance was captured in the album, London Swings – Live at the Marquee Club, also featuring The Alan Bown Set. Jimmy James and the Vagabonds were labelmates and rivals of Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band.a b c "RAF bid farewell to 'Great Escaper' ". Defence News. Ministry of Defence. 1 February 2008. Archived from the original on 8 August 2009. a b c "Mancunian Film Studio - Biographies of the Stars". It's A Hot'un. Archived from the original on 18 January 2009 . Retrieved 24 January 2009. MC: You completely inhabit the characters your portray on stage. When did you know that you had this talent? At the Sunderland Empire James met Isabelle Darby, a music hall dancer and they married in 1921; [1] [6] they had one son, James Casey junior. Although James appeared on stage as a convincing drunk, often with a cigar or cigarette in his mouth, he was teetotal [3] [6] [8] and did not smoke off stage. [2] His weaknesses were gambling and his famed generosity [2] which may account for his declared bankruptcies in 1936, 1955 and 1963. [6]

After James' death in 1965, Woods stooged for many other comedians, most frequently Les Dawson, throughout the Sez Les (1972-74) era. Woods' doleful demeanour and gangling figure had an obvious appeal for children and he was a perennial pantomime favourite. His most memorable booking on a personal level must have been in 1976 at the Grand Theatre, Leeds, where he met Alexis Stanfield, the dancer who would become his wife. They married in 1978 (Les Dawson was best man) and that Christmas Woods joined Dawson, Roy Barraclough and Peter Goodwright in Babes in the Wood at the Alhambra, Bradford (1978). By the time Woods fetched up at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham in 1986, for Robinson Crusoe with Rod Hull and Emu, he was the proud father of two. The song's lyrics spoke of environmental issues, urging people to take immediate action. [5] Robin Carmody of Freaky Trigger praised the song as a "heartbreakingly naive" example of "singalong mid-70s pop". [1] a b "Jimmy James Biography". Answers. 13 June 2010. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009 . Retrieved 26 October 2015.

Follow Us

Campbell, Howard (27 July 2010). "Jimmy James & the Hendrix experience | Lifestyle". The Gleaner . Retrieved 26 October 2015. In 1952, James starred on BBC radio in, firstly, the comedy series Don't Spare the Horses [6] [14] [15] From Berlin, James was moved to the notoriously bleak Stalag Luft I at Barth on the northern coast of Germany. The camp was still under construction at this stage of the war and the reality was that the Germans were only slowly coming to terms with POWs. Within a matter of days, Jimmy and W/Cdr John ‘Death’ Shore were planning an escape– the route was to be via the camp incinerator. Digging a highly audacious tunnel, John Shore managed to clear the wire and escape, whilst Jimmy was caught in the act and sent directly to the cooler. Margolis, Jonathan (19 June 2007). "Obituaries: Bernard Manning". The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009 . Retrieved 24 January 2009.