Jasper Carrott

**Robert Norman Davis** OBE, best known by his stage name, **Jasper Carrott**, is an English comedian, actor and television presenter.

## Early life

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.

## Career

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 Carrot – 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 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 hits 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!"*) and "Zits" – an explanation of American slang for spots that brought the word into use in Britain.

In 1979 he published *A Little Zit on the Side*, a humorous autobiography. The follow-up, *Sweet and Sour Labrador*, mixed sections of stand-up routines with similar autobiographical material, much of it related to his world travels. Carrott was once a compère for the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986, which featured local bands such as Electric Light Orchestra and the Moody Blues, with a finale that included George Harrison from the Beatles. On 15 September 2007, he was inducted into the Birmingham Walk of Stars at the Arts Fest 2007 celebrations. The award was presented by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. Carrott is the second inductee, following Ozzy Osbourne. Carrott was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Comedy Awards on 6 December 2008.

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. 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. 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. 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."

Carrott played Heinrich in the 1987 British comedy film *Jane and the Lost City*.

*Canned Carrott* also featured a spoof police drama called *The Detectives*, co-starring Robert Powell, which later was made into a series. From 2002 to 2004, he starred in the sitcom *All About Me*. In a twelve-week run in the summer of 2002 he played the part of Ko-Ko in comic opera The Mikado, written by Gilbert and Sullivan at the Savoy Theatre in London.

He performed in several of the *Secret Policeman's Ball* charity concerts for Amnesty International, and returned to the stage in 2004 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham featuring classic routines from his career. He returned to singing for the musical *Go Play Up Your Own End* (written by Malcolm Stent, songs by Harvey Andrews) in 2005.

In 2005, he staged and appeared in the first *Jasper Carrott's Rock With Laughter* concert. This became a regular at the NEC in Birmingham, usually in December and sometimes alternating with his "Jasper Carrott's Christmas Crackers" events, but there have also been a few summer shows too.

In summer 2007, Carrott hosted the Endemol-produced game show *Golden Balls* for ITV1. Promising ratings led to further series.

He hosted the Sunday night national pub quiz, *Cash Inn*. He was 20th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians show.

In August 2017, Carrott underwent an operations to clear a blocked artery, followed by a quadruple heart bypass. A 30-date tour was cancelled. He has since said the surgery gave him a new lease of life and has no plans to retire, citing Ken Dodd's longevity as an example.

## 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*.

Carrott's former manager, John Starkey, has written a book entitled *Jasper and Me* (1993; Etsiketsi Books), which includes 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.

## 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'.

## Personal life

Carrott married journalist Hazel Jackson in 1972. Their daughter is the actress Lucy Davis.

He is a supporter, and was a director, of Birmingham City. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2003 New Year Honours "for charitable services". The University of Birmingham awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2004, following a similar award from Aston University in 1995.