Jackie Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Jackie Hamilton was a stand-up comedian, nicknamed the "Pele of Comedy".
His problems with alcohol, idiosyncratic delivery and strong Liverpudlian accent were factors in his missing out on national success, but his slick anti-climactic style of observational comedy was well regarded in his home town of Liverpool, and he gave a graphic commentary on the social history of Merseyside
.
, a dockland area in north Liverpool, where he lived with two sisters, Margaret and Susie. He married Teresa, and they had four sons and a daughter. He worked casually as a docker (stevedore) and on building sites, before becoming what was known locally as an "ale-house comic", where landlords would pay him in drinks in exchange for a short comedy set.
He appeared on the ITV
TV show The Comedians in the 1970s and appeared live on both the BBC and ITV. His unreliability lead to London booking agents avoiding him. Right up until a month before he died after a stroke in 2003, Hamilton was performing on the Merseyside club circuit, headlining the Radio Merseyside Summer Friday in front of more than 900 people.
On 10 April 2007 a profile of Jackie Hamilton entitled Standing up for Liverpool was broadcast on BBC Radio 4
. Presented by Les Dennis
and produced by Tony Staveacre, it explored the life and career of the much-loved joker, using rare tapes of the man himself in interview and performance and the reminiscences of Ricky Tomlinson
, Lennie Chesworth and Mickey Finn.
His problems with alcohol, idiosyncratic delivery and strong Liverpudlian accent were factors in his missing out on national success, but his slick anti-climactic style of observational comedy was well regarded in his home town of Liverpool, and he gave a graphic commentary on the social history of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
.
Biography
Hamilton was born off Scotland RoadScotland Road
Scotland Road or "Scottie Road" is the A59 and is situated near the docks in the Vauxhall area of north Liverpool, England.-History:Scotland Road was created in the 1770s as a turnpike road to Preston via Walton and Burscough. It became part of a stagecoach route to Scotland, hence its name...
, a dockland area in north Liverpool, where he lived with two sisters, Margaret and Susie. He married Teresa, and they had four sons and a daughter. He worked casually as a docker (stevedore) and on building sites, before becoming what was known locally as an "ale-house comic", where landlords would pay him in drinks in exchange for a short comedy set.
He appeared on the 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...
TV show The Comedians in the 1970s and appeared live on both the BBC and ITV. His unreliability lead to London booking agents avoiding him. Right up until a month before he died after a stroke in 2003, Hamilton was performing on the Merseyside club circuit, headlining the Radio Merseyside Summer Friday in front of more than 900 people.
Tributes
A plaque to Hamilton was unveiled at Eldonian Village Hall in 2004.On 10 April 2007 a profile of Jackie Hamilton entitled Standing up for Liverpool was broadcast on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. Presented by Les Dennis
Les Dennis
Les Dennis is an English comedian, television presenter and actor best known as the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years.-Early life:...
and produced by Tony Staveacre, it explored the life and career of the much-loved joker, using rare tapes of the man himself in interview and performance and the reminiscences of Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
, Lennie Chesworth and Mickey Finn.