Never knew this and make of it what you will. . .he got put in prison for vandalism lavatory seat with Petula Clark’s face painted on it, which he thought was disrespectful to her; the magistrate who jailed him was BBC Director General, Bill Cotton. . .
Swisdom...I'm not surprised you haven't heard of Simon Dee..........a lot of folk wished they hadn't either....Shouldn't speak ill if the dead and it's not usually my style I have to say but the fella was something of a twat..........though I wouldn't have wished the sad life he later fell into on anyone!
So........RIP Simon.
Simon Dee was a face of the late 60s/ 70s and although a bit of a plonker did not take himself too seriously, he used to piss people off because he could be a bit flash. He used to drive up and down the Kings road with his blond secretary in his Aston martin, and was seen as driving an E type in the programes credits. When you look back there was Parky and Bernard Braden, and Later Russell Harty. With the exception of Parky who could be a real bore at times ( gene Kelly, showband music, Yorkshire, Cricket the best in the world and so forth) I do not think that lot added anything to the culture or modern broadcasting. He was a sort of early Jonathan Ross, a fast mouth that he did not always enagage. Shall we say he had a high regard for his own talent, aka he wanted more money, and fell out with Cotton. He appeared in one iconic thing Caine's Italian Job as a gay tailor. So he did have a sense of parody. he seemed to cause a lot of jealousy at both the bbc and ITV and fell out with David Frost and Bill Cotton , both influential people.
I thought he brought a new sense of presenting to tv and radio, he worked on Radio Caroline and as a dj thought his contribution was underratted., if such a thing can be rated. He was behind the movement to get popular music played on the bbc and had a hand in the bbc changing from the light programme to radio 1. He reminds me of Chris Evans, you either like that type of broadcasting or you do not. If you do not like a broadcaster then do not listen to him. No Kenny Everitt, or John Peel, Simon tried to bring some fun into broadcasting and try some new things for a younger generation, his interviews could be quite revealing to the people he was interviewing. Unique in his own way, like Kenny which unlike hundreds of other DJ's you soon forget.
[cite]Posted By: ken from bexley[/cite]Simon Dee was a face of the late 60s/ 70s and although a bit of a plonker did not take himself too seriously, he used to piss people off because he could be a bit flash. He used to drive up and down the Kings road with his blond secretary in his Aston martin, and was seen as driving an E type in the programes credits. When you look back there was Parky and Bernard Braden, and Later Russell Harty. With the exception of Parky who could be a real bore at times ( gene Kelly, showband music, Yorkshire, Cricket the best in the world and so forth) I do not think that lot added anything to the culture or modern broadcasting. He was a sort of early Jonathan Ross, a fast mouth that he did not always enagage. Shall we say he had a high regard for his own talent, aka he wanted more money, and fell out with Cotton.
He appeared in one iconic thing Caine's Italian Job as a gay tailor. So he did have a sense of parody. he seemed to cause a lot of jealousy at both the bbc and ITV and fell out with David Frost and Bill Cotton , both influential people.
I thought he brought a new sense of presenting to tv and radio, he worked on Radio Caroline and as a dj thought his contribution was underratted., if such a thing can be rated. He was behind the movement to get popular music played on the bbc and had a hand in the bbc changing from the light programme to radio 1. He reminds me of Chris Evans, you either like that type of broadcasting or you do not. If you do not like a broadcaster then do not listen to him. No Kenny Everitt, or John Peel, Simon tried to bring some fun into broadcasting and try some new things for a younger generation, his interviews could be quite revealing to the people he was interviewing. Unique in his own way, like Kenny which unlike hundreds of other DJ's you soon forget.
Well Sound the telegraph called him Britain's first Televisions superstar...... and although I would subscribe to that his 'fall' has become his trademark. here's a cut.....Simon Dee, who died on August 30 aged 74, was arguably British television's first superstar; he invented the persona of the trendy talk show host and became a cultural icon in the 1960s, watched weekly by up to 18 million viewers before his precipitate fall from favour in 1970.
As Britain's best-known fallen star, Dee occupied an unenviable niche in the history of celebrity: "Simon Dee Syndrome" was said to describe those who were better known for losing their grip on fame than for what they did to earn it in the first place. Yet during his three short years in the public glare, Dee lived the sex, drugs and rock-and-roll dream, hosting the most popular programme on television, having affairs with Hollywood actresses, befriending the Beatles, stepping out with Princess Margaret and making (and spending) prodigious amounts of money. As postwar television came of age, and the era of colour dawned, Dee was undoubtedly the medium's hottest ticket.
As the musical director of radio caroline, and his attempts to 'persuade Wilson' the then PM to do something radical about the music on the light programme we often forget how bad the bbc light programme was in catering for the mass audience. And although I would not state that he was a superstar, or even a major radio 1 dj the guy was a light entertainer, too light for me personally I think that he was seen as an 'outsider' as I still think there was a terrible class structure in those days which Simon did not play any heed to. In those day's very few people questioned the PM like they do on the popular papers of today at least not in the style that adorn our papers today. Wether you think this a good thing or not.
Monumental error of judgement when somebody at Abbey Wood Comp suggested Dee to present the prizes at the school prize day.
He was quite boorish and made a point of saying how unnecessary it was to get '0' levels (now GCSE) as he had only got 2 and look how he had done.
The faces of the Head and Deputy Head were a picture.
Dunno. He just mentioned him a lot in interviews early on and said a couple of his songs were about him. Whatever songs are about famous people getting un-famous, I guess.
As I previously posted, I think Simon will be fondly remembered as years past as unique for his time, and of his time. Sometimes people get very jealous, fast cars, fast woman, fast living, it was part of the sixties that some people allude to.
Not saying that the guy was Mr TV, or the best radio dj as he was not. To my mind John Peel will hold that crown for a long time. Yes he could be crass, but like Ross, Jools Holland, even Terry Wogan a radio 1 contempory had there own style.
Wether you liked it or not you could always switch off. What amazes me is that people do not!. Today you have a choice which in Simon's day there was very little, and he tried to present something new, which a lot of 'stars' of today have followed his 'style'. Anyway any bloke who had Joanna Lumley as a girl friend, and Lennon as a friend can't be all bad, perhaps the character he played was that a character.........
The former presenter provided an early lesson in the pitfalls of fame when his career ended in well-publicised failure.
His string of glamorous girlfriends and love of fast cars were said to have inspired the film character, Austin Powers.
But less than five years after becoming a household name with a twice-weekly BBC evening chat show, compering Miss World and appearing on Top of the Pops, he was unemployed and on benefits and even spent a few hours in prison.
He died at a hospital in Winchester, Hampshire on Saturday, after a short battle with inoperable bone cancer, surrounded by his family.
"He was a national treasure and his passing is very sad," said Roger Backhouse QC, a friend. "He was great company and a pleasure to be around. Simon enjoyed his time as a celebrity and had a lot of fun but he never showed any bitterness about it coming to an end."
Born Cyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd, he enjoyed a rapid rise from his first presenting job on the pirate station Radio Caroline.
His subsequent television show, Dee Time, regularly attracted 18 million viewers between 1967 and 1969 and heralded a glitzier era of light entertainment with closing titles featuring a white E-type Jaguar and a glamorous blonde.
He earned 250 pounds an episode interviewing guests including Sammy Davis Jr, Charlton Heston, and John Lennon and the show coincided with a colourful social era. Dee would cruise London's King's Road in his Aston Martin DB5 and dated a string of women including Joanna Lumley. His friends included The Beatles and Princess Margaret.
However, his salary demands led to his BBC show being axed and despite a brief stint on ITV, his career took a dive.
Having blown most of his money on fast living, he was seen at the end of 1970 signing on at the Fulham Road Labour Exchange. He appeared in court for non-payment of bills and even spent a morning in prison.
In the years that followed, a job as a bus driver was scuppered when the press found out, there were small film parts and abortive comebacks in Australia and on BBC Two. Dee moved to Winchester 15 years ago and lived in a one bedroom flat.
He was married three times, and is survived by four children. "He was one of the first to become famous so quickly," said Domino Henty-Dodd, his 43-year-old daughter.
"He was a great storyteller and loved relating anecdotes about the Sixties and the people he had met. He will always be remembered as a father and husband who was loved."
Mark Linsey, BBC Controller of Entertainment Commissioning, said: "Simon was an iconic figure within the industry and shaped the face of entertainment chat shows in the 1960s."
Earlier this year, Dee said: "I have no regrets. Bitterness destroys, but laughter lifts you. It has all been enlightening and as a girlfriend said the other day, 'You've still got your hair'."
I remember you couldn't buy a 'popular' newspaper on any day of the week without his name/pic appearing in it somewhere: a fore-runner of the present day celeberity culture.RIP Simon.
Comments
Never knew this and make of it what you will. . .he got put in prison for vandalism lavatory seat with Petula Clark’s face painted on it, which he thought was disrespectful to her; the magistrate who jailed him was BBC Director General, Bill Cotton. . .
Ouchy.
So........RIP Simon.
RIP
He appeared in one iconic thing Caine's Italian Job as a gay tailor. So he did have a sense of parody. he seemed to cause a lot of jealousy at both the bbc and ITV and fell out with David Frost and Bill Cotton , both influential people.
I thought he brought a new sense of presenting to tv and radio, he worked on Radio Caroline and as a dj thought his contribution was underratted., if such a thing can be rated. He was behind the movement to get popular music played on the bbc and had a hand in the bbc changing from the light programme to radio 1. He reminds me of Chris Evans, you either like that type of broadcasting or you do not. If you do not like a broadcaster then do not listen to him. No Kenny Everitt, or John Peel, Simon tried to bring some fun into broadcasting and try some new things for a younger generation, his interviews could be quite revealing to the people he was interviewing. Unique in his own way, like Kenny which unlike hundreds of other DJ's you soon forget.
Rather a 'generous' discription if I may say so.
As Britain's best-known fallen star, Dee occupied an unenviable niche in the history of celebrity: "Simon Dee Syndrome" was said to describe those who were better known for losing their grip on fame than for what they did to earn it in the first place.
Yet during his three short years in the public glare, Dee lived the sex, drugs and rock-and-roll dream, hosting the most popular programme on television, having affairs with Hollywood actresses, befriending the Beatles, stepping out with Princess Margaret and making (and spending) prodigious amounts of money. As postwar television came of age, and the era of colour dawned, Dee was undoubtedly the medium's hottest ticket.
As the musical director of radio caroline, and his attempts to 'persuade Wilson' the then PM to do something radical about the music on the light programme we often forget how bad the bbc light programme was in catering for the mass audience.
And although I would not state that he was a superstar, or even a major radio 1 dj the guy was a light entertainer, too light for me personally I think that he was seen as an 'outsider' as I still think there was a terrible class structure in those days which Simon did not play any heed to. In those day's very few people questioned the PM like they do on the popular papers of today at least not in the style that adorn our papers today. Wether you think this a good thing or not.
He was quite boorish and made a point of saying how unnecessary it was to get '0' levels (now GCSE) as he had only got 2 and look how he had done.
The faces of the Head and Deputy Head were a picture.
Not saying that the guy was Mr TV, or the best radio dj as he was not. To my mind John Peel will hold that crown for a long time. Yes he could be crass, but like Ross, Jools Holland, even Terry Wogan a radio 1 contempory had there own style.
Wether you liked it or not you could always switch off. What amazes me is that people do not!. Today you have a choice which in Simon's day there was very little, and he tried to present something new, which a lot of 'stars' of today have followed his 'style'. Anyway any bloke who had Joanna Lumley as a girl friend, and Lennon as a friend can't be all bad, perhaps the character he played was that a character.........
The former presenter provided an early lesson in the pitfalls of fame when his career ended in well-publicised failure.
His string of glamorous girlfriends and love of fast cars were said to have inspired the film character, Austin Powers.
But less than five years after becoming a household name with a twice-weekly BBC evening chat show, compering Miss World and appearing on Top of the Pops, he was unemployed and on benefits and even spent a few hours in prison.
He died at a hospital in Winchester, Hampshire on Saturday, after a short battle with inoperable bone cancer, surrounded by his family.
"He was a national treasure and his passing is very sad," said Roger Backhouse QC, a friend. "He was great company and a pleasure to be around. Simon enjoyed his time as a celebrity and had a lot of fun but he never showed any bitterness about it coming to an end."
Born Cyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd, he enjoyed a rapid rise from his first presenting job on the pirate station Radio Caroline.
His subsequent television show, Dee Time, regularly attracted 18 million viewers between 1967 and 1969 and heralded a glitzier era of light entertainment with closing titles featuring a white E-type Jaguar and a glamorous blonde.
He earned 250 pounds an episode interviewing guests including Sammy Davis Jr, Charlton Heston, and John Lennon and the show coincided with a colourful social era. Dee would cruise London's King's Road in his Aston Martin DB5 and dated a string of women including Joanna Lumley. His friends included The Beatles and Princess Margaret.
However, his salary demands led to his BBC show being axed and despite a brief stint on ITV, his career took a dive.
Having blown most of his money on fast living, he was seen at the end of 1970 signing on at the Fulham Road Labour Exchange. He appeared in court for non-payment of bills and even spent a morning in prison.
In the years that followed, a job as a bus driver was scuppered when the press found out, there were small film parts and abortive comebacks in Australia and on BBC Two. Dee moved to Winchester 15 years ago and lived in a one bedroom flat.
He was married three times, and is survived by four children. "He was one of the first to become famous so quickly," said Domino Henty-Dodd, his 43-year-old daughter.
"He was a great storyteller and loved relating anecdotes about the Sixties and the people he had met. He will always be remembered as a father and husband who was loved."
Mark Linsey, BBC Controller of Entertainment Commissioning, said: "Simon was an iconic figure within the industry and shaped the face of entertainment chat shows in the 1960s."
Earlier this year, Dee said: "I have no regrets. Bitterness destroys, but laughter lifts you. It has all been enlightening and as a girlfriend said the other day, 'You've still got your hair'."