Jasper Carrott
Laughter is the best medicine – unless you’re diabetic, then insulin comes pretty high on the list.
Jasper Carrott
A career that has spanned five decades first started when Jasper became resident compére at the Boggery Folk Club in Birmingham in the mid-seventies. There he discovered his talent for comedy, and his inability to sing; the rest, as they say, is history.
A hugely popular stalwart of the British folk club scene, his comedy single Funky Moped shot to the top of the British pop charts in 1975, establishing him as a household name overnight. The flipside was his take on the legendary Magic Roundabout, a record still sought out today by a whole new generation of fans.
Some highlights of his career have included:
“An Audience with Jasper Carrott”, 1978, the original London Weekend Television show
“Carrott’s Lib”, winner of a BAFTA Award (1983)
“Carrott’s Commercial Breakdown”, in the 1990s, winner of Best Independent Prize at the prestigious Montreux Festival
“The One Jasper Carrott”, a return to BBC TV for a one-off stand-up show broadcast on BBC One in January 2012
Awards and accolades have followed Jasper throughout his career, including BBC TV Personality of the Year, a Gold Medal at the New York TV and Film Awards, Midlander of the Year Award, his own ‘Star’ on Birmingham’s Walk of Stars and the British Comedy Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
In recognition of his outstanding work for charity, Jasper Carrott was awarded an OBE in Her Majesty’s New Year’s Honours List in 2003.
However, with typical restraint, Jasper says that his notable achievements are: two gold albums, four silver discs, 1.5 million books and two T-shirts!