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Jethro (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Jethro is the stage name
of British
stand-up comedian
Geoffrey Rowe, based in Lewdown in Devon. Rowe was born in 1948 in St Buryan
, a village
in west Cornwall
.
After leaving school, Rowe was apprenticed as a carpenter and then worked as a timber man in a tin mine. However, aged eighteen he joined the St. Just
and District Operatic Society and, in addition to his bass voice
, locals found he had a talent for making an audience laugh. He began visiting the pubs of Cornwall to sing and joke and was quickly hailed as Cornwall's top comic
.
programme 'Treasure Hunt' playing a pirate co-host.
In addition to his appearances on stage and video, Jethro has made a record nine appearances on TV shows hosted by Des O'Connor
. His first appearance was on the Des O'Connor Tonight show in 1990, followed by a return for the Christmas Eve show later that year - the first time a comedian had been invited back during one series. He also appeared five times on Jim Davidson
’s Generation Game
show, twice giving a demonstration of how to make a Cornish pasty
. Jethro was also involved in one of the show's longest sequences of out-take
s, removed due to his and Davidson's uncontrolled fits of laughter but later shown separately. Davidson has said that he regards Jethro as his favourite storyteller, one of his great stories being Train don't stop Camborne
Wednesdays.
He has hosted two shows of his own, The Jethro Junction, on HTV
and in December 2001 appeared in front of the Queen
for the Royal Variety Show.
and in March 1995 walked the 100 miles or so from Land's End
to Lewdown to raise money for the Bristol Cancer Open Scanner Appeal. He gave a show each night at a local venue and in total managed to raise £20,000.
Jethro is a skilled marksman. He often competes in DTL - Down the Line, a form of clay pigeon shooting competition at A class standard. He has been mentioned numerous times in the CPSA's Pull! magazine as one of Cornwall's most prominent shooters.
. He also runs his own venue, Jethro's Club, where he performs each year for charity. He was one of the directors of troubled channel Sound TV
and performed at Somerset County Cricket Club
at the benefit dinner of England batsman Marcus Trescothick
.
. His rugby interest was nurtured at Cape Cornwall School (a then primitive rugby academy in the far west of Cornwall) under the guidance of Derek Small who helped produce other famous Pirate characters such as Colin 'Dumbo' Dymond and Graham 'Granite' Waters. He played in St Just
’s first-ever match back in 1967 and then in 1970 had his first spell with the Pirates. Jethro played his 100th match for the Pirates in 1974-75. Jethro played rugby
for Penzance
and Newlyn Senior first team for 10 years from 1967 to 1977 as prop forward. One of Jethro's teammates at the time was Brian 'Stack' Stevens
who went on to become one of English rugby’s most famous players.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
Geoffrey Rowe, based in Lewdown in Devon. Rowe was born in 1948 in St Buryan
St Buryan
St Buryan is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The village of St Buryan is situated approximately five miles west of Penzance along the B3283 towards Land's End...
, a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in west Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
After leaving school, Rowe was apprenticed as a carpenter and then worked as a timber man in a tin mine. However, aged eighteen he joined the St. Just
St Just in Penwith
St Just is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish encompasses the town of St Just and the nearby settlements of Trewellard, Pendeen and Kelynack: it is bounded by the parishes of Morvah to the north-east, Sancreed and Madron to the east, St Buryan and Sennen to...
and District Operatic Society and, in addition to his bass voice
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
, locals found he had a talent for making an audience laugh. He began visiting the pubs of Cornwall to sing and joke and was quickly hailed as Cornwall's top comic
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
.
Television
Jethro made his TV debut on the Westward TelevisionWestward Television
Westward Television was the first ITV franchise holder for the South West of England from 29 April 1961 until 31 December 1981. After a difficult start, Westward provided a popular, distinctive and highly regarded service to its region, until public boardroom squabbles led to its franchise not...
programme 'Treasure Hunt' playing a pirate co-host.
In addition to his appearances on stage and video, Jethro has made a record nine appearances on TV shows hosted by Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
. His first appearance was on the Des O'Connor Tonight show in 1990, followed by a return for the Christmas Eve show later that year - the first time a comedian had been invited back during one series. He also appeared five times on Jim Davidson
Jim Davidson (comedian)
Jim Davidson OBE is a British comedian, actor and television presenter. He has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to entertainment, particularly of British service personnel in conflict zones.- Biography :The son of a Glaswegian father, Davidson was born in...
’s Generation Game
The Generation Game
The Generation Game was a British gameshow produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes...
show, twice giving a demonstration of how to make a Cornish pasty
Pasty
A pasty , sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a filled pastry case, associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing the uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle, and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge at the side or top...
. Jethro was also involved in one of the show's longest sequences of out-take
Blooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...
s, removed due to his and Davidson's uncontrolled fits of laughter but later shown separately. Davidson has said that he regards Jethro as his favourite storyteller, one of his great stories being Train don't stop Camborne
Camborne
Camborne is a town and civil parish in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is at the western edge of a conurbation comprising Camborne, Pool and Redruth....
Wednesdays.
He has hosted two shows of his own, The Jethro Junction, on HTV
HTV
HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
and in December 2001 appeared in front of the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
for the Royal Variety Show.
Charity work; shooting
Jethro lives in Lewdown near the border between Cornwall and DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and in March 1995 walked the 100 miles or so from Land's End
Land's End
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
to Lewdown to raise money for the Bristol Cancer Open Scanner Appeal. He gave a show each night at a local venue and in total managed to raise £20,000.
Jethro is a skilled marksman. He often competes in DTL - Down the Line, a form of clay pigeon shooting competition at A class standard. He has been mentioned numerous times in the CPSA's Pull! magazine as one of Cornwall's most prominent shooters.
Horse breeding
His great loves are his horses which he shows all over the country and with which he has won most major prizes, including at Wembley ArenaWembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. He also runs his own venue, Jethro's Club, where he performs each year for charity. He was one of the directors of troubled channel Sound TV
Sound TV
Sound TV was a free-to-air television channel following the tradition of the variety show, which has not been popular in Britain since the 1980s...
and performed at Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
at the benefit dinner of England batsman Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Edward Trescothick MBE is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. A left-handed opening batsman, he made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1993 and quickly established...
.
Rugby
Jethro played over 100 games for the Pirates rugby team, now better known as the Cornish PiratesCornish Pirates
The Cornish Pirates are an English professional rugby union team who play in the Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. Formerly known as Penzance & Newlyn Pirates, the Cornish Pirates play their home games and train at their...
. His rugby interest was nurtured at Cape Cornwall School (a then primitive rugby academy in the far west of Cornwall) under the guidance of Derek Small who helped produce other famous Pirate characters such as Colin 'Dumbo' Dymond and Graham 'Granite' Waters. He played in St Just
St Just in Penwith
St Just is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish encompasses the town of St Just and the nearby settlements of Trewellard, Pendeen and Kelynack: it is bounded by the parishes of Morvah to the north-east, Sancreed and Madron to the east, St Buryan and Sennen to...
’s first-ever match back in 1967 and then in 1970 had his first spell with the Pirates. Jethro played his 100th match for the Pirates in 1974-75. Jethro played rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
for Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
and Newlyn Senior first team for 10 years from 1967 to 1977 as prop forward. One of Jethro's teammates at the time was Brian 'Stack' Stevens
Brian 'Stack' Stevens
Claude Brian 'Stack' Stevens is a former English rugby union player who played prop for Penzance and Newlyn, Harlequins and represented England 25 times at international level between 1970 to 1975. He also toured with the British and Irish Lions to Australia and New Zealand in 1971.-References:...
who went on to become one of English rugby’s most famous players.
Stand-up VHS & DVD releases
- A Portion Of Jethro (1993)
- From Behind The Bushes - Live (1994)
- Live - What Happened Was... (23 October 1995)
- Not For The Vicar (1996)
- The Beast of Bodmin Moor (27 October 1997)
- Go You Ahead Hmmn...! (2 November 1998)
- Ready For Battle (1999)
- Jethro Says Bull'cks to Europe (6 November 2000)
- Rule Britannia (5 November 2001)
- Only For The Barmy (4 November 2002)
- Stark Raving Bonkers! - Live Stand Up (3 November 2003)
- Off The Wall (1 November 2004)
- Jethro In Cuckoo Land (31 October 2005)
- Live From The Madhouse (30 October 2006)
- Live At Jethro's - Back Of Beyond (29 October 2007)
- A Giant Portion Of Jethro (27 October 2008)
- Too Late to Grow Up (2 November 2009)
- I Told It My Way - Live on Tour (22 November 2010)
- The Cornish Ambassador-(14 November 2011)