Rod Burton

Last updated

Rod Burton
Comicrelief rjf.jpg
Freddy Marks (left), Jane Tucker (centre), and Rod Burton (right)
Born (1948-09-10) 10 September 1948 (age 75)
Occupation(s)Actor, singer, entertainer
Spouse
(m. 1976;div. 1979)

Rod Burton (born 10 September 1948) is a British singer, songwriter, actor, musician and entertainer. He is best known for being part of the trio Rod, Jane and Freddy along with their appearances on the children's TV series 'Rainbow and their own series "Rod, Jane and Freddy" between 1980 and 1991.

Contents

Career

He spent several years busking in the south of France and playing in pubs and bars until an audition with his then wife Jane Tucker got him a job on children's TV show Rainbow. [1]

Towards the end of 1980, the trio were approached by ITV to do their own show. Plans went through, and The Rod, Jane and Freddy Show aired its first episode on 15 January 1981. Rod, Jane and Freddy appeared in both their own show and Rainbow until 1989, when they left Rainbow to focus solely on The Rod, Jane and Freddy Show.

In 1990, Burton toured with Jane and Freddy in their stage shows all across the country until 1996. In 1996, he won a Gold Badge Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Burton studied graphic design at the London College of Printing and started his career illustrating books. He left this field to pursue music. Burton married co-star Jane Tucker in 1976. In 1979, after three years of marriage, Burton divorced Tucker. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Oddie</span> English conservationist, entertainer and ornithologist

William Edgar Oddie is an English actor, artist, birder, comedian, conservationist, musician, songwriter, television presenter and writer. He was a member of comedy trio The Goodies.

<i>Captain Kangaroo</i> American childrens television series

Captain Kangaroo is an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for 29 years, from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program of its day. In 1986, the American Program Service integrated some newly produced segments into reruns of past episodes, distributing the newer version of the series to PBS and independent public stations until 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeVar Burton</span> American actor, director, and television host (born 1957)

Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. is an American actor, director, and television host. He played Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries Roots (1977), and was the host of the PBS Kids educational television series Reading Rainbow for 23 years (1983–2006). He received 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award as host and executive producer of Reading Rainbow.

<i>Reading Rainbow</i> American childrens television series

Reading Rainbow was an American educational children's television series that originally aired on PBS and afterward PBS Kids from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with reruns continuing to air until August 28, 2009. 155 30-minute episodes were produced over 23 seasons. Before its official premiere, the show aired for test audiences in the Nebraska and Buffalo, New York markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Conway</span> American actor and comedian (1933–2019)

Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. Conway is perhaps best known as a regular cast member (1975–1978) on the TV comedy The Carol Burnett Show where he portrayed his recurrent iconic characters Mister Tudball and the Oldest Man. Over his career he received numerous accolades including five Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. He received the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999 and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Taylor</span> Australian actor (1930–2015)

Rodney Sturt Taylor was an Australian actor. He appeared in more than 50 feature films, including Young Cassidy (1965), Nobody Runs Forever (1968), The Train Robbers (1973) and A Matter of Wife... and Death (1975).

<i>Whats Happening!!</i> American sitcom (1976–1979)

What's Happening!! is an American sitcom television series that first aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, premiering as a summer series. It returned as a weekly series from November 1976 until its April 1979 conclusion. What's Happening!! was loosely based on the Eric Monte-penned film Cooley High. From 1985 until 1988, a sequel series titled What's Happening Now!! aired in first-run syndication, with most of the major cast members reprising their roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosgrove Hall Films</span> English animation studio

Cosgrove Hall Films was a British animation studio founded by Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall, headquartered in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. Cosgrove Hall was a major producer of children's television and animated programmes/films, which are still seen in over eighty countries. The company was wound down by its then owner, ITV plc, on 26 October 2009. It was mainly known for its series Danger Mouse, The Wind in the Willows and Count Duckula.

<i>R.O.D the TV</i> Japanese anime television series

R.O.D the TV is a Japanese anime television series, animated by J.C.Staff and Studio Deen and produced by Aniplex, directed by Koji Masunari and scripted by Hideyuki Kurata. It is about the adventures of three paper-manipulating sisters, Michelle, Maggie and Anita, who become the bodyguards of Nenene Sumiregawa, a famous Japanese writer. Featuring music by Taku Iwasaki, the series is a sequel to the Read or Die OVA. Its official title of R.O.D the TV is a catch-all acronym referring to the inclusion of characters from both Read or Die and the Read or Dream manga, the latter of which revolves solely around the Paper Sisters. Promotional material for R.O.D the TV implies that the show revolves around the three sisters of Read or Dream; however, Nenene Sumiregawa of Read or Die is also considered a protagonist.

<i>Heres Lucy</i> Television series (1968-1974)

Here's Lucy is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's third network sitcom, following I Love Lucy (1951–57) and The Lucy Show (1962–68).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoyt Axton</span> American singer-songwriter and actor (1938–1999)

Hoyt Wayne Axton was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. Among his best-known songs are "Joy to the World", "The Pusher", "No No Song", "Greenback Dollar", "Della and the Dealer" and "Never Been to Spain".

<i>The Ropers</i> American TV series or program

The Ropers is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from March 13, 1979, to May 15, 1980. It is a spin-off of Three's Company and loosely based on the British sitcom George and Mildred, which was itself a spin-off of Man About the House, on which Three's Company was based.

<i>Rainbow</i> (TV series) British childrens television series (1972–1997)

Rainbow is a British children's television series, created by Pamela Lonsdale, which ran from 16 October 1972 until 6 March 1992, made by Thames Television. The series was revived by Tetra Films from 10 January 1994 until 24 March 1997, in two different formats from the original Thames series, with differing cast members.

Rex Tucker was a British television director in the 1950s and 1960s.

Matthew Corbett is an English former actor, singer, comedian, magician, puppeteer, television presenter, and writer, best known for presenting The Sooty Show and later Sooty and Co. He is the son of Sooty's creator, Harry Corbett, and took over the show from his father in 1976. He retired in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod, Jane and Freddy</span> British TV series or programme

Rod, Jane and Freddy were a singing trio who appeared in children's programming on the British TV channel ITV in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. They starred both in the long-running series Rainbow and their own 15-minute show. The trio have also made guest appearances in other children's TV shows, including The Sooty Show.

Charlie Dore is an English singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Tucker</span> English singer, songwriter and pianist

Jane Tucker is a British actress, singer, songwriter, musician and keyboardist. She is best known for being part of the musical trio Rod, Jane and Freddy who appeared in many TV series, notably Rainbow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddy Marks</span> British actor and musician (1949–2021)

Frederick Marks was an English actor, singer and entertainer. He was best known for being part of the musical trio Rod, Jane and Freddy which appeared in children's programming in the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Stapleton</span> Musical artist

Wendy Anne-Marie Stapleton is an Australian pop/rock singer-songwriter, musical theatre performer and television actress and presenter Stapleton has performed as a backing singer, session musician and a solo artist; she fronted various Melbourne-based groups including Wendy Stapleton Band (1976–1978) and Wendy & the Rocketts [sic] (1980–1985) which had a top 30 hit single with "Play the Game" in June 1983.

References

  1. 1 2 Merriman, Rebecca (30 May 2016). "Jane and Freddy from Rainbow marry 30 years after love triangle". mirror. Retrieved 25 August 2019.