Sunday, October 30, 2011

Jimmy Savile death: Tributes roll in for DJ and TV star

Tributes are being paid to DJ, TV presenter and charity fundraiser Sir Jimmy Savile, who has died aged 84.

Sir Jimmy, one of the most famous names on British TV and radio in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, died on Saturday.

His family programme, Jim'll Fix It, drew huge audiences and received 20,000 letters a week at one time.

Showbusiness friends and colleagues have described him as a "larger than life" character who worked tirelessly for charitable causes.

Tony Blackburn, radio presenter
Ex-Radio 1 DJ Blackburn said his former radio colleague was embraced by everybody, and was "always just Jimmy Savile".

"He was just a complete one-off. I think he was a bit of a lonely character as well. In the privacy of his own life I don't think he had very many friends," he told BBC News.

He added: "I've never known anyone quite like him. He was a blunt speaking Northerner, but also kind and very respectful."

Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Sir Jimmy raised £20m for the creation of the National Spinal Injuries Centre at the hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1983, following damage caused by severe weather to the old pre-fab wooden huts which had housed spinal cord injury patients.

A spokeswoman for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said everyone was "incredibly saddened" by Sir Jimmy's death.

He had been a volunteer at the hospital and ran more than 200 marathons for various charitable organisations.

"Sir Jimmy has been a great supporter of Stoke Mandeville Hospital for a number of decades," she said.

"He was tireless in his attempts to fundraise for the hospital and was integral in the creation of the National Spinal Injuries Centre that we have today.

"Sir Jimmy will be sorely missed by staff and patients alike."

David Hamilton, radio presenter
Hamilton said that Sir Jimmy, who was knighted for his services to charity, worked "tirelessly" to raise funds for various causes.

"He was a very energetic character," Mr Hamilton told Sky News.

"But most of all, I remember him as just a totally flamboyant, over the top, larger than life character and as he was on the air, he was just the same off."

John Myers, chief executive of industry body the Radio Academy
Mr Myers said: "The sad death of Sir Jimmy Savile represents a great loss to the UK radio industry.

"He was one of the pioneers of modern pop-music radio. He made the smooth transfer from Radio Luxembourg to the BBC in the late 1960s and from 1997 moved his broadcasts to commercial radio where he continued to be successful and well respected by radio audiences around the UK.

"The UK radio industry meets for its annual festival in Salford next week. He will be fondly remembered and his death will be marked at a special session on Tuesday morning."

Paul Burnett, radio presenter
Burnett said that Sir Jimmy's charity work was a "two-way street", adding: "He didn't have a family as such and so when he took on a charity, that became his family.

"He did a lot of work as a porter in the hospital that he collected money for. He would go there at night and work as a porter and I think he loved the people that he worked with, it wasn't just for the publicity, but he knew the charities were doing well out of it as well.

"He was capable of acts of great kindness."

Mr Burnett added in the interview with Sky News that he was "genuinely shocked " at the news.

"He was one of those guys who is so super fit, I thought he would go on forever to be honest," he said.

"You didn't really ever get to know 'the man' because he was a showman, and like so many showmen that's it that's their main thing in life and he did it brilliantly."

Dave Lee Travis, radio presenter
Lee Travis told Sky News that Sir Jimmy was a "larger than life" character, adding: "We are all going to be worse off without him around."

Stuart Hall, broadcaster
Sir Jimmy was "unique" but "a loner", It's a Knockout presenter and football commentator Hall told BBC Radio 5 live.

He added: "He had lots of imitators, the one and only Jimmy Savile."

Mark Thompson, BBC director general
"I am very sad to hear of Sir Jimmy Savile's death," said Mr Thompson.

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