Robert Norman DavisOBE (born 14 March 1945), best known by his stage name, Jasper Carrott, is an English comedian, actor, singer and television presenter. He starred in the sitcoms The Detectives and All About Me, and presented the game show Golden Balls.
Born in Shaftmoor Lane, Acocks Green, in Birmingham, Carrott was educated at Acocks Green Primary School and Moseley Grammar School. He worked as a trainee buyer at a city centre department store, the Beehive, with schoolmate Bev Bevan.
He acquired the nickname Jasper aged nine, and added the surname Carrott when he was 17.[2]
In February 1969, he started his own folk club, "The Boggery", in nearby Solihull with his friend Les Ward. Carrott performed folk songs and as an MC. His banter overtook the songs and he became more a comedian than a singer. He also worked as a musical agent (with John Starkey, who was his manager from 1974 to 1992), as Fingimigig, managing among others Harvey Andrews. He toured UK rugby clubs. He recorded an album in 1973 called Jasper Carrott – In the Club, which he sold from his van. The album contained the original "Magic Roundabout", although mainly material used in his next three LPs (such as "Hare Krishna", "Car Insurance", "Bastity Chelt", and "Hava Nagila") plus the Fred Wedlock song "The Folker".
He had a UK Top 5 chart hit in August 1975 with the novelty double A-side record, "Funky Moped" / "Magic Roundabout", written by Chris Rohmann and produced by Jeff Lynne, with Bev Bevan on drums and backing vocals on the former track, recorded at Grosvenor Road Studios[3][4] for DJM Records.
By the late 1970s, Carrott had developed anecdotal sketches which he still performs. Often they purport to be autobiographical; many celebrate the Birmingham accent and culture, including his support of Birmingham City.
His live performances were recorded as Jasper Carrott Rabbitts on and on and on... and Carrott in Notts. Notable tracks were "Bastity Chelt", a song in Spoonerism, "The Football Match" describing a visit to Old Trafford, "The Nutter on the Bus" (including the cry "Has anybody seen my camel?"), "The Mole" ("There's only one way to get rid of a mole – blow its bloody head off!")[2] and "Zits" – an explanation of American slang for spots that brought the word into use in Britain.
His first appearance on television was a half-hour show for BBC Midlands on 11 August 1975, in a programme about local football called "The Golden Game". In 1976, he appeared in A Half Hour Mislaid with Jasper Carrott, recorded at Pebble Mill. His big break came two years later, when Michael Grade asked for a pilot programme for LWT. Grade liked it, and five further shows were recorded, which became his first TV series, An Audience with Jasper Carrott, in 1978.[5] This partnership with LWT lasted until 1981; The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott (1979) and Beat the Carrott (1981) are the best-known live stand-up performances from his time with LWT.
Carrott moved to the BBC for Carrott's Lib, a Saturday night comedy broadcast live, and then a string of BBC shows.[6] These included Carrott's Commercial Breakdown, which broadcast weird adverts from around the world, and the sketch and stand-up shows Carrott Confidential, 24 Carrott Gold, The Trial of Jasper Carrott, and Canned Carrott, some of which also featured Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis.[citation needed] One popular sketch involved Carrott reading out genuine, but bizarre motor insurance claim statements, such as "I drove out of my drive at 7am and drove straight into a bus. The bus was ten minutes early."[2][7]
In 2005, he staged and appeared in the first Jasper Carrott's Rock With Laughter concert.[citation needed] This became a regular at the NEC in Birmingham, usually in December and sometimes alternating with his "Jasper Carrott's Christmas Crackers" events.
He hosted the Sunday night national pub quiz, Cash Inn. He was 20th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians show.[citation needed]
In August 2017, Carrott underwent an operation to clear a blocked artery, followed by a quadruple heart bypass.[11] A 30-date tour was cancelled. He has since said the surgery gave him a new lease of life and he has no plans to retire, citing Ken Dodd's longevity as an example.[6]
In 2023 Carrott played the character Sykesy in the BBC Radio 4 radio serial drama The Archers.
Literary work
Carrott has written the humorous paperbacks A Little Zit on the Side (1979), and Sweet and Sour Labrador (1982). He also wrote a novel called Shop! or a Store is Born.[12]
Carrott's former manager, John Starkey, has written a book entitled Jasper and Me (1993; Etsiketsi Books), which included the line, "He once said, 'Ringo isn't the best drummer in the world. He isn't even the best drummer in the Beatles'". This quote was credited to John Lennon until Mark Lewisohn discovered, in 1983, that it was Carrott who said it.[13]
Business interests
Carrott was part-owner of the production company Celador, makers of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? In 2006, he and wife Hazel sold their shares for £10m when Dutch interactive television company 2waytraffic bought the group of companies behind Millionaire.[14][15]
Personal life
Carrott married journalist Hazel Jackson in 1972.[6] Their daughter is the actress Lucy Davis.[16]
this includes an election special broadcast on BBC2, and a special trailer for the 2nd series, broadcast on Friday 15 January 1988, which took the form of a mini sketch with Carrott dressed as Anne Robinson on 'Pointless Views'
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