Rolf Harris
Encyclopedia
Rolf Harris, CBE
, AM
(born 30 March 1930) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.
Born in Perth, Western Australia
, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the characters. He also began a musical career initially with the piano accordion
. He wrote the famous song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
", and when performing in Canada he introduced his popular routine around his song "Jake the Peg
". He often uses unusual instruments in his performances: he plays the didgeridoo
, has been credited with the invention of the wobble board
, a rhythmic percussion instrument, and was associated with the Stylophone, a small electronic keyboard instrument.
From the 1960s he has become a popular television personality, presenting shows including Rolf's Cartoon Club
, Animal Hospital
and various programmes about serious art. In late 2005 he painted an official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which was the subject of a special episode of Rolf on Art
.
, an Australian writer his mother admired, he was born in Bassendean
, a suburb of Perth
, Western Australia
, to Cromwell ("Crom") Harris and Agnes Margaret Harris (née Robbins) who had both emigrated from Cardiff
, Wales
. He is the nephew of Australian artist Pixie O'Harris
(1903–1991). As a child he owned a dog called Buster Fleabags. A book of the same name was written for Quick Reads
in 2010.
As an adolescent and young adult Harris was a champion swimmer. In 1946 he was the Australian Junior 110 yards Backstroke Champion.
He was also the Western Australian state champion over a variety of distances and strokes during the period from 1948 to 1952.
Harris attended Perth Modern School
in Subiaco
, and the University of Western Australia
.
Whilst just 16, and still a student at Perth Modern School, his self-portrait in oils was one of the 80 works (out of 200 submitted) accepted to be hung in the Art Gallery of New South Wales
as an entry in the 1947 Archibald Prize
.
He met his wife, the Welsh sculptress and jeweller Alwen Hughes, while they were both art students, and they married on 1 March 1958. They have one daughter, Bindi Harris (born 10 March 1964), who studied art at Bristol Polytechnic
and is now a painter.
as an art student at City and Guilds Art School, Kennington, South London at the age of 22, getting into television with the BBC in 1953, performing a regular ten-minute cartoon drawing section with a puppet called "Fuzz", made and operated on the show by magician Robert Harbin
. He illustrated Robert Harbin's Paper Magic (1956). He also had a few acting roles in British television programmes and films as Harry in The Vise
and as Pte Proudfoot in the 1955 Tommy Trinder
film You Lucky People.
When commercial television started in 1956 Harris was the only entertainer to work on both BBC and ITV, performing on BBC with his own creation, "Willoughby", a specially made board on which he drew Willoughby, (voiced and operated by Peter Hawkins
). The character would then come to life and hold a comedic dialogue with Harris as he drew cartoons of Willoughby's antics.
On Associated Rediffusion he invented a character called Oliver Polip the Octopus which he drew on the back of his hand and animated, as well as illustrating Oliver's adventures with cartoons on huge sheets of card.
He had drifted away from art school as a slightly disillusioned student and had luckily met his longtime hero, Australian impressionist painter Hayward Veal, who took Harris under his wing and became his mentor, teaching him the rudiments of impressionism and showing him how it could help with his portrait painting.
At the same time Harris was entertaining with his piano accordion every Thursday night at a club called the Down Under, a haunt for homesick Australians and New Zealanders. Here, over the next several years, he honed his entertainment skills, eventually writing the song which was later to become his theme song, 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport'. He also appeared regularly at Clement Freud
's "Royal Court Theatre Club" in Sloane Square, where he sat at the piano and entertained débutantes and their escorts.
Harris was headhunted to return to Perth when television was introduced there in 1960. There he produced and starred in five half-hour children's shows a week, as well as starring in his own weekly evening variety show. During 1960 he recorded the original version of the song that he had written for the Down Under Club in London, 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport' in the TVW studios in Perth, Western Australia with four local backing musicians. It was released by EMI Australia and became his first recording and his first number one. It also repeated that success in the UK. At the end of 1960 he toured Australia for Dulux
paints, singing his hit song and doing huge paintings on stage with Dulux emulsion paint. While painting on stage, one of his catchphrases was, "Can you tell what it is yet?"
He and his wife Alwen went to Vancouver
in Canada by mistake, and had huge success there, working two shows a night at the Arctic Club, where he was held over for 31 weeks until the club accidentally burnt down on Christmas Eve, 1961. He was immediately transferred to the huge "Cave" theatre restaurant to great critical acclaim.
He returned to the United Kingdom early in 1962 and was introduced to George Martin
, who re-recorded all Harris's songs the following year, including a remake of 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport' which became a huge hit in the US, and "Sun Arise
", an Aboriginal-type song Harris had written with Perth naturalist Harry Butler
. The song went to number two in the UK charts, losing the number one spot to Elvis Presley
. He met and worked with The Beatles
when they started recording with George Martin, and compèred their Christmas show in Finsbury Park Empire in 1963.
He and his wife have lived permanently in the United Kingdom since 1962, and he has regularly returned to Vancouver to entertain ever since. He has also regularly returned to Perth over the years for family visits and to the rest of Australia where he has spent as much as four months every year touring with his band.
In 1973 Harris performed the very first concert in the Concert Hall of the newly completed Sydney Opera House
, to huge acclaim.
Since the late 1960s Harris had been performing top-rated variety television shows on the BBC in London, shows which were also shown in Australia and New Zealand, creating great support for his many tours in both countries as well as in South Africa
.
Harris has been credited with inventing a simple homemade instrument called the wobble board
. This discovery was accidentally made in the course of his work when he attempted to dry a freshly painted hardboard with added heat, from hearing the sound made by the board as he shook it by the short edges to cool it off. He suggests the effect can best be obtained through faint bouncing of a tempered hardboard or a thinner MDF
board between the palms of one's hands.
In 1960 he worked on TVW-7
's first locally produced show Spotlight. During his time at TVW he recorded his hit Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
. The song was recorded on a single microphone placed above him in the television studio. The song was sent to record company EMI
in Sydney
and it was soon released as a record. Harris offered four unknown backing musicians 10% of the royalties for the song, but they decided to take a recording fee of ₤7 each because they thought the song would be a flop. The novelty song was originally titled "Kangalypso" and featured the distinctive sound of the "wobble board", which was played by bouncing it up and down.
The original 1960 single release recording of the song issued in Australia was considered controversial by some listeners because of the lyrics of the fourth verse. The verse appears to refer to Aboriginal
servitude and captivity in a whimsically approving manner. In addition, the word "abo" was beginning to be seen as a term of abuse at the time. Most of the rest of the song refers to pet Australian animals.
The offending verse did not feature in later versions of the song. In 2006, four decades after the song's release, Harris expressed his regret about that original lyric. Harris also performed this song in 2000 with Australia's children's supergroup The Wiggles
.
Harris sang "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" (with The Beatles singing backing vocals) in the first edition of the From Us to You
BBC radio shows, in December 1963. Harris completely customized the original lyrics to a version that was specially written for The Beatles:
Cut yer hair once a year boys, (repeat), If it covers your ears you can't hear boys, so (repeat first line).
It was after this recording that Harris gave Ringo his first Wobble board
of which Starr now has the largest collection outside Australia.
As well as his trademark beatboxing
, similar to eefing
, Harris went on to use an array of unusual instruments in his music, including the didgeridoo
(the sound of which was imitated on Sun Arise
by four double bass
es), Jew's harp
and, later, the stylophone
(for which he also lent his name and likeness for advertising). Harris has played the didgeridoo on two albums by English pop singer Kate Bush
, 1982's The Dreaming
and 2005's Aerial
. Harris went on to create one of his most famous roles in the 1960s, Jake the Peg
but his biggest hit was in 1969 with his rendering of the American Civil War song "Two Little Boys
", written in 1902. It was only recently that Harris discovered a personal poignancy to the song because the story bears such a resemblance to the First World War experiences of his father Crom and Crom's beloved younger brother Carl, who died at the age of 19 after being wounded in battle in France, just two weeks before the Armistice of November 1918. Two Little Boys
was the Christmas Number One song in the UK charts for six weeks in 1969. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
.
In 2000 Harris, along with Steve Lima, released a dance track called "Fine Day" which entered the top 30 in the UK charts at that time. A "Killie-themed
" version was recorded and scheduled for release in March 2007 to coincide with the Scottish football club Kilmarnock's appearance in the Scottish League Cup final
after the song was adopted by the fans in 2003. One of the lyrics referred to the hypothetical situation in which Kilmarnock could be 5-0 down, which ironically was similar to the final score of 5-1.
In November and December 2002, under Charles Saumarez Smith's direction, London's National Gallery exhibited a collection of Harris's art. He was also commissioned to paint a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II for her 80th birthday, which was unveiled by Rolf Harris on 19 December 2005 at Buckingham Palace
. In his words, it is an impressionistic rather than photographic depiction. Some commentators found it to be offensive and unbecoming of the Queen, but the Queen herself expressed her approval at the painting after her final sitting, particularly with the way in which Harris had painted her smile. The story of the painting featured as a special edition of Rolf on Art. The special, called The Queen by Rolf, was broadcast on BBC One
on 1 January 2006. In his painting of the portrait of the Queen, Harris was following a family tradition — Harris's grandfather painted a portrait of the Queen's grandfather, King George V
(in which the King was inspecting the troops). The portrait was exhibited in the Australian National Portrait Gallery in Canberra for six months, after Harris gave the prestigious annual lecture there in 2008.
In 2005 Harris played the didgeridoo on Kate Bush
's album Aerial
, contributing vocals to the songs "An Architect's Dream" and "The Painter's Link". In the late 1980s he was touring in Australia and was asked to sing his own comedy version of "Stairway to Heaven" on a television programme "The Money or the Gun". He did this with his own small group and had great success. Several years later it was released as a single in the UK and went to number seven in the charts, causing a great furore among "Led Zeppelin" fans, and great enjoyment for everyone else. As a result of this success he appeared at the Glastonbury Festival
in 1993 and was later named the best entertainer ever to have appeared at Glastonbury. He has since appeared four more times at subsequent Glastonbury festivals and most recently appeared there on 27 June 2009 on the Jazz World Stage to a packed crowd.
In September 2010 Harris appeared at the Bestival Festival on the Isle of Wight, and played on the pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival
on Friday 25 June 2010, during the festival's 40th birthday.
On 5 August 2011, Harris played at Wickham Festival in Hampshire.
Harris also appeared on The Wiggles 2011 DVD release Ukelele Baby performing the song Good Ship Fabulous Flea with his wobbleboard and taking lead vocals on the song and The Wiggles playing the roles of the mice and background vocals.
was the mascot
for the 1982 Commonwealth Games
in Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
. When Matilda arrived at the stadium, she 'winked' to the crowd as she went around the stadium track — then her 'pouch' opened and several young children (about 5 to 7 years old), dressed as joey kangaroos, rushed out (then ran to — and jumped on — a number of trampoline
s which had been set up specially for them).
Harris, who was standing, complete with wobble board
, at the back of a small truck, then sang a special rendition of his hit song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
", which included some lyrics specially written for the Opening Ceremony:
Following his singing of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", Harris sang "Waltzing Matilda
". As well as a videotape recording of the Opening Ceremony being released, the music for the Opening Ceremony was released as an album and an audio tape, with Harris as one of the featured artists.
of Led Zeppelin
's "Stairway to Heaven
" became a hit, reaching number seven in the UK singles chart
. Harris originally performed the song, live, during an appearance on the television comedy show The Money or the Gun
. Each episode of The Money or the Gun featured a rendition of Stairway to Heaven but in the idiosyncratic style of another performer. Harris's version of the song recreated the song in the style of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", complete with wobble board and didgeridoo solos. Although he had the sheet music, Harris claims that he had not heard the original version when he recorded his; as such, he disavows any claim that his version was intended to be irreverent or humorous. Harris's version was one of 28 versions of the song performed on the show — and his version is one of the 25 versions of the song which was released on the The Money or the Gun's Stairways to Heaven videotape and CD (Harris's single comes from the same recording of his version of the song). A wobble board Harris used to perform "Stairway to Heaven" on Top of the Pops
is now part of the National Museum of Australia
collection.
Perth
's jingle "Children's Channel 7".
Harris also recorded a version of Queen
's "Bohemian Rhapsody
" around this time. He performed The Divinyls' "I Touch Myself
" — accompanied only by his wobble board — for Andrew Denton
's Musical Challenge on the MMM Breakfast Show (the recording was released on the first Musical Challenge compilation album in 2000). Later that year he made his first appearance at the Glastonbury Festival
in what was seen as a novelty act. He played there again in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2009 and 2010.
Harris has also recorded an Australian Christmas song called Six White Boomers, about a joey Kangaroo trying to find his mother during Christmastime, and how Santa Claus used six large male kangaroo
s (Boomers), instead of reindeer
"because they can't stand the terrible heat" to pull his sleigh and help the little joey find his "Mummy".
In October 2008 Harris announced he would re-record his 1969 hit "Two Little Boys
", backed by North Wales's Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir
, to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I. Proceeds from the new release went to The Poppy Appeal. Harris was inspired to make the recording after participating in My Family at War, a short series of programmes in the BBC's Remembrance season, which was broadcast in November 2008. He discovered that the experiences of his father and uncle during the Great War mirrored the lyrics of the song.
A sampling of Harris saying "You've just heard one of the most remarkable applications in modern electronics", grabbed from a Stylophone instruction disc, appears at the end of the Pulp
hit "Countdown".
Harris has had a long career on British television, making his debut in 1953 on a five-minute spot with a puppet called 'Fuzz' in a one-hour children’s show called 'Jigsaw'. The following year he was a regular on a BBC Television
programme called Whirligig, with a character called 'Willoughby', who sprang to life on a drawing board but was erased at the end of the show.
Although he chiefly appeared on the BBC
, he was also on ITV
with his 'Oliver Polip the Octopus' character on Small Time on Associated Rediffusion. He was the presenter of Hi There and Hey Presto it’s Rolf in 1964. Consequently he was already well-known face on television when The Rolf Harris Show was broadcast from 1967–1974 on BBC1. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s this series in various formats remained a popular light-entertainment staple, latterly being broadcast on Saturday evenings as Rolf on Saturday OK? Harris was also the commentator for the United Kingdom in the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest. On 31 December 1976, Harris performed his hit song Two Little Boys on BBC1's A Jubilee Of Music
, celebrating British pop music for Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee
.
On many of his television appearances he painted pictures on large boards in an apparently slapdash manner, with the odd nonsense song thrown in, but with detailed results. This was often accompanied by the phrase "Can you tell what is it yet?" just before the painting became recognisable. These appearances led to a string of television series based on his artistic ability, notably Rolf Harris's Cartoon Time on BBC1 in the 1980s and Rolf's Cartoon Club
on ITV
between 1989–1993. On the children's show he also gave out tips to children on how to draw and create easy animation techniques, like flickbooks. The latter programme witnessed another Harris catchphrase, "See you on Ro-o-o-o-o-o-lf's Cartoon Club, next week!" He also hosted a successful variety television series in Canada
, which was a second home to Harris during the 1960s.
From 1994–2004 he was the host of the reality television
programme Animal Hospital
, which chronicled the real-life activity of a British veterinary practice
. Harris then adopted a greyhound
that had been abandoned at the vet's, named Rocky.
Harris presented 19 series of Animal Hospital for BBC One. It was five times winner in the Most Popular Factual Entertainment Show category of The National TV Awards. In an Australian Times article, journalist Kris Griffiths wrote of Animal Hospital: “One scene of Rolf’s tearful breakdown as a dog is euthanised became forever ingrained in fans’ memories, a spontaneous display that boosted the next episode’s ratings to a zenith of 10m.” When referring to a dead or dying animal on the programme, one of his catchphrases was, "The Poor Little Blighter".
More recently he presented Rolf on Art
, which highlighted the work of some of his favourite artists, including van Gogh
, Degas
, Monet
and Gauguin
. Rolf on Art
which made television history when it gained the highest television ratings ever for an arts programme, is now in its sixth year. On 26 September 2004 Harris fronted a project to recreate John Constable
's famous The Hay Wain
painting on a vast scale, with 150 people contributing to a small section. Each individual canvas was assembled into the full picture live on the BBC, in the show Rolf on Art: The Big Event. He was named as one of the Radio Times
s list of the top 40 most eccentric television presenters of all time in July 2004.
The story of Harris's 80th birthday portrait painting of Queen Elizabeth II featured as a special edition of Rolf on Art, broadcast on BBC One
on 1 January 2006. Harris's portrait of The Queen was voted by readers of the Radio Times the third favourite portrait of Her Majesty. The royal portrait was exhibited at Buckingham Palace
, the Palace of Holyroodhouse
in Edinburgh, and was exhibited on a tour of public galleries in the UK.
In September 2006 the Royal Australian Mint launched the first of the new 2007 Silver Kangaroo Collector's Coin series. Harris was commissioned to design the first coin in the series.
For the third year running, Harris designed and painted the official Children In Need Christmas card. Harris has presented three series of the BBC art programme Star Portraits with Rolf Harris
. In 2007, a documentary A Lifetime in Paint about Harris's work as an artist — from the early years in Australia to the present day — was screened on BBC One, followed by a Rolf On Art special titled Rolf on Lowry
.
In November 2007 at exhibition of Harris's new paintings was held at Portland Gallery
, London. In December 2007 a new DVD titled Rolf Live! was released through his website.
Rolf on Art: Beatrix Potter
was screened on BBC One in December 2007.
Harris appeared with a wobble board in a Churchill Insurance advertisement in 2009, and hosted the satirical quiz show Have I Got News for You
, aired on 15 May 2009.
Harris is narrator of the 2010 Australian documentary series Penguin Island
, a 6-part natural history documentary about the life of the Little Penguin
. In September 2010 — October 2010, Rolf Harris took part in 'Jamies Dream School' teaching Art to a class of 20 students. His personality inspired many of the students, and set a creative spark alight in the classroom. Widely respected by the students, he was seen as one of the favourite teachers at the school in Mill Hill. One of his most memorable scenes on the Channel 4 programme was when Rolf and one of the students called Ronnie sat together in a one to one Art session, when everyone else had left the class and created a masterpiece together. Harris appeared as himself on the Christmas special of My Family aired on 24 December 2010.
In 2011 Harris made a guest appearance on BBC 1 show The Magicians
hosted by Lenny Henry
.
On 5 November 2011 Harris appeared in an episode of Piers Morgan's Life Stories
.
(CBE) on 17 June 2006, having previously been created a Member (MBE) in 1968 and an Officer (OBE
) in 1977.
In 1975 he was appointed King of Moomba
On 26 January 1989 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
(AM)
On 8 November 2007 Rolf Harris was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of East London
.
On 1 July 2008 Harris was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
. He was joined onstage by The Seekers
to perform "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
" and his Jake the Peg
routine.
On 26 January 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate at Liverpool Hope University.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, AM
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 30 March 1930) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.
Born in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the characters. He also began a musical career initially with the piano accordion
Piano accordion
A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more similar to that of an organ than a piano, as they are both wind instruments, but the term "piano accordion"—coined by Guido Deiro in 1910—has remained the popular...
. He wrote the famous song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit across the world in the 1960s in two different recordings . Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed...
", and when performing in Canada he introduced his popular routine around his song "Jake the Peg
Jake the Peg
"Jake the Peg" was a fictional three-legged man, the subject of a song performed by Rolf Harris, released as a single in 1965.The song was adapted in 1965 from a version performed by Frank Roosen...
". He often uses unusual instruments in his performances: he plays the didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
, has been credited with the invention of the wobble board
Wobble board
The wobble board is an instrument popularized by the Australian musician and artist Rolf Harris and featured in his best-known song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"...
, a rhythmic percussion instrument, and was associated with the Stylophone, a small electronic keyboard instrument.
From the 1960s he has become a popular television personality, presenting shows including Rolf's Cartoon Club
Rolf's Cartoon Club
Rolf's Cartoon Club was a television show presented by Rolf Harris on CITV between 1989 and 1993.The show had some similarities to Harris' earlier BBC programme, Rolf's Cartoon Time, in that it saw him introducing cartoons and drawing pictures of characters from them. The cartoons shown were mostly...
, Animal Hospital
Animal Hospital
Animal Hospital was a television show starring Rolf Harris that ran on the BBC from 1994 until 2004. The story showed animal welfare stories from RSPCA hospitals.-Location:...
and various programmes about serious art. In late 2005 he painted an official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which was the subject of a special episode of Rolf on Art
Rolf on Art
Rolf on Art is a British Art television series made by the BBC. It was hosted by Rolf Harris, the Australian television presenter. The series began in 2001, and the most recent episode was made in 2007...
.
Early life
Named after Rolf BoldrewoodThomas Alexander Browne
Thomas Alexander Browne was an Australian writer, who sometimes published under the pseudonym Rolf Boldrewood and best known for his novel Robbery Under Arms.-Biography:...
, an Australian writer his mother admired, he was born in Bassendean
Bassendean, Western Australia
Bassendean is a northeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Town of Bassendean.Bassendean is home to the Western Australian Rail Transport Museum. The display has a collection of Steam and Diesel Locomotives, most of these have been restored to operating...
, a suburb of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, to Cromwell ("Crom") Harris and Agnes Margaret Harris (née Robbins) who had both emigrated from Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He is the nephew of Australian artist Pixie O'Harris
Pixie O'Harris
Pixie O'Harris MBE , was a Welsh-born Australian artist, newspaper, magazine and book illustrator, author, broadcaster, caricaturist and cartoonist, designer of book plates, sheet music covers and stationery, and children's hospital ward fairy-style mural painter...
(1903–1991). As a child he owned a dog called Buster Fleabags. A book of the same name was written for Quick Reads
Quick Reads Initiative
Quick Reads are a series of short books by bestselling authors and celebrities. With no more than 128 pages, they are designed to encourage adults who do not read often, or find reading tough, to discover the joy of books....
in 2010.
As an adolescent and young adult Harris was a champion swimmer. In 1946 he was the Australian Junior 110 yards Backstroke Champion.
He was also the Western Australian state champion over a variety of distances and strokes during the period from 1948 to 1952.
Harris attended Perth Modern School
Perth Modern School
Perth Modern School is an academically-selective co-educational public high school located in Subiaco, an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia.The school, established in 1911, now caters for students with high academic ability....
in Subiaco
Subiaco, Western Australia
Subiaco is an inner western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, situated to the north west of Kings Park. Its Local Government Area is the City of Subiaco.-History:Prior to European settlement the area was home to the Noongar Indigenous people....
, and the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
.
Whilst just 16, and still a student at Perth Modern School, his self-portrait in oils was one of the 80 works (out of 200 submitted) accepted to be hung in the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
as an entry in the 1947 Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
.
He met his wife, the Welsh sculptress and jeweller Alwen Hughes, while they were both art students, and they married on 1 March 1958. They have one daughter, Bindi Harris (born 10 March 1964), who studied art at Bristol Polytechnic
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
and is now a painter.
Music and art
Harris moved to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as an art student at City and Guilds Art School, Kennington, South London at the age of 22, getting into television with the BBC in 1953, performing a regular ten-minute cartoon drawing section with a puppet called "Fuzz", made and operated on the show by magician Robert Harbin
Robert Harbin
Robert Harbin was a British magician and writer. He is noted as the inventor of a number of classic illusions, including the Zig Zag Girl...
. He illustrated Robert Harbin's Paper Magic (1956). He also had a few acting roles in British television programmes and films as Harry in The Vise
The Vise
The Vise is a half-hour dramatic anthology television series which aired at 9:30 p.m. EST on Fridays on ABC from December 1955 to June 1957....
and as Pte Proudfoot in the 1955 Tommy Trinder
Tommy Trinder
Thomas Edward Trinder CBE known as Tommy Trinder, was an English stage, screen and radio comedian of the pre and post war years whose catchphrase was 'You lucky people'.-Life:...
film You Lucky People.
When commercial television started in 1956 Harris was the only entertainer to work on both BBC and ITV, performing on BBC with his own creation, "Willoughby", a specially made board on which he drew Willoughby, (voiced and operated by Peter Hawkins
Peter Hawkins
Peter John Hawkins was an English actor and voice artist.- Career :Born in London and a native of Brixton, Hawkins' long association with British children's television began in 1952 when he voiced both Bill and Ben, the Flower Pot Men. In 1955–1956, He voiced Big Ears & Mr. Plod from The...
). The character would then come to life and hold a comedic dialogue with Harris as he drew cartoons of Willoughby's antics.
On Associated Rediffusion he invented a character called Oliver Polip the Octopus which he drew on the back of his hand and animated, as well as illustrating Oliver's adventures with cartoons on huge sheets of card.
He had drifted away from art school as a slightly disillusioned student and had luckily met his longtime hero, Australian impressionist painter Hayward Veal, who took Harris under his wing and became his mentor, teaching him the rudiments of impressionism and showing him how it could help with his portrait painting.
At the same time Harris was entertaining with his piano accordion every Thursday night at a club called the Down Under, a haunt for homesick Australians and New Zealanders. Here, over the next several years, he honed his entertainment skills, eventually writing the song which was later to become his theme song, 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport'. He also appeared regularly at Clement Freud
Clement Freud
Sir Clement Raphael Freud was an English broadcaster, writer, politician and chef.-Early life:Freud was born in Berlin, the son of Jewish parents Ernst Ludwig Freud and Lucie née Brasch. He was the grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and the brother of artist Lucian Freud...
's "Royal Court Theatre Club" in Sloane Square, where he sat at the piano and entertained débutantes and their escorts.
Harris was headhunted to return to Perth when television was introduced there in 1960. There he produced and starred in five half-hour children's shows a week, as well as starring in his own weekly evening variety show. During 1960 he recorded the original version of the song that he had written for the Down Under Club in London, 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport' in the TVW studios in Perth, Western Australia with four local backing musicians. It was released by EMI Australia and became his first recording and his first number one. It also repeated that success in the UK. At the end of 1960 he toured Australia for Dulux
Dulux
Dulux is an internationally available brand of paint. It is produced by AkzoNobel . The brand name Dulux has been used by both ICI and DuPont since 1931 and was one of the first alkyd-based paints.-History:...
paints, singing his hit song and doing huge paintings on stage with Dulux emulsion paint. While painting on stage, one of his catchphrases was, "Can you tell what it is yet?"
He and his wife Alwen went to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in Canada by mistake, and had huge success there, working two shows a night at the Arctic Club, where he was held over for 31 weeks until the club accidentally burnt down on Christmas Eve, 1961. He was immediately transferred to the huge "Cave" theatre restaurant to great critical acclaim.
He returned to the United Kingdom early in 1962 and was introduced to George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
, who re-recorded all Harris's songs the following year, including a remake of 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport' which became a huge hit in the US, and "Sun Arise
Sun Arise
"Sun Arise" is the fourth single released by the Australian singer-songwriter Rolf Harris. Released on 25 October 1962, it was Harris' second charting hit, coming two years after his self-penned chart-topper "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"...
", an Aboriginal-type song Harris had written with Perth naturalist Harry Butler
Harry Butler
William Henry "Harry" Butler CBE is an Australian naturalist and environmental consultant. He is a populariser of science and natural history for both child and adult audiences and, as conservation consultant to the Barrow Island oilfield and many other projects, has played a major role in...
. The song went to number two in the UK charts, losing the number one spot to Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. He met and worked with The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
when they started recording with George Martin, and compèred their Christmas show in Finsbury Park Empire in 1963.
He and his wife have lived permanently in the United Kingdom since 1962, and he has regularly returned to Vancouver to entertain ever since. He has also regularly returned to Perth over the years for family visits and to the rest of Australia where he has spent as much as four months every year touring with his band.
In 1973 Harris performed the very first concert in the Concert Hall of the newly completed Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, to huge acclaim.
Since the late 1960s Harris had been performing top-rated variety television shows on the BBC in London, shows which were also shown in Australia and New Zealand, creating great support for his many tours in both countries as well as in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Harris has been credited with inventing a simple homemade instrument called the wobble board
Wobble board
The wobble board is an instrument popularized by the Australian musician and artist Rolf Harris and featured in his best-known song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"...
. This discovery was accidentally made in the course of his work when he attempted to dry a freshly painted hardboard with added heat, from hearing the sound made by the board as he shook it by the short edges to cool it off. He suggests the effect can best be obtained through faint bouncing of a tempered hardboard or a thinner MDF
Medium-density fibreboard
Medium-density fiberboard is an engineered wood product formed by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibres, often in a defibrator, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure...
board between the palms of one's hands.
In 1960 he worked on TVW-7
TVW-7
TVW is a television station broadcasting in Perth, Western Australia, wholly owned by the Seven Network. It was the first television station in Western Australia, commencing service on 16 October 1959. It broadcasts analogue on VHF 7 and digital on VHF 6 from Bickley located in the Perth Hills...
's first locally produced show Spotlight. During his time at TVW he recorded his hit Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit across the world in the 1960s in two different recordings . Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed...
. The song was recorded on a single microphone placed above him in the television studio. The song was sent to record company EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and it was soon released as a record. Harris offered four unknown backing musicians 10% of the royalties for the song, but they decided to take a recording fee of ₤7 each because they thought the song would be a flop. The novelty song was originally titled "Kangalypso" and featured the distinctive sound of the "wobble board", which was played by bouncing it up and down.
The original 1960 single release recording of the song issued in Australia was considered controversial by some listeners because of the lyrics of the fourth verse. The verse appears to refer to Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
servitude and captivity in a whimsically approving manner. In addition, the word "abo" was beginning to be seen as a term of abuse at the time. Most of the rest of the song refers to pet Australian animals.
The offending verse did not feature in later versions of the song. In 2006, four decades after the song's release, Harris expressed his regret about that original lyric. Harris also performed this song in 2000 with Australia's children's supergroup The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
.
Harris sang "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" (with The Beatles singing backing vocals) in the first edition of the From Us to You
From Me to You
"From Me to You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles as a single in 1963. The single was the Beatles' first number one in some of the United Kingdom charts, second in others, but failed to make an impact in the United States at the time of its initial...
BBC radio shows, in December 1963. Harris completely customized the original lyrics to a version that was specially written for The Beatles:
Cut yer hair once a year boys, (repeat), If it covers your ears you can't hear boys, so (repeat first line).
- Don't ill-treat me pet dingo, Ringo, (repeat). He can't understand your lingo, Ringo, so (repeat first line).
- George’s guitar's on the blink, I think, (repeat), It shouldn't go plinkety plink, no, (repeat first line).
- Prop me up by the wall, Paul, (repeat), Cause if you don't I might fall, Paul, so (repeat first line).
- Keep the hits coming on, John, (repeat), Til long long after I've gone, John, just (repeat first line).
It was after this recording that Harris gave Ringo his first Wobble board
Wobble board
The wobble board is an instrument popularized by the Australian musician and artist Rolf Harris and featured in his best-known song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"...
of which Starr now has the largest collection outside Australia.
As well as his trademark beatboxing
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
, similar to eefing
Eefing
Eefing is an Appalachian vocal technique similar to beatboxing, but nearly a century older...
, Harris went on to use an array of unusual instruments in his music, including the didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
(the sound of which was imitated on Sun Arise
Sun Arise
"Sun Arise" is the fourth single released by the Australian singer-songwriter Rolf Harris. Released on 25 October 1962, it was Harris' second charting hit, coming two years after his self-penned chart-topper "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"...
by four double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
es), Jew's harp
Jew's harp
The Jew's harp, jaw harp, mouth harp, Ozark harp, trump or juice harp, is thought to be one of the oldest musical instruments in the world; a musician apparently playing it can be seen in a Chinese drawing from the 4th century BC...
and, later, the stylophone
Dubreq Stylophone
The Stylophone is a miniature stylus-operated synthesizer invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis and going in to production in 1968. It consists of a metal keyboard played by touching it with a stylus — each note being connected to a voltage-controlled oscillator via a different-value resistor -...
(for which he also lent his name and likeness for advertising). Harris has played the didgeridoo on two albums by English pop singer Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
, 1982's The Dreaming
The Dreaming (album)
-Personnel:*Stewart Arnold: vocals, background vocals*Jimmy Bain: bass*Ian Bairnson: acoustic guitar, vocals, background vocals*John Barrett: assistant engineer*Brian Bath: electric guitar*Haydn Bendall: engineer...
and 2005's Aerial
Aerial (album)
Aerial is the eighth studio album by British singer-songwriter and musician Kate Bush.-Overview:Aerial is Bush's first double album, and was released after a twelve year absence from the music industry during which Bush devoted her time to family and the rearing of her son, Bertie...
. Harris went on to create one of his most famous roles in the 1960s, Jake the Peg
Jake the Peg
"Jake the Peg" was a fictional three-legged man, the subject of a song performed by Rolf Harris, released as a single in 1965.The song was adapted in 1965 from a version performed by Frank Roosen...
but his biggest hit was in 1969 with his rendering of the American Civil War song "Two Little Boys
Two Little Boys
"Two Little Boys" is a song written by American composer Theodore Morse and lyricist Edward Madden. It was written in 1902 and became a popular music hall song of the time, made popular by Harry Lauder. It describes the story of two boys who grow up to fight in the American Civil War. In 1969, it...
", written in 1902. It was only recently that Harris discovered a personal poignancy to the song because the story bears such a resemblance to the First World War experiences of his father Crom and Crom's beloved younger brother Carl, who died at the age of 19 after being wounded in battle in France, just two weeks before the Armistice of November 1918. Two Little Boys
Two Little Boys
"Two Little Boys" is a song written by American composer Theodore Morse and lyricist Edward Madden. It was written in 1902 and became a popular music hall song of the time, made popular by Harry Lauder. It describes the story of two boys who grow up to fight in the American Civil War. In 1969, it...
was the Christmas Number One song in the UK charts for six weeks in 1969. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
In 2000 Harris, along with Steve Lima, released a dance track called "Fine Day" which entered the top 30 in the UK charts at that time. A "Killie-themed
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
" version was recorded and scheduled for release in March 2007 to coincide with the Scottish football club Kilmarnock's appearance in the Scottish League Cup final
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
after the song was adopted by the fans in 2003. One of the lyrics referred to the hypothetical situation in which Kilmarnock could be 5-0 down, which ironically was similar to the final score of 5-1.
In November and December 2002, under Charles Saumarez Smith's direction, London's National Gallery exhibited a collection of Harris's art. He was also commissioned to paint a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II for her 80th birthday, which was unveiled by Rolf Harris on 19 December 2005 at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. In his words, it is an impressionistic rather than photographic depiction. Some commentators found it to be offensive and unbecoming of the Queen, but the Queen herself expressed her approval at the painting after her final sitting, particularly with the way in which Harris had painted her smile. The story of the painting featured as a special edition of Rolf on Art. The special, called The Queen by Rolf, was broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 1 January 2006. In his painting of the portrait of the Queen, Harris was following a family tradition — Harris's grandfather painted a portrait of the Queen's grandfather, King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
(in which the King was inspecting the troops). The portrait was exhibited in the Australian National Portrait Gallery in Canberra for six months, after Harris gave the prestigious annual lecture there in 2008.
In 2005 Harris played the didgeridoo on Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
's album Aerial
Aerial (album)
Aerial is the eighth studio album by British singer-songwriter and musician Kate Bush.-Overview:Aerial is Bush's first double album, and was released after a twelve year absence from the music industry during which Bush devoted her time to family and the rearing of her son, Bertie...
, contributing vocals to the songs "An Architect's Dream" and "The Painter's Link". In the late 1980s he was touring in Australia and was asked to sing his own comedy version of "Stairway to Heaven" on a television programme "The Money or the Gun". He did this with his own small group and had great success. Several years later it was released as a single in the UK and went to number seven in the charts, causing a great furore among "Led Zeppelin" fans, and great enjoyment for everyone else. As a result of this success he appeared at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in 1993 and was later named the best entertainer ever to have appeared at Glastonbury. He has since appeared four more times at subsequent Glastonbury festivals and most recently appeared there on 27 June 2009 on the Jazz World Stage to a packed crowd.
In September 2010 Harris appeared at the Bestival Festival on the Isle of Wight, and played on the pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
on Friday 25 June 2010, during the festival's 40th birthday.
On 5 August 2011, Harris played at Wickham Festival in Hampshire.
Harris also appeared on The Wiggles 2011 DVD release Ukelele Baby performing the song Good Ship Fabulous Flea with his wobbleboard and taking lead vocals on the song and The Wiggles playing the roles of the mice and background vocals.
1982 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
Matilda, a winking kangarooKangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
was the mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the 1982 Commonwealth Games
1982 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 1982 Commonwealth Games was held on 30 September 1982 at the QEII Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. When Matilda arrived at the stadium, she 'winked' to the crowd as she went around the stadium track — then her 'pouch' opened and several young children (about 5 to 7 years old), dressed as joey kangaroos, rushed out (then ran to — and jumped on — a number of trampoline
Trampoline
A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
s which had been set up specially for them).
Harris, who was standing, complete with wobble board
Wobble board
The wobble board is an instrument popularized by the Australian musician and artist Rolf Harris and featured in his best-known song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"...
, at the back of a small truck, then sang a special rendition of his hit song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit across the world in the 1960s in two different recordings . Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed...
", which included some lyrics specially written for the Opening Ceremony:
- Let me welcome you to the Games, friends,
- Welcome you to the Games
- Look, I don't know all of your names, friends,
- But let me welcome you to the Games.
Following his singing of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", Harris sang "Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
". As well as a videotape recording of the Opening Ceremony being released, the music for the Opening Ceremony was released as an album and an audio tape, with Harris as one of the featured artists.
"Stairway to Heaven"
Harris's career received a boost in 1993 when his cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's "Stairway to Heaven
Stairway to Heaven
"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album . The song, running eight minutes and two seconds, is composed of several sections, which...
" became a hit, reaching number seven in the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Harris originally performed the song, live, during an appearance on the television comedy show The Money or the Gun
The Money or the Gun
The Money or the Gun was an Australian comedy/talk-show on the ABC network. It ran from 1989 to 1990, with occasional specials until 1994. It was written by Andrew Denton, Simon Dodd, Bruce Griffiths, and George Dodd, directed by Martin Coombes and produced by Mark Fitzgerald.Each episode was...
. Each episode of The Money or the Gun featured a rendition of Stairway to Heaven but in the idiosyncratic style of another performer. Harris's version of the song recreated the song in the style of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", complete with wobble board and didgeridoo solos. Although he had the sheet music, Harris claims that he had not heard the original version when he recorded his; as such, he disavows any claim that his version was intended to be irreverent or humorous. Harris's version was one of 28 versions of the song performed on the show — and his version is one of the 25 versions of the song which was released on the The Money or the Gun's Stairways to Heaven videotape and CD (Harris's single comes from the same recording of his version of the song). A wobble board Harris used to perform "Stairway to Heaven" on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
is now part of the National Museum of Australia
National Museum of Australia
The National Museum of Australia was formally established by the National Museum of Australia Act 1980. The National Museum preserves and interprets Australia's social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation....
collection.
Recordings and appearances
Harris is known for Channel 7Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
's jingle "Children's Channel 7".
Harris also recorded a version of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
" around this time. He performed The Divinyls' "I Touch Myself
I Touch Myself
"I Touch Myself" is a 1990 single by the Australian rock band Divinyls. The song was written by Divinyls bandmembers Christina Amphlett and Mark McEntee and professional songwriters Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg for the band's self-titled album...
" — accompanied only by his wobble board — for Andrew Denton
Andrew Denton
Andrew Christopher Denton is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie-nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program Enough Rope. He is known for his comedy and interviewing technique...
's Musical Challenge on the MMM Breakfast Show (the recording was released on the first Musical Challenge compilation album in 2000). Later that year he made his first appearance at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in what was seen as a novelty act. He played there again in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2009 and 2010.
Harris has also recorded an Australian Christmas song called Six White Boomers, about a joey Kangaroo trying to find his mother during Christmastime, and how Santa Claus used six large male kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s (Boomers), instead of reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
"because they can't stand the terrible heat" to pull his sleigh and help the little joey find his "Mummy".
In October 2008 Harris announced he would re-record his 1969 hit "Two Little Boys
Two Little Boys
"Two Little Boys" is a song written by American composer Theodore Morse and lyricist Edward Madden. It was written in 1902 and became a popular music hall song of the time, made popular by Harry Lauder. It describes the story of two boys who grow up to fight in the American Civil War. In 1969, it...
", backed by North Wales's Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir
Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir
The Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir , also known as the Fron Choir , is an award-winning amateur male voice choir based in the village of Froncysyllte, near Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales.-Origins & History:...
, to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I. Proceeds from the new release went to The Poppy Appeal. Harris was inspired to make the recording after participating in My Family at War, a short series of programmes in the BBC's Remembrance season, which was broadcast in November 2008. He discovered that the experiences of his father and uncle during the Great War mirrored the lyrics of the song.
A sampling of Harris saying "You've just heard one of the most remarkable applications in modern electronics", grabbed from a Stylophone instruction disc, appears at the end of the Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
hit "Countdown".
Television career
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
programme called Whirligig, with a character called 'Willoughby', who sprang to life on a drawing board but was erased at the end of the show.
Although he chiefly appeared on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, he was also on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
with his 'Oliver Polip the Octopus' character on Small Time on Associated Rediffusion. He was the presenter of Hi There and Hey Presto it’s Rolf in 1964. Consequently he was already well-known face on television when The Rolf Harris Show was broadcast from 1967–1974 on BBC1. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s this series in various formats remained a popular light-entertainment staple, latterly being broadcast on Saturday evenings as Rolf on Saturday OK? Harris was also the commentator for the United Kingdom in the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest. On 31 December 1976, Harris performed his hit song Two Little Boys on BBC1's A Jubilee Of Music
A Jubilee of Music
A Jubilee of Music is a one off BBC Television entertainment show of 75 minutes duration, broadcast on 31 December 1976 on BBC1. The show was produced to celebrate the British music successes of the first twenty-five years of Elizabeth II's reign, ahead of the commencement of 1977, the year of her...
, celebrating British pop music for Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
.
On many of his television appearances he painted pictures on large boards in an apparently slapdash manner, with the odd nonsense song thrown in, but with detailed results. This was often accompanied by the phrase "Can you tell what is it yet?" just before the painting became recognisable. These appearances led to a string of television series based on his artistic ability, notably Rolf Harris's Cartoon Time on BBC1 in the 1980s and Rolf's Cartoon Club
Rolf's Cartoon Club
Rolf's Cartoon Club was a television show presented by Rolf Harris on CITV between 1989 and 1993.The show had some similarities to Harris' earlier BBC programme, Rolf's Cartoon Time, in that it saw him introducing cartoons and drawing pictures of characters from them. The cartoons shown were mostly...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
between 1989–1993. On the children's show he also gave out tips to children on how to draw and create easy animation techniques, like flickbooks. The latter programme witnessed another Harris catchphrase, "See you on Ro-o-o-o-o-o-lf's Cartoon Club, next week!" He also hosted a successful variety television series in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which was a second home to Harris during the 1960s.
From 1994–2004 he was the host of the reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
programme Animal Hospital
Animal Hospital
Animal Hospital was a television show starring Rolf Harris that ran on the BBC from 1994 until 2004. The story showed animal welfare stories from RSPCA hospitals.-Location:...
, which chronicled the real-life activity of a British veterinary practice
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
. Harris then adopted a greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
that had been abandoned at the vet's, named Rocky.
Harris presented 19 series of Animal Hospital for BBC One. It was five times winner in the Most Popular Factual Entertainment Show category of The National TV Awards. In an Australian Times article, journalist Kris Griffiths wrote of Animal Hospital: “One scene of Rolf’s tearful breakdown as a dog is euthanised became forever ingrained in fans’ memories, a spontaneous display that boosted the next episode’s ratings to a zenith of 10m.” When referring to a dead or dying animal on the programme, one of his catchphrases was, "The Poor Little Blighter".
More recently he presented Rolf on Art
Rolf on Art
Rolf on Art is a British Art television series made by the BBC. It was hosted by Rolf Harris, the Australian television presenter. The series began in 2001, and the most recent episode was made in 2007...
, which highlighted the work of some of his favourite artists, including van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
, Degas
Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas[p] , born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist...
, Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
and Gauguin
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...
. Rolf on Art
Rolf on Art
Rolf on Art is a British Art television series made by the BBC. It was hosted by Rolf Harris, the Australian television presenter. The series began in 2001, and the most recent episode was made in 2007...
which made television history when it gained the highest television ratings ever for an arts programme, is now in its sixth year. On 26 September 2004 Harris fronted a project to recreate John Constable
John Constable
John Constable was an English Romantic painter. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for his landscape paintings of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home—now known as "Constable Country"—which he invested with an intensity of affection...
's famous The Hay Wain
The Hay Wain
The Hay Wain is a painting by John Constable, finished in 1821. The painting depicts a rural scene on the River Stour in Suffolk. It hangs in the National Gallery London, and is regarded as one of the greatest British paintings.-Description:...
painting on a vast scale, with 150 people contributing to a small section. Each individual canvas was assembled into the full picture live on the BBC, in the show Rolf on Art: The Big Event. He was named as one of the Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
s list of the top 40 most eccentric television presenters of all time in July 2004.
The story of Harris's 80th birthday portrait painting of Queen Elizabeth II featured as a special edition of Rolf on Art, broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 1 January 2006. Harris's portrait of The Queen was voted by readers of the Radio Times the third favourite portrait of Her Majesty. The royal portrait was exhibited at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, the Palace of Holyroodhouse
Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle...
in Edinburgh, and was exhibited on a tour of public galleries in the UK.
In September 2006 the Royal Australian Mint launched the first of the new 2007 Silver Kangaroo Collector's Coin series. Harris was commissioned to design the first coin in the series.
For the third year running, Harris designed and painted the official Children In Need Christmas card. Harris has presented three series of the BBC art programme Star Portraits with Rolf Harris
Star Portraits with Rolf Harris
Star Portraits with Rolf Harris was a BBC television series that has so far had three series, the most recent in March 2007. In it, three artists each paint a picture of a celebrity, and then the celebrity gets to choose to keep one of the paintings...
. In 2007, a documentary A Lifetime in Paint about Harris's work as an artist — from the early years in Australia to the present day — was screened on BBC One, followed by a Rolf On Art special titled Rolf on Lowry
L. S. Lowry
Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist born in Barrett Street, Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years at 117 Station Road , opposite St...
.
In November 2007 at exhibition of Harris's new paintings was held at Portland Gallery
Portland Gallery
The Portland Gallery is an art gallery in Westminster, London, located near Piccadilly Circus. It was established in 1984 by the Honourable Thomas Hewlett, son of the Conservative Member of Parliament Thomas Henry Hewlett....
, London. In December 2007 a new DVD titled Rolf Live! was released through his website.
Rolf on Art: Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter
Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.Born into a privileged Unitarian...
was screened on BBC One in December 2007.
Harris appeared with a wobble board in a Churchill Insurance advertisement in 2009, and hosted the satirical quiz show Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, aired on 15 May 2009.
Harris is narrator of the 2010 Australian documentary series Penguin Island
Penguin Island (TV series)
Penguin Island is an Australian natural history television documentary series about the Little Penguin.The series premiered on 30 June 2010 on BBC TV. In Australia the show airs on ABC TV. The executive producer and series producer is Sally Ingleton and the series director is Simon Target and the...
, a 6-part natural history documentary about the life of the Little Penguin
Little Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which usually grows to an average of in height and in length , is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile.Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names...
. In September 2010 — October 2010, Rolf Harris took part in 'Jamies Dream School' teaching Art to a class of 20 students. His personality inspired many of the students, and set a creative spark alight in the classroom. Widely respected by the students, he was seen as one of the favourite teachers at the school in Mill Hill. One of his most memorable scenes on the Channel 4 programme was when Rolf and one of the students called Ronnie sat together in a one to one Art session, when everyone else had left the class and created a masterpiece together. Harris appeared as himself on the Christmas special of My Family aired on 24 December 2010.
In 2011 Harris made a guest appearance on BBC 1 show The Magicians
The Magicians (TV series)
The Magicians is a British family entertainment television show, first broadcast throughout January 2011 on BBC One. The show features magicians Luis de Matos,Barry and Stuart, and Chris Korn performing a number of magic tricks with guest celebrities, competing for audience support...
hosted by Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
.
On 5 November 2011 Harris appeared in an episode of Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Piers Morgan's Life Stories, also known as Life Stories, is a British television chat show presented by journalist Piers Morgan. Filmed in front of a studio audience, each programme is devoted to one special celebrity guest. The interviews are intimate, in-depth and emotionally-charged as Piers...
.
Honours
Harris was made a Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) on 17 June 2006, having previously been created a Member (MBE) in 1968 and an Officer (OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
) in 1977.
In 1975 he was appointed King of Moomba
Moomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
On 26 January 1989 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AM)
On 8 November 2007 Rolf Harris was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of East London
University of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
.
On 1 July 2008 Harris was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
. He was joined onstage by The Seekers
The Seekers
The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
to perform "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit across the world in the 1960s in two different recordings . Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed...
" and his Jake the Peg
Jake the Peg
"Jake the Peg" was a fictional three-legged man, the subject of a song performed by Rolf Harris, released as a single in 1965.The song was adapted in 1965 from a version performed by Frank Roosen...
routine.
On 26 January 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate at Liverpool Hope University.
Styles from birth
- Rolf Harris, (1930–1968)
- Rolf Harris, MBE (1968–1977)
- Rolf Harris, OBE (1977–1989)
- Rolf Harris, AM, OBE (1989–2006)
- Rolf Harris, CBE, AM (2006–present)
External links
- The Official Rolf Harris Web Site
- Biography of Rolf Harris as a fine Artist
- http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/55463 BFI Database: Rolf Harris
- Some examples of Rolf Harris's art
- Walker, John A. (2005) "Rolf Harris: Celebrity artist" Jamani/artdesigncafe, February 2005
- Rolf Harris collection at the National Museum of Australia
- BBC raw words Quick Reads — Buster Fleabags by Rolf Harris