Billy T. James: Difference between revisions
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'''William James Te Wehi Taitoko''' [[Member_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire|MBE]] (17 January 1948 - 7 August 1991) better known by his stage name "Billy T. James", was a [[New Zealand]] entertainer, comedian, musician and actor. He became a key figure in the development of New Zealand comedy<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/billy-t-james|title=NZ On Screen Biography}}</ref>, a household name during his lifetime, and remains an icon to the present day<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/billy-t-james/biography|title=NZ On Screen Biography}}</ref>. |
'''William James Te Wehi Taitoko''' [[Member_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire|MBE]] (17 January 1948 - 7 August 1991) better known by his stage name "Billy T. James", was a [[New Zealand]] entertainer, comedian, musician and actor. He became a key figure in the development of New Zealand comedy<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/billy-t-james|title=NZ On Screen Biography}}</ref>, a household name during his lifetime, and remains an icon to the present day<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/billy-t-james/biography|title=NZ On Screen Biography}}</ref>. |
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Billy T james is a funny guy |
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==Career== |
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James joined the [[Maori Volcanics Showband]] in the 1970s and performed around the world. Going solo in [[Australia]] and then New Zealand saw him in great demand for his skits and impressions and his cabaret singing. He adopted the stage name Billy T. James because "it was something the Australians could pronounce". |
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In 1980 he appeared in the variety show Radio Times, the success of which led to his own comedy sketch show in 1981, [[#The Billy T James Show|The Billy T James Show]] (see section). The same year he was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year. |
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In 1985 his cabaret act was recorded live and released on LP as "Billy T Live! at Pips Cabaret, Whangarei". Featuring standup comedy selections and live versions of songs such as [[Running Bear]] and [[When A Child Is Born]], this title was out-of-print for more than a decade before being re-released in CD format in 2008. |
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He made a notable appearance in the 1985 feature film [[Came a Hot Friday]] and provided voice-talent for the popular animated film [[Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tail]]. Also in 1985 Billy was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Decade. |
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In 1986 he was awarded the [[MBE]] for services to entertainment. |
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In 1986 Billy and [[Chris Slane]] published "Real Hard Case" which contained comic-strip interpretations of Billy's comedy. "Real Hard Case 2" followed in 1987. |
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During this period his name and likeness was used for the company "Billy T's Hangi Takeaways," with locations in Auckland. The business did not last and closed after several years. |
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In 1990 Billy received the Benny Award from the [[Variety Artists Club of New Zealand|Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc]]. |
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==The Billy T James Show== |
==The Billy T James Show== |
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Revision as of 06:09, 23 July 2012
Billy T James MBE | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | William James Te Wehi Taitoko 1948 |
| Died | 1991 |
| Cause of death | Heart failure |
| Resting place | Mount Taupiri |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, Actor, Writer,Musician |
William James Te Wehi Taitoko MBE (17 January 1948 - 7 August 1991) better known by his stage name "Billy T. James", was a New Zealand entertainer, comedian, musician and actor. He became a key figure in the development of New Zealand comedy[1], a household name during his lifetime, and remains an icon to the present day[2].
Billy T james is a funny guy
The Billy T James Show
Billy T James self-titled television show for TVNZ featured sketch comedy and live performances of standup comedy and songs. The show lasted six series and became a New Zealand institution. Joining Billy in the first season were regulars Doug Aston and Laurie Dee. The second season saw the introduction of a parody of the Maori news show Te Karere entitled Te News. The black singlet and yellow towel Billy wore in these sketches were to become iconic. The fifth and sixth series were co-written by Peter Rowley and saw some of Billy's most successful and remembered sketches including parodies of Miami Vice, Playschool, a popular Lands For Bags television commercial and sketches featuring Rowley as Captain Cook. Despite a successful VHS compilation in the 1990's the show is yet to be released on DVD.
Later Billy starred in a second television show also titled The Billy T James Show. It screened on TV3 and was based on a format devised by Billy and Tom Parkinson. Abandoning the popular sketch comedy format, this show was a family sitcom format and effectively starred Billy as himself. Co-starring were Ilona Rodgers and Mark Hadlow, with Mark Wright, Tania Wehi and Willa O'Neill. It ran for one season with only average audience ratings and reviews. The show is available on DVD.
Deteriorating Health, Heart Transplant and Death
In 1988 James suffered a major heart attack and underwent a quadruple bypass operation. The operation was not successful, and in November 1989 he received a heart transplant. He returned to the stage of the Aotea Centre in April 1990 for the variety special Billy T James, Alive and Gigging. Howard Morrison appeared as special guest. The performance was released on video and is now available on DVD.
James died of heart failure on 7 August 1991.
Billy is survived by his adopted-daughter Cherie James, herself an award-nominated actress and presenter of the 1997 documentary, "A Daughter's Story" about her father[3].
Legacy, recent biographies and documentaries
The Billy T Award was founded in 1997 in honour of James. It is New Zealand's most prestigious comedy award,[citation needed] recognizing comedians with outstanding potential. Winners are presented with a yellow towel, Billy's trademark from his "Te News" sketches.
In 2009, nearly 50% of respondents voted him the country's greatest comedian in a New Zealand Listener survey,[4] eighteen years after his death.
The first biography of James was released in 2009. Entitled The Life and Times of Billy T. James, it was written by Matt Elliott and was based upon interviews with some friends and colleagues. However James' immediate family refused to co-operate with Elliot, leaving the biography full of inaccuracies.[citation needed] A North and South article in 2011 by investigative journalist Donna Chisholm revealed the main source of the book was James' former wife Lynn Matthews, who had left the entertainer seven years prior to his death. Close friends and family denounced the book in the article and even Elliot admitted that he had not spoken to James' daughter in researching the book.
In December 2010, funding was given for the production of a biopic based on Billy T. James' life.[5] In March 2011, it was revealed the film was to be titled Billy and would star Tainui Tukiwaho as Billy and Morgana O'Reilly as wife Lynn.[6] The film premiered on 21 August 2011 on TV One. Liberties were taken for dramatic purposes including arguments with co-writer and television partner Peter Rowley and a minor heart-attack while filming, neither of which occurred. Both Peter Rowley and James' daughter criticised the inaccuracies of the production in the press.[7][8]
A documentary entitled Billy T : Te Movie was released theatrically in August 2011.[9] Directed by Ian Mune, it proved popular with both theatre-goers and reviewers[10][11][12], becoming the week's top box office performer on the week of release with $263,000 in sales. [8] Te Movie is now available on DVD.
In 2011, Peter Rowley wrote and starred in Billy T & Me, a one-man show which combined Rowley's memories of working alongside Billy with archival video footage. The show toured New Zealand and was made available on DVD.
See also
References
- ^ "NZ On Screen Biography".
- ^ "NZ On Screen Biography".
- ^ "A Daughter's Story, NZ On Screen".
- ^ "NZ On Screen Biography".
- ^ "New Platinum Fund TV projects announced". NZ On Air - Press release. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Morton, Frances (2011-03-20). "Two looks at life of our favourite comic Billy T". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777.
- ^ "Onfilm.co.nz Article, 2011".
- ^ a b "Billy T. drama "a web of lies" NZ Herald Article, 2011".
- ^ "Director confident that Billy T's talent will be recognised". Radio New Zealand. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
- ^ "Onfilm Te Movie Review".
- ^ "Stuff Te Movie Review".
- ^ "Flicks Te Movie Review".
Further reading
- Elliott, Matt (October 2009). Billy T: The Life and Times of Billy T James. New Zealand: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-1-86950-705-3.
External links
- Billy T. James at IMDb
- Director Ian Mune on Came a Hot Friday and working with James
- Profile of Billy T. James at NZ On Screen
- Excerpts from Billy T Live at NZ On Screen
- 3 News Coverage of James' Death
- Find a Grave entry and photograph
- Marae report on the 20th anniversary of his death
- TVNZ Te Movie review
