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Jimmy Jones (comedian)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jimmy Jones
Born
Albert Simmonds

(1938-02-09) 9 February 1938 (age 86)
NationalityBritish
OccupationComedian
Years active1962-present

Albert Simmonds (born 9 February 1938), better known by the stage name Jimmy Jones, is a British stand-up comedian, with a reputation for being "outspoken".[1]

Life

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Jones was born as Albert Simmonds, on 9 February 1938 in Southampton, England.[2] He grew up in Rainham, Essex, attending a Catholic school, and initially wanting to train as a priest.[1]

Jones's autobiography, Now This is a Very True Story (ISBN 978-1843581963), written with the aid of Garry Bushell, was published in 2010.[3]

Career

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Jones first appeared on stage in 1962 at the Dagenham Working Men's Club, on the same bill as Max Bygraves.[4] Granada Television discovered Jones in a Walthamstow pub in 1970, recruiting him for their popular Saturday night show, The Comedians.[5]

Jones' catchphrase 'Kin' ell' was a play on words, derived from footballer George Kinnell.

In 1983, Jones was presented with what is reported to have been the first gold disc for a comedy album, after his Live from the Talk of East Anglia (1981) achieved 100,000 sales.[6] He was the first stand-up comedian to release a video of his live shows, and in the early 1980s had three videos in the UK top ten.[4] In 1994, The Independent reported that Jones was then "alleged to be the highest-paid stand-up comedian in Britain".[5]

Celebrating fifty-six years in show business in 2018, Jones announced new tour dates.[7]

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Comedy Legend Jimmy Jones coming to Lakeside and Circus Tavern". Thurrock Gazette. 7 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Jimmy Jones (iv)". IMDb. 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Now This is a Very True Story : The Autobiography of a Comedy Legend". The Daily Telegraph. 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Comedian Jimmy Jones is returning to the Dagenham Roundhouse". Barking & Dagenham Post. 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b "A video code comedians swear by". The Independent. 1994. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Jimmy Jones". Nice People Productions. 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Jimmy Jones Tour Dates". Ents24. 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.