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‘The ultimate feel-good book’ – Jimmy’s autobiography 150 150 mhamer

‘The ultimate feel-good book’ – Jimmy’s autobiography

The Jimmy Cricket Story is the famous comedian's official autobiographyJimmy Cricket’s autobiography is ‘funny in all the right places’, according to one of the latest reviews on Amazon.

Memoirs Of An Irish Comedian currently has a high 4.6 global rating on the popular online retail platform.*

The book tells the heart-warming story of Jimmy’s 50 golden years in showbusiness – told in his own words.

One reviewer posted: “A really lovely book about Jimmy’s life in show business and his wife, family.

“A lovely easy read, funny [and] uplifting with a few sad times.

“Brings back memories of days gone by. A true comedian & gentleman. Highly recommend.”

Another purchaser of the book reflected: “Jimmy’s story is wonderful.

“It is personal without being egotistical, detailed without being dull, funny in all the right places!”

And one person described it as the “the ultimate feel-good book”.

Mary’s Meals

Jimmy is happy to sign copies of the book at his live shows, where they are available for the discounted price of £10.

And there is also the opportunity for people to purchase a signed copy of Memoirs Of An Irish Comedian via the Jimmy Cricket Website.
Go to the Shop section on the site and follow the instructions towards the bottom of the page.
The cost is £15.99 (with £3.99 for postage and packaging included).
Online retailer Amazon are selling it priced £11.99.
Additonally, it is available in ebook format priced £9.99 (unless you have subscribed to Kindle Unlimited, in which case it is free). (Amazon Kindle allows users to read ebooks purchased on Amazon.)

One pound from the sale of every book goes to Mary’s Meals.

The charity supports feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities where hunger and poverty prevent children from gaining an education.

* Any ratings which have been given below the maximum 5 stars are not accompanied by reviews.

Also read: Mary’s Meals: 20 years serving global communities

From bingo caller to 50 Golden Years in showbiz!

Jimmy Cricket’s signed autobiographies now available by post!

 

 

Welcome Back from the Storm show taking bookings! 150 150 mhamer

Welcome Back from the Storm show taking bookings!

Welcome back from the storm

Jimmy Cricket is now taking bookings for his music and laughter show, entitled Welcome Back from the Storm.

The popular Northern Irish comedian hopes the current vaccination programme means live performances will be back on the cards sooner rather than later.

Jimmy will offer his usual unoffensive brand of comedy, with wife May Marion (her stage name) providing the perfect music accompaniment with her singing.

His message to all theatre managers is that Welcome Back from the Storm is now taking bookings for 2021/22.

He tells them: “Just ring us on 01706 353545 or 01706 412552.”

Theatres and other entertainment venues have had to close for most of the time during the past 12 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, more than 15 million people in the UK have now had their first coronavirus vaccine.

It has lifted hopes that some or many of the current restrictions will be lifted by Easter.

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A while ago, Jimmy came up with a perfect ditty to keep our spirits going during the latest lockdown.

The famous funnyman adapted the words of an old war-time favourite, Roll out the Barrel.

And he recorded his very own version on YouTube, called Roll out the Vaccine, which can be heard here.

It’s in reference to the roll-out of the various vaccines designed to protect people against coronavirus.

The UK government says every adult in the country will get the offer of a coronavirus vaccine by autumn this year.

Roll out the Barrel was particularly popular worldwide during World War II.

According to Wikipedia, Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda composed the music in 1927.

It is also known as Beer Barrel Polka and The Barrel Polka.

Wikipedia said many others recorded and played the song.

They included The Andrews Sisters in the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Bobby Vinton and Billie Holiday.

It added: “During World War II, versions in many other languages were created and the song was popular among soldiers, regardless of their allegiances.

“The authors of the English lyrics were Lew Brown and Wladimir Timm.”

So, folks, Jimmy and May want us all to call up his vaccine version now and have a good old sing-along to it!

Jimmy’s Roll out the Vaccine song

Sharing some nostalgia on my great friend Phyllis 150 150 mhamer

Sharing some nostalgia on my great friend Phyllis

Sharing some nostalgia here with my great friend and personal manager Phylis Rounce who was with me when Variety was King on Television and out there with live performance!

Jimmy Cricket has been reminiscing on social media with some photographs relating to theatrical agent Phyllis Rounce.

In addition to managing Jimmy, Phyllis also looked after the careers of other stars such as Rod Hull and Emu, and Tony Hancock.

Hull was a comedian, best known as a popular entertainer on British television in the 1970s and 1980s. He rarely appeared without Emu, a mute, highly aggressive arm-length puppet modelled on the Australian flightless emu bird.

Hancock was a high-profile comedian and actor during the 1950s and early 1960s, enjoying major success with his BBC series Hancock’s Half Hour, first broadcast on radio and then on television.

Famous entertainer Jimmy posted the pictures above recently, adding: “Sharing some nostalgia here with my great friend and personal manager Phyllis Rounce who was with me when Variety was King on Television and out there with live performance!”

Speaking in his monthly column in the Lancashire Evening Post last summer, Jimmy said that Phyllis – known as Phil to her friends – was an “exceptional manager who went the extra mile for her artistes”.

He described her as “one of the all-time great theatrical agents in the world of showbusiness”.

Jimmy’s LEP column: My tribute to a great agent 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy’s LEP column: My tribute to a great agent

Jimmy Cricket's June column in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket has been paying tribute to “one of the all-time great theatrical agents” in his latest column in the Lancashire Evening Post.

The 72-year-old comedian recalls the career of Phyllis Rounce, who also managed the likes of Rod Hull and Emu, and Tony Hancock.

Rod Hull was a comedian, best known as a popular entertainer on British television in the 1970s and 1980s. He rarely appeared without Emu, a mute, highly aggressive arm-length puppet modelled on the Australian flightless emu bird.

Hancock was a high-profile comedian and actor during the 1950s and early 1960s, enjoying major success with his BBC series Hancock’s Half Hour, first broadcast on radio and then on television.

Jimmy said Phyllis – who was known as Phil to her friends – was an “exceptional manager who went the extra mile for her artistes”.

He added that she “had a love affair with showbusiness that started during the Second World War.

“She realised the part entertainment could play in boosting soldiers’ morale and keeping their spirits up on the way to the front.

“How lucky was I to be guided by a lady with such a caring nature and such creative vision.”

On social media channel Twitter, Jimmy said the June column in the Preston-based LEP was his “dedication and tribute to one of the all-time great theatrical agents in the world of showbusiness”.

Jimmy Cricket agrees digital download deal 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy Cricket agrees digital download deal

Jimmy Cricket has agreed a deal with Townsend Records
Jimmy Cricket has formed a new partnership with an independent record store, whose clients include singer-songwriter Noel Gallagher, entertainer Mike Harding and folk band Houghton Weavers.

The well-known Northern Irish comedian has agreed for Townsend Records, who are based in Great Harwood near Blackburn in Lancashire,  to exclusively provide and manage a new digital store, where downloads of all four of his CD titles can be obtained – both as a full album or as individual tracks.

This means that his two comedy CDs – Best of Jimmy Cricket and Jimmy Cricket – Bee in his Bonnet – and his two music CDs, Jimmy Cricket – I’m dreaming of a far off land and Jimmy Cricket – Light & Shade, are now available to purchase in a digital format online.

Each individual track can be downloaded at a cost of 99p each, with each full album priced at £9.99 per download.

Jimmy’s new online store can be found at http://jimmycricket.tmstor.es/

Keith Harris: ‘Great showman – we salute you’ 150 150 mhamer

Keith Harris: ‘Great showman – we salute you’

Jimmy Cricket appeared on Keith Harris’s holiday laughter show (with Orville and Cuddles) at the Royal Opera House in the summer of 1982

Jimmy Cricket has been paying tribute in his latest newspaper column to ventriloquist Keith Harris, who died last month.

Keith, who, with his puppet duck Orville, became a regular feature of Saturday night TV in the 1980s, was 67.

He entertained generations of children with his sidekick Orville, a bright green duck who wore a nappy and spoke in a high-pitched voice but couldn’t fly. He also gave life to the popular puppet Cuddles the monkey, whose catchphrase was ‘I hate that duck!’

In addition to fronting The Keith Harris Show on BBC One, he (and Orville) gave private performances at birthday parties for Prince William and his brother Harry, at the request of Diana, Princess of Wales.

His 1982 single, Orville’s Song, was a top five hit, selling more than 400,000 copies.

In his May column for the Preston-based Lancashire Evening News, Jimmy says: “Most ventriloquists that are successful discover one dummy that tickles people’s funny bone, but Keith was blessed with two.

“In 1983, holidaymakers were still visiting our summer resorts en masse and Keith’s show was a sellout from start to finish.

“Keith Harris – you weren’t just a superb ventriloquist, you were a great showman and producer.

“We salute you.”

Will the ‘real Jimmy Cricket’ please do stand-up! 150 150 mhamer

Will the ‘real Jimmy Cricket’ please do stand-up!

Jimmy CricketJimmy Cricket sign outside Henighans in Bolton

The people of Bolton certainly got the “real Jimmy Cricket” when they watched the Northern Irish entertainer perform this summer.

When funnyman Jimmy arrived before his show at Henighans in the Greater Manchester town, he was amused to see an advertisement board outside the comedy venue saying: ‘The real Jimmy Cricket’!

Jimmy Cricket posterAnd it was undoubtedly the famous comedian himself who delivered his popular and timeless brand of stand-up to an appreciative audience.

The photographs with this story were taken by Jimmy’s friend Trefyln Jones, who popped over to see him before the show.

Trefyln runs a media company in Warrington called
Green Screen Express.

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