In the 1986 New Year Honours, James was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to entertainment.[6]. New Zealand International Comedy Festival, "Finalists for the 2017 Billy T Award have been announced", "Congratulations to the 2018 Billy T Award nominees", "And the winners are Billy T and FRED winners announced | Scoop News", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billy_T_Award&oldid=1084784786, Mrs Peacock (Jarrod Baker and Dave Smith). Would you like the clip to be a fixed size or responsive? The transplant was a success and soon he was back working for a Sitcom for TV 3. At its height, the show was viewed by 1.3 million people - more than half New Zealand . contact us Photography: Nic Finlayson In 2009, nearly 50% of respondents voted him the country's greatest comedian in a New Zealand Listener survey,[2] eighteen years after his death. 005:27 Bill Burns, a good friend of the Taitokos, reflects on when Billy arrived into the Taitoko family - his mother and father later called him Te Wehi. We Gratefully Acknowledge: He Taonga Films Husband of Private The third series, the first to survive in full saw the introduction of a parody of the Maori news show Te Karere entitled "Te News" in Episode 3, however, this would not appear again until two years later during Series 5. He died at Greenlane Hospital in Auckland on 7 August 1991. 1981 - Billy T James Show ran for 6 series and this made him famous as an entertainer but the strain of being so popular took a toll on his health and well-being. Then figure out what the total cost of the trip would be.? Winners are presented with a yellow towel, Billy's trademark from his "Te News" sketches.[16]. "" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. [7], In 1990 James received the prestigious Benny Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc for a lifetime of excellence in the performing arts.[8]. He died of a heart attack suddenly on August 7, 1991. He was married for four years before his wife found out.". Thats why we use Lyocellfabric in over 90% of our line. And Billy had pain in his life," says Mune. Your email address will not be published. We Gratefully Acknowledge: Dean Ruscoe [5][11][12][13], Billy is survived by his daughter Cherie James, an actress[14] and presenter of the 1997 documentary, "A Daughter's Story" about her father. He became a key figure in the development of New Zealand comedy,[1] a household name during his lifetime, and remains an icon to the present day.[2]. So in honour of the comedian with the cheeky chuckle and the yellow towel around his neck, we're throwing it back to his most iconic clip: Marae Witness News. 28 Nov, 2003 11:59 PM 2 mins to read. By rights, Billy T ought to have died in 1989 but medicine revived him for two more years during which he gave New Zealand some more of his very best work. The show lasted seven series and became a New Zealand institution. Whats coming. Ike Metekingi was often maligned by those who didn't know him. Will it make you, and everyone who sees you in it, happy? James Billy. Whakamahia ai mtou ng pihikete ki te rapu mramatanga ki te hua o t whakamahi i tnei paetukutuku, ki te whakapai hoki i t whai whi mai. Save share. "Billy came in and he was thin - there are photos of him and he is a very sick man. We encourage everyone to learn the stories behind their Pepeha and share them with . Be notified when an answer is posted. In 1988 James suffered a major heart attack and underwent a quadruple bypass operation. George Andrews Productions, Viewing locations It screened on TV3 in 1990 and was based on a format devised by James and Tom Parkinson. Is it the cutest hoodie ever? The Flower Power Straight LegPants from Billy T are ready to go!