Jim Dale

The multi-talented actor/singer Jim Dale's career spanned more than half a century, during which he was a standup comic, a radio personality, a pop star, a stage actor in straight plays and musicals, a songwriter, a film and television actor, and a voice-over narrator. His most notable achievements included his co-writing of the Academy Award-nominated hit song "Georgy Girl," his Tony Award-winning performance in the title role of the musical Barnum, and his Grammy-winning recitations of the audiobook versions of the Harry Potter novels. Dale was born James Smith in Rothwell, Northampton, England, on August 15, 1935. He trained as a ballet dancer, but made his professional debut as comedian in 1951. In 1953, he began two years of national service, during which he entertained troops in England and Germany, then he returned to his career as a civilian. Initially, he did impressions, but he also was capable of physical comedy, which he demonstrated during a two-year stint in a tumbling act with the Carrol Levis touring show. He also sang, and he began to add more music to his stage act after audiences reacted favorably. In April 1957, he was hired to appear on the television series 6.5 Special, and that led to a recording contract with Parlophone Records, where he was produced by George Martin, releasing his first single, "Piccadilly Line." That record did not sell, but its follow-up, "Be My Girl," entered the British charts in October 1957 and peaked at number two. Both sides of his fourth single, "Just Born (To Be My Baby)" and "Crazy Dream," reached the Top 40 in January 1958, as did his next single, "Sugartime," in March 1958. That was it as far as his career as a pop star was concerned, despite further releases on Parlophone including a 1958 LP, Jim!, and later...