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Graham Fellows | |
|---|---|
 Fellows in 2017 | |
| Born | (1959-05-22)22 May 1959 (age 66) Sheffield,West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Comedy career | |
| Medium | Radio, television |
| Genres | Observational comedy,stand-up |
| Website | Official website |
Graham David Fellows (born 22 May 1959)[1][2] is an English actor and musician. He first came to public attention when he released the 1978 single "Jilted John" - a track which mocked the punk-rock vocal stylings of the time. The single reached #4 in theUK Singles Chart. Fellows subsequently created the comedic characterJohn Shuttleworth in 1986 and enjoyed success again with his BBC Radio Four radio series, "The Shuttleworths".
Fellows was a drama student atManchester Polytechnic[1] when he first came to prominence in August 1978 as the eponymous singer of thenovelty record "Jilted John", a first-person narrative of a boorish, bitter teenager whose girlfriend Julie had left him for another boy named Gordon, "just 'cause he's better lookin' than me, just 'cause he's cool and trendy". The song became known for the refrain "Gordon is a moron" repeated several times.
Fellows later said: "I'd written a couple of songs and I wanted to record them. So I went into a local record shop and asked if they knew any indie or punk labels. They said there were two,Stiff in London and Rabid just down the road. So I phoned Rabid up, and they told me to send in a demo. We did the demos with the late Colin Goddard – of Walter & the Softies – on guitar, and the drummer and bass player ofthe Smirks. I took it along to Rabid, who loved it ... so we re-recorded it a few days later, at Pennine Studios, with John Scott playing guitar and bass and Martin Zero (akaMartin Hannett) producing."[3] The single, issued by Rabid in April 1978 (TOSH 105), featured "Going Steady" as the A-side and "Jilted John" as the B-side.[4]
"Jilted John" was first played on national radio byBBC Radio One'sJohn Peel,[5] who apparently commented that if the single was promoted by a major record label he could see it becoming a huge hit.[6] This proved to be the case when it was picked up byEMI International. The song was introduced byKid Jensen onTop of the Pops as "one of the most bizarre singles of the decade", and reached number 4 in theUK Singles Chart.[7]
Two follow-up singles were released the same year under the guise of "Gordon the Moron". A pseudo concept-album also produced by Hannett followed, entitledTrue Love Stories, charting John's love-life – and two further singles, neither of which was a hit. No other recordings followed these, making Jilted John aone-hit wonder. However, a cash-in single by Julie and Gordon called "Gordon's Not A Moron" sold moderately well, as did lapel badges bearing the legends "Gordon is a moron" and "Gordon is not a moron".
Fellows revived the Jilted John character at the 2008Big Chill festival, along with Bernard Kelly, premiering a new song aboutKeira Knightley's ultra-thin figure. In December 2014 Jilted John won the 'One Hit Wonder World Cup' feature on theBBC Radio 6 MusicSteve Lamacq show.[8] In late 2015 it was announced that Fellows would once again revive Jilted John forRebellion Festival 2016 at theWinter Gardens, Blackpool.[9]
In October 2018, Jilted John embarked on a 40th-anniversary tour of the UK.[10]
In 1986 Fellows createdJohn Shuttleworth, a middle-aged, aspiring singer-songwriter fromSheffield, South Yorkshire, with a quiet manner and slightlynerdish tendencies. His musical talents are usually expressed through hisYamahaPSS680 portable keyboard, and his repertoire includes such songs as "Pigeons in Flight"[12] – a song which Shuttleworth attempted to have selected for theEurovision Song Contest.[13] A spoof documentary about his road to submitting a song for Eurovision, calledEuropigeon, featured such past Eurovision stars asClodagh Rodgers,Lynsey de Paul,Bruce Welch,Katrina Leskanich (fromKatrina and the Waves),Johnny Logan,Cheryl Baker andBrotherhood of Man.[14] He has released a number of albums and singles as John Shuttleworth.[15]
Two further Fellows creations followed, firstlyBrian Appleton, a rock musicologist and media studies lecturer from a college of further education in theNewcastle-under-Lyme area although originally he hails fromSelly Oak inBirmingham. His girlfriend Wendy is an aromatherapist, but unfortunately upon qualifying she became allergic to the essential oils she uses. He is convinced that he has been instrumental in helping many rock acts to achieve megastardom and yet received no credit for his efforts, such as being the cause for the gap in "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" bySteve Harley & Cockney Rebel, inadvertently launching the vocal career ofPhil Collins at a failed audition for the lead singer of Genesis after the departure ofPeter Gabriel and givingHoward Jones the idea for using a mime artist in the hit "New Song" while working opposite him at aClingfilm factory inHigh Wycombe. Brian also claimed to have a significant bearing on the career of theThompson Twins (for example he inspired the hit 'Love on Your Side' while directingAlannah Currie towards her hat which he accidentally knocked off her head) andMorrissey (who coincidentally shares the same date of birth as Graham Fellows), who Brian claims was inspired to formThe Smiths after hearing Brian's own composition "My Turn to be Poorly".[16][17]
His newest character isDave Tordoff, a builder fromGoole specialising in 'laser screed' concrete flooring. He has ambitions to become a popularafter dinner speaker, having seen how easy it was forKevin Keegan. The topic he most enjoys discussing is his accumulated wealth, followed by life on his ranch-style property with wife Mandy and daughter Courtney. Hobbies earmarked for 2007 included falconry.[18]
In 1982 Fellows playedPaul McCartney inLennon by Bob Eaton at theCrucible Theatre, Sheffield, directed byClare Venables.[19]
Fellows released one more album in 1985 under his own name on Wicked Frog records entitledLove at the Haçienda, which was later reissued on Chic Ken in 2005 with four extra tracks.[20] In May 2020 it was released as a limited edition vinyl LP on Firestation Records (FST 179).[21]
In 2000 he appeared as Alan Stephens, aSt John Ambulanceman in two episodes ofTime Gentlemen Please.[22]
Prior to creating Shuttleworth, Fellows appeared inCoronation Street as Les Charlton, a young biker chasing the affections of marriedGail Platt (then Tilsley). During his fame as Jilted John, Fellows appeared onCoronation Street briefly when he met Gail, single at the time, on the street in Manchester. In 2007 he appeared in an episode of ITV'sHeartbeat.[23]
He presented a programme of his favourite poetry and prose onRadio 4'sWith Great Pleasure in January 2007.[24]
In July 2009 he read Radio 4'sBook of the Week,You're Coming With Me Lad byMike Pannett, aMetropolitan Police officer's semi-autobiographical account of his experiences in the North Yorkshire town ofMalton.[25]
A one-off UK 7" single was released in 1980 under the band name Going Red – "Some Boys"/"Tune Kevin's Strings"[26] – with a picture sleeve depicting Graham in the shower, fully clothed. The band, as credited on the single sleeve, was Graham Fellows (vocals/guitar), Mervin Cloud (guitar/vocals), Russell Giant (percussion) and Francis Charlton (bass guitar).Chris Sievey was also involved, possibly pseudonymously as one of the aforementioned names. The A-side was an uptempo new wave-style rocker, whilst the humorous B-side features fake crowd noises and predictable heavy metal riffing.
Appeared as Dr Persil inIdeal (2010) and asEric Sykes in the BBC Four dramaHattie (2010).[23]
Appearing onBBC Radio 4'sMidweek programme on 3 June 2015, Fellows said he had recently converted a disused church on the Orkney island ofRousay into an eco-friendly recording studio and artists' retreat.[27][28]
In December 2015 Fellows appeared on BBC One'sCelebrity Mastermind answering questions onDonald Crowhurst, coming third.[29]
Fellows was to embark on a tour as himself in January and February 2018[30] and said he was working on an album of new material –Weird Town.[31]
Fellows splits his time betweenLeicester andOrkney.[34] He has three sisters, one of whom was married to television chefAinsley Harriott.[35]
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