Billy Birmingham
Encyclopedia
Billy Birmingham is an Australia
n humourist and sometime sports journalist
, most noted for his parodies of Australian cricket
commentary in recordings under The Twelfth Man
name. He was the writer of the comedy hit Australiana which was made famous by performer Austen Tayshus
. Birmingham is also a regular on the panel discussion show The Back Page
, alongside Mike Gibson
and Peter FitzSimons
. Mike Gibson was sent up by Birmingham during the late 1980s on his Twelfth Man album Wired World of Sports.
Birmingham is famous for being able to find humour amid the hyperbole of world sport. Following Michael Clarke
's debut innings of 151 against India
, there was considerable praise for him - including comments that the young man was the new Donald Bradman
and that he should captain Australia. Birmingham announced on The Back Page that he was going to nominate Clarke for Australian of the Year
: "He's just that good."
During the Sydney 2000 Olympics
, Birmingham also recorded a series of mock-commentaries on Olympic events as the "Wired World of Sports", featuring such characters as the American track-and-field representative "Chuck DeWobblee" ("chucked a wobbly" - meaning to throw a tantrum) and the Ukrainian pole-vaulter "Olga Bedjanodgonnagedova" ("bet you're not gonna get over"), while also releasing the single, "Bruce 2000", featuring an impersonation of famed commentator Bruce McAvaney
during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Billy Birmingham launched a new website in October 2011, The12thMan , the websites features information about Billy Birmingham and his career as The 12th Man as well as a new range of products, including t-shirts, talking mugs, can coolers and bottle openers. Many of the products feature catch phrases.
Other people he has mimicked include:
A skilled impersonator, Birmingham is also used on the show as a means of interviewing a sporting celebrity who is otherwise unavailable. His impression of Australian rugby union
coach Eddie Jones following the decision to award a Super 14
franchise to Perth was a prime example of this, even to the point that another panelist held Birmingham's left eyebrow in place in order to have him look like the man he was pretending to be. At one point, Birmingham even began an impression of Gibson, which he quickly ceased performing, upon deciding (tongue-in-cheek) that it might endanger his career. He also is well known for spontaneously impersonating Richie Benaud
during discussions about cricket, having once said during a debate about Twenty20 cricket
, "Why not twenty-two overs for the two sides?" (taking advantage of Benaud's characteristic pronunciation of the letters T and S). In the lead-up to the Melbourne Cup
, Birmingham also frequently adopts the distinctive high-pitched voice of a jockey.
Birmingham is also known for his ability to cover up any ignorance he might have of players' names by creating new ones in keeping with the country in question. For example, a discussion about the New Zealand
rugby league
team collapsed into laughter when Birmingham praised, among others, the performance of "the centre, Waisiwerina Silitupe" ("Why's he wearing a silly toupee?").
Birmingham has also used his impersonation skills on advertisements for KFC
, as he did during the summer of 2002/03.
He has also worked on Sydney
radio station 2GB
873, along with fellow long-time The Back Page panalist, Mike Gibson
and Andrew Moore.
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...
n humourist and sometime sports journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, most noted for his parodies of Australian cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
commentary in recordings under The Twelfth Man
The Twelfth Man
The Twelfth Man is the name for a series of comedy productions by Australian satirist Billy Birmingham. Birmingham, a skilled impersonator, is generally known for parodying Australian sports commentators' voices...
name. He was the writer of the comedy hit Australiana which was made famous by performer Austen Tayshus
Austen Tayshus
Austen Tayshus is the stage name of Jewish Australian comedian Alexander Jacob Gutman. He is best known for the comedy single "Australiana", a spoken word piece filled with Australian puns.-Biography:...
. Birmingham is also a regular on the panel discussion show The Back Page
The Back Page
The Back Page is a comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle. The title satirizes the famous play and 1931 film The Front Page.-Cast:* Virginia Brooks - The Editor's Daughter* Wheeler Oakman* George MacFarlane* Ethel Davis...
, alongside Mike Gibson
Mike Gibson
Cameron Michael Henderson Gibson MBE is an Irish former rugby union footballer.-Early life:...
and Peter FitzSimons
Peter FitzSimons
Peter John FitzSimons AM is an Australian journalist and author, based in Sydney. He is a former radio presenter and national representative rugby union player.-Early life:...
. Mike Gibson was sent up by Birmingham during the late 1980s on his Twelfth Man album Wired World of Sports.
Birmingham is famous for being able to find humour amid the hyperbole of world sport. Following Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke (cricketer)
Michael John Clarke is an Australian cricketer. He was appointed captain of the Test and ODI teams on 30 March 2011. Nicknamed 'Pup', he is a right-handed batsman, and occasional left-arm orthodox spin bowler...
's debut innings of 151 against India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, there was considerable praise for him - including comments that the young man was the new Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
and that he should captain Australia. Birmingham announced on The Back Page that he was going to nominate Clarke for Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
: "He's just that good."
During the Sydney 2000 Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, Birmingham also recorded a series of mock-commentaries on Olympic events as the "Wired World of Sports", featuring such characters as the American track-and-field representative "Chuck DeWobblee" ("chucked a wobbly" - meaning to throw a tantrum) and the Ukrainian pole-vaulter "Olga Bedjanodgonnagedova" ("bet you're not gonna get over"), while also releasing the single, "Bruce 2000", featuring an impersonation of famed commentator Bruce McAvaney
Bruce McAvaney
Bruce William McAvaney OAM is an Australian sports broadcaster with the Seven Network, well-known for his commentary of Australian rules football matches as well as covering every Summer Olympic Games from Moscow 1980 until Beijing 2008.- Early years :The son of an Adelaide accountant, McAvaney...
during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Billy Birmingham launched a new website in October 2011, The12thMan , the websites features information about Billy Birmingham and his career as The 12th Man as well as a new range of products, including t-shirts, talking mugs, can coolers and bottle openers. Many of the products feature catch phrases.
Other people he has mimicked include:
- Richie BenaudRichie BenaudRichard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
- Bill LawryBill LawryWilliam Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...
- Tony GreigTony GreigAnthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
- Mark TaylorMark Taylor (cricketer)Mark Anthony Taylor, AO is a former Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border...
- Ian ChappellIan ChappellIan Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation...
- Alan JonesAlan Jones (radio broadcaster)Alan Belford Jones AO is an Australian radio broadcaster, former rugby union and rugby league coach and administrator.Jones hosts Sydney's most popular breakfast radio program, on radio station 2GB...
- Ray WarrenRay WarrenRay "Rabbits" Warren in Junee, New South Wales is an Australian sports commentator, most famous for his coverage of televised professional rugby league matches on the Nine Network. On occasion he is referred to as "The Voice of Rugby League". Ray also calls the action for Australian swimming team...
- Darrell EastlakeDarrell EastlakeDarrell Eastlake is a former Australian television presenter. He started his career as a Qantas baggage handler. Later, he began making surfboards and ran a surf shop...
- Former Australian Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
John HowardJohn HowardJohn Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies.... - Plus many other iconic people.
A skilled impersonator, Birmingham is also used on the show as a means of interviewing a sporting celebrity who is otherwise unavailable. His impression of Australian rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
coach Eddie Jones following the decision to award a Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
franchise to Perth was a prime example of this, even to the point that another panelist held Birmingham's left eyebrow in place in order to have him look like the man he was pretending to be. At one point, Birmingham even began an impression of Gibson, which he quickly ceased performing, upon deciding (tongue-in-cheek) that it might endanger his career. He also is well known for spontaneously impersonating Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
during discussions about cricket, having once said during a debate about Twenty20 cricket
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
, "Why not twenty-two overs for the two sides?" (taking advantage of Benaud's characteristic pronunciation of the letters T and S). In the lead-up to the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
, Birmingham also frequently adopts the distinctive high-pitched voice of a jockey.
Birmingham is also known for his ability to cover up any ignorance he might have of players' names by creating new ones in keeping with the country in question. For example, a discussion about the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team collapsed into laughter when Birmingham praised, among others, the performance of "the centre, Waisiwerina Silitupe" ("Why's he wearing a silly toupee?").
Birmingham has also used his impersonation skills on advertisements for KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
, as he did during the summer of 2002/03.
He has also worked on 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...
radio station 2GB
2GB
2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia broadcasting on 873 kHz, AM. It is one of Australia's most popular talk-back radio stations, and is the number one station in Sydney.-History:The station commenced broadcasting in August 1926...
873, along with fellow long-time The Back Page panalist, Mike Gibson
Mike Gibson
Cameron Michael Henderson Gibson MBE is an Irish former rugby union footballer.-Early life:...
and Andrew Moore.