Merseyside Mirth Makers - Jimmy Tarbuck

James Joseph Tarbuck was born on the 6th of  February 1940 in Wavertree, Liverpool and attended Dovedale Primary School where he was a schoolmate of John Lennon. Later in life he has said “I used to bump into them at The Cavern Club, where they’d do these lunchtime sessions.'

John Lennon and Jimmy Tarbuck ( centre ) in the Isle of Man

 

The youngest of three children, Kenneth, who died at a young age, and an older sister Norma, Jimmy was by his own admission a rebellious child. His mother had been a professional dancer until she married and his bookmaker father was friendly with Northern comedians such as Ted Ray and Dave Morris, so showbiz was in his genes.

 He won a scholarship to St Francis Xavier school where he was expelled for kicking back at the "brutal" discipline imposed there and moved back to Dovedale before going on to Rose Lane Secondary Modern in Allerton, Liverpool. After leaving school he took jobs in a garage, a laundry, installing TV aerials and at a women's hairdresser's, but it was a trip to Butlins at the age of 18 which encouraged him to pursue a career in showbiz.
To impress friends he entered a talent contest at the holiday camp and , with his genial manner and acerbic wit, was able to get to the final in London. A week later he joined a touring rock 'n' roll show as compere, introducing the likes of Cliff Richard. His first steps into show business came as a Redcoat, firstly at Butlins Ocean Hotel, Brighton in April 1961 developing his material as a comedian while also organising snooker and darts competitions. Whilst there he also signed on for Brighton and Hove Albion as he played football by day and went on stage at night. The comedy became easier than the football in the end he has stated.
The following summer he moved to Butlins' Pwlhelli holiday camp in North Wales as a Redcoat compere. However he left Butlins the same year aged 22 to pursue his dreams of being a full -time comedian and was spotted by Val Parnell, the influential British television producer and theatrical impresario and in 1962 landed a slot on ITV's Comedy Bandbox.

At the London Palladium

 

By 1964 Jimmy had landed his first big break on television with 'It's Tarbuck 65'! This showcased his ability for light entertainment, with his gap-toothed grin and broad Liverpudlian accent and the following year he found fame presenting the variety show 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium'.

The job had already cemented the reputation of entertainers such as Bruce Forsyth and Norman Vaughan and it gave 'Tarby' household name status as he went on to star in 'The Jimmy Tarbuck Show' and 'Tarbuck's Luck'.

With his "boom boom" catchphrase, he would go on to be a regular on 1970's and 1980's television hosting numerous TV quiz shows, including 'Winner Takes All', 'Full Swing' and 'Tarby's Frame Game'.

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