Name	Bill James
Birth date	October 05, 1949
Birth place	Holton, Kansas
Occupation	Historian, statistician
Known for	Sabermetrics }}

George William "Bill" James (born October 5, 1949, in Holton, Kansas) is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics. His approach, which he termed sabermetrics in reference to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), scientifically analyzes and studies baseball, often through the use of statistical data, in an attempt to determine why teams win and lose. His ''Baseball Abstract'' books in the 1980s are the modern predecessor to websites using sabermetrics such as Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Primer (now Baseball Think Factory).

In 2006, ''Time'' named him in the Time 100 as one of the most influential people in the world. He is currently a Senior Advisor on Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox. In 2010, Bill James was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame.

Early life

After four years at the University of Kansas residing at Stephenson Scholarship hall, James joined the Army in 1971. He was the last person in Kansas to be sent to fight in the Vietnam War, although he never saw action there. Instead, he spent two years stationed in South Korea, during which time he wrote to KU about taking his final class. He was told he actually had met all his graduation requirements, so he returned to Lawrence in 1973 with degrees in English and economics. He also finished an Education degree in 1975, likewise from the University of Kansas.

''The Bill James Baseball Abstract''s

An aspiring writer and obsessive fan, James began writing baseball articles after leaving the United States Army in his mid-twenties. Many of his first baseball writings came while he was doing night shifts as a security guard at the Stokely Van Camp pork and beans cannery. Unlike most writers, his pieces did not recount games in epic terms or offer insights gleaned from interviews with players. A typical James piece posed a question (''e.g.,'' "Which pitchers and catchers allow runners to steal the most bases?"), and then presented data and analysis written in a lively, insightful, and witty style that offered an answer.

Editors considered James's pieces so unusual that few believed them suitable for their readers. In an effort to reach a wider audience, James self-published an annual book titled ''The Bill James Baseball Abstract'' beginning in 1977. The first edition of the book presented 80 pages of in-depth statistics compiled from James's study of box scores from the preceding season, and was offered for sale through a small advertisement in ''The Sporting News''.

Over the next three years James's work won respect, including a very favorable review by Daniel Okrent in ''Sports Illustrated''. New annual editions added essays on teams and players. By 1982 sales had increased tenfold, and a media conglomerate agreed to publish and distribute future editions.

While writers had published books about baseball statistics before (most notably Earnshaw Cook's ''Percentage Baseball'', in the 1960s), few had ever reached a mass audience. Attempts to imitate James's work spawned a flood of books and articles that continues to this day.

In 1988, James ceased writing the ''Abstract'', citing workload-related burnout and concern about the volume of statistics on the market. He has continued to publish hardcover books about baseball history, which have sold well and received admiring reviews; these books include three editions of ''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'' (1985, 1988, 2001, the last entitled ''The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.'')

During the years after the annual ''Abstract'' ceased publication, James has published several series of new annuals:

''The Baseball Book'' (1990–1992) was a loosely-organized collection of commentary, profiles, historical articles, and occasional pieces of research.

''The Player Ratings Book'' (1993–95) offered statistics and 50-word profiles aimed at the fantasy baseball enthusiast.

The Bill James Handbook (2003–present) provides past-season statistics and next-season projections for Major League players and teams, and career data for all current Major League players. Results for the Fielding Bible Awards, an alternative to the Gold Glove Awards voted on by a 10-person panel that includes James, are also included.

The Bill James Gold Mine (2008–present) is a collection of new essays and never-before-seen statistics, as well as profiles of players and teams.

In 2008, James launched Bill James Online. Subscribers can read James' new, original writing and interact with one another—as well as with James—in a question-and-answer format. The web site also offers new "profiles" of teams and players full of facts and statistics that hope to one day map what James has termed "the lost island of baseball statistics."

Innovations

Among the statistical innovations attributable to James are:

Runs Created. A statistic intended to quantify a player's contribution to runs scored, as well as a team's expected number of runs scored. Runs created is calculated from other offensive statistics. James's first version of it was: Runs Created = (Total Bases * (Hits + Walks))/(Plate Appearances). Applied to an entire team or league, the statistic correlates closely to that team's or league's actual runs scored. Since James first created the statistic, sabermetricians have refined it to make it more accurate, and it is now used in many different variations.

Range factor. A statistic that quantifies the defensive contribution of a player, calculated in its simplest form as RF = (Assists + Put Outs)/(Games Played). The statistic is premised on the notion that the total number of outs that a player participates in is more relevant in evaluating his defensive play than the percentage of cleanly handled chances as calculated by the conventional statistic Fielding Percentage.

Defensive Efficiency Rating. A statistic that shows the percentage of balls in play a defense turns into an out. It is used to help determine a team's defensive ability. Calculated by: 1 - ((Opp. Hits + Reached on Error - Opp. Home runs) / (Plate appearances - Walks - Strikeouts - HitByPitch - Opp. Home runs)).

Win Shares. A unifying statistic intended to allow the comparison of players at different positions, as well as players of different eras. Win Shares incorporates a variety of pitching, hitting and fielding statistics. One drawback of Win Shares is the difficulty of computing it.

Pythagorean Winning Percentage. A statistic explaining the relationship of wins and losses to runs scored and runs allowed. In its simplest form: Pythagorean Winning Percentage equals Runs squared divided by the square of Runs plus the square of Runs Allowed. The statistic correlates closely to a team's actual winning percentage.

Game Score is a metric to determine the strength of a pitcher in any particular baseball game.

Major League Equivalency. A metric that uses minor league statistics to predict how a player is likely to perform at the major league level.

The Brock2 System. A system for projecting a player's performance over the remainder of his career based on past performance and the aging process.

Similarity scores. Scoring a player's statistical similarity to other players, providing a frame of reference for players of the distant past. Examples: Lou Gehrig comparable to Don Mattingly; Joe Jackson to Tony Oliva.

Secondary average. A statistic that attempts to measure a player's contribution to an offense in ways not reflected in batting average. The formula is (Extra bases on hits+Walks+Stolen Bases)/At bats. Secondary averages tend to be similar to batting averages, but can vary widely, from less than .100 to more than .500 in extreme cases. Extra bases on hits is calculated with the formula (Doubles)+(Triplesx2)+(Homerunsx3) or more easily, (Total Bases)-(Hits).

Power/Speed Number. A statistic that attempts to consolidate the various "clubs" of players with impressive numbers of both home runs and stolen bases (e.g., the "30/30" club (Bobby Bonds was well known for being a member), the "40/40" club (José Canseco was the first to perform this feat), and even the "25/65" club (Joe Morgan in the '70s)). The formula: (2x(Home Runs)x(Stolen Bases))/(Home Runs + Stolen Bases).

Approximate Value. A system of cutoffs designed to estimate the value a player contributed to various category groups (including his team) to study broad questions such as "how do players age over time".

Although James may be best known as an inventor of statistical tools, he has often written on the limitations of statistics and urged humility concerning their place amidst other kinds of information about baseball. To James, context is paramount: he was among the first to emphasize the importance of adjusting traditional statistics for park factors and to stress the role of luck in a pitcher's win-loss record. Many of his statistical innovations are arguably less important than the underlying ideas. When he introduced the notion of secondary average, it was as a vehicle for the then-counterintuitive concept that batting average represents only a fraction of a player's offensive contribution. (The runs-created statistic plays a similar role vis-à-vis the traditional RBI.) Some of his contributions to the language of baseball, like the idea of the "defensive spectrum", border on being entirely non-statistical.

STATS, Inc.

In an essay published in the 1984 ''Abstract'', James vented his frustration about Major League Baseball's refusal to publish play-by-play accounts of every game. James proposed the creation of Project Scoresheet, a network of fans that would work together to collect and distribute this information.

While the resulting non-profit organization never functioned smoothly, it worked well enough to collect accounts of every game from 1984 through 1991. James's publisher agreed to distribute two annuals of essays and data - the 1987 and 1988 editions of ''Bill James Presents The Great American Baseball Statbook'' (though only the first of these featured writing by James).

The organization was eventually disbanded, but many of its members went on to form for-profit companies with similar goals and structure. STATS, Inc., the company James joined, provided data and analysis to every major media outlet before being acquired by Fox Sports in 2001.

Acceptance in mainstream baseball

Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane began applying sabermetric principles to running his low-budget team in the late 1990s, to notable effect, as chronicled in Michael Lewis' book ''Moneyball''.

In 2003, James was hired by a former reader, John Henry, the new owner of the Boston Red Sox.

One point of controversy was in handling the relief pitching of the Red Sox. James had previously published analysis of the use of the closer in baseball, and had concluded that the traditional use of the closer both overrated the abilities of that individual, and used him in suboptimal circumstances. He wrote that it is "far better to use your relief ace when the score is tied, even if that is the seventh inning, than in the ninth inning with a lead of two or more runs." The Red Sox in 2003 staffed their bullpen with several marginally talented relievers. Red Sox manager Grady Little was never fully comfortable with the setup, and designated unofficial closers and reshuffled roles after a bad outing. When Boston lost a number of games due to bullpen failures, Little reverted to a traditional closer approach and moved Byung-Hyun Kim from being a starting pitcher to a closer. The Red Sox did not follow James' idea of a bullpen with no closer, but with consistent overall talent that would allow the responsibilities to be shared. Red Sox reliever Alan Embree thought the plan could have worked if the bullpen had not suffered injuries. During the 2004 regular season Keith Foulke was used primarily as a closer in the conventional model; however, Foulke's usage in the 2004 postseason was along the lines of a relief ace with multiple inning appearances at pivotal times of the game. Houston Astros manager Phil Garner also employed a relief ace model with his use of Brad Lidge in the 2004 postseason.

As of 2012, James is still employed by the Red Sox, having published several new sabermetric books during his tenure (see Bibliography, below). Indeed, although James is typically tight-lipped about his activities on behalf of the Red Sox, he is credited with advocating some of the moves that led to the team's first World Series championship in 86 years, including the signing of non-tendered free agent David Ortiz, the trade for Mark Bellhorn, and the team's increased emphasis on on-base percentage. During his time with the Red Sox, Bill James has received two World Series rings for the team's 2004 and 2007 victories.

''The Mind of Bill James'', a biography-cum-chronicle of James's works was published in the spring of 2006. ''How Bill James Changed Our View of the Game of Baseball'' was published in February 2007. He was profiled on ''60 Minutes'' on March 30, 2008, in his role as a sabermetric pioneer and Red Sox advisor.

Dowd Report controversy

James was a critic of the Dowd Report, which was an investigation (commissioned by baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti) on the gambling activities of Pete Rose. James, in his ''Baseball Book 1990'', dismissed Dowd's conclusion that the former Cincinnati Reds manager bet on baseball games, for lack of evidence. James reproached commissioner Giamatti and his successor, Fay Vincent, for their acceptance of the Dowd Report as the final word on Rose's gambling.

In 2004, Rose admitted he had bet on baseball and confirmed the Dowd Report was correct. James argued that the evidence available to Dowd at the time was insufficient to reach the coincidentally correct conclusion.

Other activities

James is a fan of the University of Kansas men's basketball team and has written about basketball. He has created a formula for what he calls a "safe lead" in the sport. He has written a true crime book titled ''Popular Crime: Reflections on the Celebration of Violence''. James made a guest appearance on the Simpsons episode "MoneyBART".

Bibliography

''Bill James Baseball Abstract'' (annual editions published 1977-1988)

''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'' (1985; revised edition 1988)

''This Time Let's Not Eat the Bones'' (1989)

''The Bill James Baseball Book'' (annual editions published 1990-1992)

''The Politics of Glory'' (1994) (revised as ''Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?'')

''The Bill James Player Ratings Book'' (annual editions published 1993-1996)

''The Bill James Guide to Baseball Managers'' (1997)

''The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'' (2001)

''Win Shares'' (2002)

''The Bill James Handbook'' (annual editions published 2003–present)

''The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers'' (2004, with co-author Rob Neyer)

''How Bill James Changed Our View of Baseball: by Colleagues, Critics, Competitors and Just Plain Fans'' (2007)

''The Bill James Gold Mine'' (annual editions published 2008–present)

''Popular Crime - Reflections on the Celebration of Violence'' (ISBN 978-1-4165-5273-4, published 2011)

See also

Baseball Prospectus

Defensive spectrum

Keltner list

Rain Delay (essay)

Similarity score

Win shares

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Bill James Online (Interactions with Bill James through statistics, articles, conversations and more)

Works of Bill James

Audio interview with James on public radio program The Sound of Young America

Lawrence Journal-World article

Bill James Interview at Baseball Digest Daily - Part I

Bill James Interview at Baseball Digest Daily - Part II

Bill James Interview at Baseball Digest Daily - Part III

New Yorker Article about Bill James

WSJ profile

Does Bill James Belong in the Hall of Fame?

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/25thanniversary/261957.html#bjames

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187260,00.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2084193/

http://www.athomeplate.com/jamesinterview.shtml

http://www.baseballanalysts.com/archives/2005/02/breakfast_with.php

Category:American sportswriters Category:American statisticians Category:Baseball statisticians Category:American people of Irish descent Category:People from Jackson County, Kansas Category:1949 births Category:Living people

fr:Bill James (baseball) ko:빌 제임스

name	Dallas Adams
birth name	Dallas Roland Adams
birth date	17 February 1947
death date	29 August 1991 (aged 44)
death place	Camden, London, England }}

Dallas Adams (17 February 1947 – 29 August 1991) was an English actor noted for his television performances.

His credits include: ''Strange Report'', ''Thriller'', ''Space: 1999'', ''Bergerac'', ''Doctor Who'' (in the serial ''Planet of Fire''), ''Robin of Sherwood'' and ''Agatha Christie's Poirot''. According to the audio memoirs of John Nathan-Turner, in the early '80s, Adams was the largest palimony lawsuit winner in English legal history.

References

External links

Category:1947 births Category:1991 deaths Category:English film actors Category:English television actors

name	Sonny Bill Williams
birth name	Sonny William Williams
nickname	SBW
birth place	Auckland, New Zealand
height
weight
ru position	Centre, Wing
allblackno	1108
allblackid	1108
ru nationalyears	2010-
ru nationalteam	New Zealand
ru nationalcaps	14
ru nationalpoints	20
ru ntupdate	11 April 2012
super14	CrusadersChiefs
super14caps	159
super14points	255
super14years	20112012-
ru province	Canterbury
ru provinceyears	2010
ru provincecaps	6
ru provincepoints	20
ru clubyears	2008-2010
ru proclubs	Toulon
ru clubcaps	33
ru clubpoints	30
other	yes
occupation	Rugby union player, heavyweight boxer, former rugby league player
school	Mount Albert Grammar School
birth date	August 03, 1985
rl position
rl clubyears	2004-2008
rl proclubs	Bulldogs
rl clubcaps	73
rl clubpoints	124
rl nationalyears	2004-2008
rl nationalteam	New Zealand
rl nationalcaps	7
rl nationalpoints	8 }}

Sonny William 'Sonny Bill' Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand rugby union player, heavyweight boxer and former rugby league player. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league. In rugby union he usually plays as a centre. He is particularly known in rugby league and rugby union for his ability to offload the ball in the tackle and, in rugby league, for his shoulder charges.

He started his professional rugby league career with the Canterbury Bulldogs in the Australian NRL. In 2008 he controversially left the Bulldogs mid-season to play rugby union with French club Toulon. In 2010 Williams signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union in an ultimately successful bid to play for the All Blacks at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He played for Canterbury in the 2010 ITM Cup before being selected for the All Blacks' end of year tour in 2010, making his debut against England at Twickenham. He played for the Crusaders in the 2011 season of Super Rugby and plays for the Chiefs in the 2012 Super Rugby season. He was a member of the All Blacks squad that won the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Since 2009 he has boxed five times, winning all five of his heavyweight bouts. He is the current New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) Heavyweight Champion.

Early life

Williams was born on 3 August 1985, in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of John and Lee. He is of Samoan descent on his father's side. He grew up in the Auckland suburb of Mount Albert and attended Owairaka Primary School, Wesley Intermediate and Mount Albert Grammar School. Though his father was an accomplished rugby league player, Williams has said it was his mother who introduced him to the game.

Career

Rugby league

Williams was a Marist Saints junior when he was spotted playing in Auckland by Bulldogs talent scout John Ackland. In 2002 he was offered a contract and moved to Sydney (as the youngest player to ever sign with the Bulldogs) to play in the Bulldogs junior grades. He advanced up the ranks quickly, becoming a starting player in the forward pack for the Bulldogs Jersey Flegg Cup side in his first year. The following year Williams cemented a starting spot in the Premier League side. In 2004, when only 18 years old, he made his National Rugby League debut against the Parramatta Eels at Telstra Stadium. He experienced Premiership success in his rookie year and became the youngest person to play for the Bulldogs in a Grand Final when playing off the bench in the Bulldogs' 16–13 victory over the Sydney Roosters in the 2004 Grand Final. Williams capped off a successful debut season by being named the International Newcomer of the Year Award and was named in Rugby League World magazine's 2004 World XIII.

In 2004, he was selected by New Zealand after only a handful of NRL matches and on 23 April made his debut for the Kiwis as their youngest-ever Test player in the 2004 ANZAC Test against Australia. Williams played 15 NRL premiership matches during the season, firmly establishing himself in the Bulldogs squad. His contract was due to expire in 2005 and Williams reportedly received several lucrative offers to attempt to lure him away from the Bulldogs, with the largest rumoured to be about $3 million from Super League club St Helens in the UK. Williams decided to stay with the Bulldogs and signed on for a further two years. St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus later said the club had not made an offer to him.

Williams had a shortened 2005 season after sustaining a severe knee injury plus several other minor injuries. Williams only played five games through the year and he subsequently missed several internationals for New Zealand. Williams publicly expressed his frustration, stating "You've got to be pretty strong mentally when you have injuries, and I've had a few." Williams would later dismiss claims he was injury prone as "bullshit".

Williams stayed relatively injury-free throughout the 2006 season, playing in 21 matches. He scored 8 tries and just missed out on a Grand Final berth, losing to eventual winners the Brisbane Broncos in the Preliminary Final. Despite having been mostly injury free throughout the year, off-season surgery forced him to miss the Tri-Nations for the Kiwis for the second year running. At the start of the 2007 NRL season, Williams' contract status was a frequent news item in the Australian print media. The speculation ended when Williams re-signed with the Bulldogs on 9 March 2007, with a 5 year contract believed to be worth over $2.5 million, that would have seen him stay with the club through to the 2012 season.

In the first game of the 2007 season, Williams was sent off and subsequently suspended for two weeks for a high tackle on Andrew Johns. In doing so, he became the first player of the 21st century to be sent off in a first-round game. He went on to play in 21 matches and score 14 tries during the season, although it did not end well as Williams broke his forearm in a tackle on Nathan Hindmarsh during the Semi Final against the Parramatta Eels. His team lost the match and Williams was again ruled out from representing his country in the post-season 2007 Great Britain Tour. He was nominated for 'Second-Rower of the Year' at the 2007 Dally M Awards but lost the award to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles second-rower Anthony Watmough.

Rugby union

In July 2008 Williams left Australia to join French rugby union club Toulon, citing salary cap concerns in a controversial exit. In 2005 it had been suggested that the NRL's salary cap restrictions could prove problematic for trying to keep top-grade players in rugby league. Canterbury Bulldogs club officials and players were not notified of his departure until after Williams had already left for Europe. Williams was 18 months into a five year contract with the Bulldogs, which was resolved when Toulon paid a transfer fee of around £300,000. According to Bulldogs CEO Todd Greenberg, Williams was "our best player" before he "walked out".

Williams' highest honour with Toulon was finishing runners-up in the 2009-10 European Challenge Cup. On 6 June 2009 he played for the Barbarians in a tour match against Australia. His contract with Toulon ended in June 2010, and in 2010 Toulon reportedly tabled a three-year offer to Williams worth $6 million, while the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) could only come up with $550,000 per year. Williams rejected what was reportedly the largest ever offer in rugby union and opted to sign with the NZRU in a bid to play for the All Blacks. He chose to play with Canterbury in the ITM Cup, and the Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition.

Williams' Canterbury debut was against Bay of Plenty on 3 September 2010. He was named in the reserves, and 18 minutes into the game replaced second five-eight Ryan Crotty. Williams scored his first try in the ITM Cup against Taranaki, and followed up with tries against Wellington, Otago, and Counties Manukau. On 5 November, Canterbury were crowned ITM Cup Champions after defeating Waikato 33-13. On 17 October 2010 he was named in the All Black squad to tour Hong Kong and the Northern Hemisphere.

He made his highly anticipated New Zealand debut at Twickenham against England on 6 November. He started at outside centre and combined with Ma'a Nonu to form the heaviest ever All Black midfield partnership at 212 kg. In doing so, he became the first person since Karl Ifwersen in the 1920s to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for New Zealand in rugby league. On 13 November 2010, in his second game for the All Blacks, Williams was awarded the man of the match for his performance against Scotland.

2011

On 4 March 2011 Williams made his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders against the Waratahs, scoring a try and setting up another. A week later he scored his second try in as many matches, against the ACT Brumbies. On 27 March he returned to Twickenham to play in his fourth match for the Crusaders against the Sharks, in the first Super Rugby match played outside of New Zealand, Australia or South Africa. On 9 April, in his fifth game for the Crusaders, Williams scored his 3rd try. On 23 April Williams, playing off the reserves bench against the Highlanders, experienced his first rugby defeat since his All Black debut more than five months earlier. A week later he scored his fourth try while playing against the Western Force. On 7 May Williams played his first rugby match in South Africa in the Crusaders victory over the Stormers at Newlands Stadium. On 29 May he played against the Queensland Reds in a match which set a new attendance record for an Australian Super Rugby game with 48,301 fans at Suncorp Stadium. On 25 June he scored his fifth try whilst playing against the Sharks in the first finals week of the Super Rugby competition. A week later against the Stormers in Cape Town he was part of the Crusaders team that became the first side to win a Super Rugby semifinal outside their home country since 1999. On 9 July Williams was part of the Crusaders team that lost to the Queensland Reds in the Grand Final held at Suncorp Stadium before a crowd of 52,113 – an Australian provincial attendance record. He ended the Super Rugby season with the most off-loads, was second to Quade Cooper for linebreak assists, was in the top ten for try assists, and was 13th overall for run metres; while no other centre came close to Williams's off-load and linebreak assist figures.

On 30 July Williams played his first home test match during the second game of the 2011 Tri Nations Series. On 9 September he played in his first Rugby World Cup in the opening match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. A week later he scored his first test rugby tries during New Zealand’s second game, in which he played on the right wing. The match was also the first time he had played outside the centres since playing for Toulon, where he had a handful of games on the wing and in the back row. He scored his third try of the tournament against France in his second consecutive game playing on the wing. On 2 October Williams scored in a third consecutive match, whilst playing against Canada. New Zealand went on to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with Williams amassing a record of any Rugby World Cup of three tries as a substitute player.

On 31 October it was announced that Williams will join the Chiefs for the 2012 Super Rugby season- with his new contract allowing a "limited number" of professional boxing bouts.

2012

On 25 February Williams made his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs against the Highlanders and in early March was named as the NZRU's Teen Rugby Ambassador. On 14 April Williams scored his first try for the Chiefs while playing against the Cheetahs.

Boxing

Weight	Heavyweight
|nationality
Style	Orthodox
Total	5
Wins	5
Ko	3
Losses by ko	}}

On 27 May 2009, Williams made his debut as a professional boxer and defeated Garry Gurr with a Technical knockout (TKO) in the second round in Sydney. On 30 June 2010, he defeated Ryan Hogan in a bout that ended by way of TKO after only two minutes and 35 seconds. Williams described the preparation for the fight as "good off-season training" for his imminent debut for the Canterbury rugby team.

Williams fought in his third professional match against Australian Scott Lewis (on 29 January 2011 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre) in his first fight as the main event. Lewis' trainer Terry Devlin named his youngest son after Sonny Bill Williams, whom he calls a "superb athlete". Williams was initially scheduled to fight Lewis on 29 January at Newcastle Entertainment Centre. However, the bout was moved to the Gold Coast to cross-promote Williams's Super rugby team, the Crusaders, and their pre-season game against the Queensland Reds. Due to the 2010–2011 Queensland floods occurring at the same time as Williams's preparation for his bout against Scott Lewis, as well as his chief sparring partner Alex Leapai being stranded by the flooding in Gatton, Williams donated 200 tickets to his 29 January fight to flood victims. Williams won the six-round bout against Lewis by unanimous points decision. He was scored favourably 60-55, 60-55 and 60-54 by the three judges. A fan paid $3,890 for his autographed gloves from the bout, with the money going towards the Queensland flood relief fund.

Williams fought again on 5 June, when the Crusaders had a bye week. The fight, the second of three allowed under his agreement with the NZRU, took place at Trusts Stadium, Waitakere City against Tongan Alipate Liava'a. Williams won the bout by unanimous points decision, the fight scored 60-54 in his favour by all three judges. It was promoted as a Christchurch earthquake charity fight dubbed "The Clash For Canterbury". The fight became one of the single largest fundraisers for the 2011 Christchurch earthquake appeal when Sky donated its profits from the pay-per-view sales of the fight and Williams made a $NZ100,000 donation from his share of TV sales- described as "one of the biggest individual donations by an athlete to a disaster appeal".

On 8 February 2012 Williams was supposed to fight Richard Tutaki for the vacant New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) Heavyweight Championship title at Claudelands Arena in Hamilton, after Shane Cameron vacated it to move down to the cruiserweight division. However, it was revealed that Tutaki was facing serious criminal charges and so was subsequently dropped from the fight card. Williams's replacement opponent was then announced to be Auckland-based American Clarence Tillman III. The fight was dubbed the "Battle For The Belt". Williams went on to claim the title belt by Technical Knockout after a left hook and a series of further blows on Tillman forced referee Lance Revill to stop the fight in the first-round. Following the bout, Williams rejected an offer to join the boxing stable of fight promoter Don King.

Personal life

Williams converted to Islam in 2008, and is the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks.

His younger sister Niall Williams is a New Zealand international touch football player, and won gold at the 2005 Youth World Cup and silver at the 2011 Touch Football World Cup. He is the cousin of brothers Henry and Marcus Perenara, who are former professional rugby league players, and is also the cousin of rugby union player and Chiefs teammate Tim Nanai-Williams.

Williams was in Christchurch when both the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes struck.

Controversies

Williams has been involved in a number of controversial off-field incidents. The circumstances in which he left the Bulldogs created a great media debate in Australia and New Zealand and Williams was the subject of considerable criticism.

On 17 August 2005 he was charged with drink driving; the Bulldogs fined him $5,000 over the incident and he appeared in Waverley Local Court on 7 September. He was convicted of drink driving, with a blood alcohol level of .075.

In 2007, Williams was caught in a compromising position with Australian model and ironwoman Candice Falzon. A photo taken on a mobile phone of the incident was published on the ''Daily Telegraph'' website. He later apologised to his then girlfriend Genna Shaw over the incident and said he was "ashamed and embarrassed".

On 17 June 2007, Williams was caught by police urinating on a wall in an alleyway near a nightclub in Cronulla in Sydney and was given an infringement notice and fined $650. He subsequently admitted he had an alcohol problem and said he would seek professional help.

On 25 August 2010, Williams was reprimanded by his Canterbury provincial rugby team for skiing while on injury leave. A Canterbury Rugby Union spokesman confirmed he had not been given clearance to go on a skiing trip on the day of Canterbury’s NPC match against Tasman, and said he had been "reminded of his responsibilities."

Statistics

NRL

4 5 21 21 11

Season !! Matches !! Tries !! Goals !! Points
National Rugby League season 2004	2004	15	|	0	16
National Rugby League season 2005	2005	|	1	0	4
National Rugby League season 2006	2006	|	8	0	32
National Rugby League season 2007	2007	|	14	0	56
National Rugby League season 2008	2008	|	4	0	16

Professional boxing

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|5 Wins (3 knockouts), 0 Losses, 0 Draws |- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Res. | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Rd., Time | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes |- align=center |Win |5-0||align=left| Clarence Tillman III | | | |align=left| Claudelands Arena, Hamilton, Waikato Region}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |4-0||align=left| Alipate Liava'a | | | |align=left| Trusts Stadium, Waitakere City, Auckland Region}} |align=left|}} |- align=center |Win |3-0||align=left| Scott Lewis | | | |align=left| Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, Queensland}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |2-0||align=left| Ryan Hogan | | | |align=left| Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |1-0||align=left| Garry Gurr | | | |align=left| Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland}} |align=left|

Honours

Individual

2004: International Newcomer of the Year

2004: World XIII 2004: Samoan Sports Association Junior Sportsman of the Year

2005: Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards "Fave Rising Star"

References

Further reading

External links

Sonny Bill Williams’ NRL playing statistics

Sonny's runner Essay on Williams' 2008 mid-season move by Sean Fagan

League's most hated player? by Daniel Ramus

Profile on itsrugby.co.uk

Category:1985 births Category:People from Auckland Category:New Zealand people of Samoan descent Category:New Zealand national rugby league team players Category:New Zealand rugby league players Category:Marist Saints players Category:Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players Category:New Zealand rugby union players Category:New Zealand international rugby union players Category:Living people Category:Converts to Islam Category:RC Toulonnais players Category:Expatriate rugby union players in France Category:People educated at Mount Albert Grammar School Category:Dual-code rugby internationals Category:New Zealand boxers Category:Sportspeople of multiple sports Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:New Zealand Muslims Category:Barbarian F.C. players Category:Rugby union centres Category:Rugby union wings Category:Rugby league second-rows Category:Rugby league centres Category:Rugby league locks

fr:Sonny Bill Williams it:Sonny Bill Williams ja:ソニー・ビル・ウィリアムズ pl:Sonny Bill Williams

name	Bill Bailey
birth name	Mark Bailey
birth date	January 13, 1964
birth place	Bath, Somerset, England
active	1989–present
instruments	[guitar], [keyboard], [theremin], [piano]
genre	Surreal humour, Musical comedy, Satire
spouse	Kristin Bailey (1998–present)
religion	Pagan
website	billbailey.co.uk
notable work	''Black Books''''Never Mind the Buzzcocks''''Hot Fuzz''
notable role	Manny Biancoin ''Black Books''Bilboin ''Spaced'' }}

Bill Bailey (born Mark Bailey; 13 January 1964) is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his role in ''Black Books'' and his appearances on ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'', ''Have I Got News for You'', and ''QI''.

Bailey was listed by the ''Observer'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in 2003. In 2007 and again in 2010, he was voted the 7th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups.

Personal life

Bailey was born in Bath, Somerset and spent most of his childhood in Keynsham, a town situated between Bath and Bristol in the West of England. His father was a medical practitioner and his mother was a hospital ward sister. His maternal grandparents lived in an annexe, built on the side of the house by his maternal grandfather who was a stonemason and builder. Two rooms at the front of the family house were for his father's surgery.

Bailey was educated at King Edward's School, an independent school in Bath where he was initially a highly academic pupil winning most of the prizes. However, at about the age of 15 years, he started to become distracted from school work when he realised the thrill of performance as a member of a school band called Behind Closed Doors, which played mostly original work. He was the only pupil at his school to study A-level music and he passed with an A grade. He also claims to have been good at sport (captain of KES 2nd XI cricket team 1982), which often surprised his teachers. He would often combine music and sport by leading the singing on the long coach trip back from away rugby fixtures. It was here that he was given his nickname Bill by his music teacher, Ian Phipps, for being able to play the song "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey" so well on the guitar.

He started studies for an English degree at Westfield College of the University of London but left after a year.

He spent his final years listening to Monty Python records, and rehearsing with a band called the "Famous Five", who he confesses were very bad but still much better than him and who actually had six members. However, he is a classically trained musician and received an Associateship Diploma from the London College of Music as well as being made an honorary member of the Society of Crematorium Organists. Despite this, he has said that he always had the temptation to be silly with music, a trait that influences his stand-up shows.

Bailey often mythologises his early years in his stand-up. In his show ''Bewilderness'', he claims to have attended Bovington Gurney School of Performing Arts and Owl Sanctuary. He talks about a succession of jobs he had before becoming a comedian, including lounge pianist, crematorium organist, door-to-door door-salesman and accompanist for a mind-reading dog. A clip of Bailey's appearance in the dog's routine was shown during his ''Room 101'' appearance. He also is self-deprecating about his appearance, suggesting he is so hairy that he is part troll, or that his hair or beard is a small animal named Lionel whom he has trained to sit 'very very still.'

Bailey also talks about his role as a "Disenfranchised Owl" in an experimental Welsh theatre troupe. Other acting roles included a part in a Workers' Revolutionary Party stage production called ''The Printers'', which also featured Vanessa Redgrave and Frances de la Tour. His trivia page on IMDb also claims that he was awarded Best Actor in the 1986 Institut Français awards.

Bailey married Kristin in 1998. An avid ''Star Trek'' fan, he named his son (born 2003) not after the ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' character Dax as is often reported, but after a childhood friend, and often refers to himself as a Klingon (once claiming during his "Part Troll" tour that his ear-mounted microphone made him resemble "a wizard in a call centre" and "a Klingon motivational speaker").

He currently lives in Hammersmith and supports Queens Park Rangers. In 2010, Bailey endorsed the Labour Party in the upcoming General Election, appearing in the party's fifth party election broadcast of the 2010 campaign. He is also an outspoken feminist and supporter of the Fawcett Society. Bailey is a patron of International Animal Rescue and has been instrumental in the organisation's campaign to capture dancing bears.

Career

Early stand-up

Bailey began touring the country with other comedians such as Mark Lamarr. In 1984 he formed a double act, the Rubber Bishops, with Toby Longworth (a former fellow pupil at King Edward's, Bath). They achieved a certain amount of success on the club circuit, partly due to their rigorous schedule – sometimes as many as three or four gigs a night. It was here that Bailey began developing his own unique style, mixing in musical parodies with deconstructions of or variations on traditional jokes ("How many amoebas does it take to change a lightbulb? One, no two! No four! No eight..."). According to comedy folklore, after a reviewer once criticised his act for its lack of jokes, Bailey returned the following night, at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh, to perform a set composed entirely of punchlines. Longworth left to join the RSC in 1989 and was replaced by Martin Stubbs.

Stubbs later quit to pursue a more serious career, and in 1994 Bailey performed ''Rock'' at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Sean Lock, a show about an ageing rockstar and his roadie, script-edited by comedy writer Jim Miller. It was later serialised for the Mark Radcliffe show on BBC Radio 1. However, the show's attendances were not impressive and on one occasion the only person in the audience was comedian Dominic Holland. Bailey almost gave up comedy to take up a telesales job.

He persevered, however, and went solo the next year with the one man show ''Bill Bailey's Cosmic Jam''. The show was very well received and led to a recording at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London which was broadcast in 1997 on Channel 4 as a one-hour special called ''Bill Bailey Live''. It was not until 2005 that this was released in DVD uncut and under its original title. It marked the first time that Bailey had been able to tie together his music and post-modern gags with the whimsical rambling style he is now known for.

After supporting Donna McPhail in 1995 and winning a ''Time Out'' award, he returned to Edinburgh in 1996 with a critically acclaimed show that was nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award. Amongst the other nominees was future ''Black Books'' co-star Dylan Moran, who narrowly beat him in the closest vote in the award's history.

Bailey won the Best Live Stand-Up award at the British Comedy Awards, 1999.

Television

Though he didn't win the Perrier in 1996, the nomination was enough to get him noticed, and in 1998 the BBC gave him his own television show, ''Is It Bill Bailey?''

This was not Bailey's first foray into television. His debut was on the children's TV show ''Motormouth'' in the late 1980s, playing piano for a mind-reading dog. The trick went hilariously wrong, and Bailey reminisced about the experience on the BBC show ''Room 101'' with Paul Merton in 2000. In 1991, he was appearing in stand-up shows such as ''The Happening'', ''Packing Them In'', ''The Stand Up Show'', and ''The Comedy Store''. He also appeared as captain on two panel games, an ITV music quiz pilot called ''Pop Dogs'', and the poorly received Channel 4 science fiction quiz show, ''Space Cadets''. However ''Is it Bill Bailey?'' was the first time he had written and presented his own show.

With his star on the rise and gaining public recognition, over the next few years, Bailey made well received guest appearances on shows such as ''Have I Got News For You'', ''World Cup Comedy'', ''Room 101'', ''Des O'Connor Tonight'', ''Coast to Coast'' and three episodes of off-beat Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'', in which he played comic-shop manager Bilbo Bagshot.

In 1998, Dylan Moran approached him with the pilot script for ''Black Books'', a Channel 4 sitcom about a grumpy bookshop owner, his put-upon assistant, and their neurotic female friend. It was commissioned in 2000, and Bailey took the part of the assistant Manny Bianco, with Moran playing the owner Bernard, and Tamsin Greig the friend, Fran. Three series of six episodes were made, building up a large cult fanbase, providing the public awareness on which Bailey would build a successful national tour in 2001.

When Sean Hughes left his long-term role as a team captain on ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' in 2002, Bailey became his successor. His style quickly blended into the show, possibly helped by his background in music. He soon developed a rapport of sorts with host Mark Lamarr, who continually teased him about his looks and his pre-occupation with woodland animals. It was announced on 18 September 2008 that Bailey would be leaving the series and be replaced by a series of guest captains including Jack Dee and Dermot O'Leary. Whilst touring in 2009, Bailey joked that his main reason for leaving the show was a lack of desire to continue humming Britney Spears' "Toxic" to little known figures in the indie music scene. It was during this time that he also left his position as "curator" of the Museum of Curiosity, and declared his intention to "retire" from panel games, although he has since appeared on ''QI'' many more times and hosted ''Have I Got News For You''.

Bailey has appeared frequently on the intellectual panel game ''QI'' since it began in 2003, appearing alongside host Stephen Fry and regular panellist Alan Davies. Other television appearances include a cameo role in Alan Davies' drama series ''Jonathan Creek'' as failing street magician Kenny Starkiss and obsessed guitar teacher in the "Holiday" episode of Sean Lock's ''Fifteen Storeys High''. He later appeared with Lock again as a guest on his show ''TV Heaven, Telly Hell''. He has also appeared twice on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''. Bailey also hosted his own show ''Comic's Choice'', which aired in 2011.

Bailey also presented ''Wild Thing I Love You'' which began on Channel 4 on 15 October 2006. The series focuses on the protection of Britain's wild animals, and has included rehoming badgers, owls and water voles.

Bailey has most recently appeared in the second series of the E4 teenage "dramedy" ''Skins'' playing Maxxie's dad, Walter Oliver. In episode 1, Walter struggles with his son's desire to be a dancer, instead wishing him to become a builder, which is what he himself does for a living. Walter is married to Jackie, played by Fiona Allen.

Bailey appeared on the first episode of ''Grand Designs Live'' on 4 May 2008, helping Kevin McCloud build his eco-friendly home. In 2009 Bailey appeared in the BBC show ''Hustle'' as the character "Cyclops", a side-line character. In autumn 2009, Bailey presented ''Bill Bailey's Birdwatching Bonanza''.

As a continuation of Bailey's recent foray into natural history, he presented ITV1's half-hour wildlife mini-series ''Baboons With Bill Bailey''. The series was filmed in Cape Town and spanned 8 episodes, with exclusive content available on itvWILD.

Bill Bailey played Droxil, a Harvest Ranger from the Planet Androzani Major in the 2011 Christmas Special of Doctor Who, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.

International tours

In 2001, Bailey began touring the globe with ''Bewilderness'', which became a huge success. A recording of a performance in Swansea was released on DVD the same year, and the show was broadcast on Channel 4 that Christmas. A modified version of it also proved successful in America, and in 2002 Bailey released a CD of a recording at the WestBeth Theatre in New York. The show contained all his trademarks, popular music parodies (such as Unisex Chip Shop, a Billy Bragg tribute which he actually performed with Billy Bragg at the 2005 Glastonbury Festival), "three men in a pub" jokes (including one in the style of Geoffrey Chaucer) and deconstructions of television themes such as ''Countdown'' and ''The Magic Roundabout''. A ''Bewilderness'' CD was sold outside gigs, which was actually just a mixture of studio recordings of songs and monologues Bailey had performed in the past – it was later released in shops as ''Bill Bailey: The Ultimate Collection... Ever!''. That same year he also presented a Channel 4 countdown, ''Top Ten Prog Rock''.

Bailey premiered his show ''Part Troll'' at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A critical and commercial success, he then transferred it to the West End where tickets sold out in under 24 hours, and new dates had to be added. Since then he has toured it all over the UK as well as in America, Australia and New Zealand. The show marked the first time Bailey had really tackled political material, as he expanded on subjects such as the war on Iraq, which he had only touched upon before in his ''Bewilderness New York'' show. He also talks extensively on drugs, at one point asking the audience to name different ways of baking cannabis. A DVD was released in 2004.

2005 finally saw the release of his 1995 show ''Bill Bailey's Cosmic Jam''. The 2-disc set also contained a director's cut of ''Bewilderness'', which featured a routine on Stephen Hawking's ''A Brief History of Time'' not seen in the original version.

Bailey performed at show at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe entitled ''Steampunk''. It looked set to become the fastest selling fringe show ever (beating the record Bailey set with ''The Odd Couple'' in 2005). But a ticketing mix-up forced the last 10% of tickets to be purchased in person from the venue rather than pre-booked, meaning the venue filled at a slower overall rate than it should have.

Bailey appeared at the Beautiful Days festival in August 2007. The UK leg of the ''Tinselworm'' tour enjoyed 3 sell-out nights at the MEN Arena in Manchester, Europe's largest indoor arena, and culminated with a sell-out performance at Wembley Arena.

Early in 2007, a petition was started to express fans' wishes to see him cast as a dwarf in the 2010 film ''The Hobbit'', after his stand-up routine mentioned auditioning for Gimli in ''The Lord of the Rings''. The petition reached its goal in the early days of January, and was sent to the producers. It was hoped that as the ''Tinselworm'' tour took him to Wellington in New Zealand where the film is in pre-production, that he would be able to audition.

Bill Bailey's most recent tour, titled ''Dandelion Mind'', was released on DVD on 22 November 2010.

Other appearances

2000

A small role in British comedy film ''Saving Grace''

2001

19 July: Panelist in Radio 4's show ''The 99p Challenge''

2002

Voice for a BMW Mini advertising campaign

Writer and performer for a series of British Airways adverts in which, through the use of music, he took a humorous look at several locations around the world

Guest panellist on BBC Radio show ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue''

2003

Juror No. 4 in ''Twelve Angry Men'', directed by Guy Masterson for the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Panelist on Radio 4's show ''Just a Minute'' (twice)

4 February: Panelist (for a second time) on Radio 4's show ''The 99p Challenge''

21 October: Presented ''Good Vibrations: The History of the Theremin'' on Radio 4

2004

24 October: appeared on ''Top Gear'''s ''Star in a Reasonably Priced Car''. He finished with a time of 1:53.4 in the Suzuki Liana.

2005

Voice of the sperm whale in the 2005 film ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''

Co-starred as Oscar in ''The Odd Couple'' (alongside Alan Davies), directed by Guy Masterson for the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

One of the acts in the Birmingham show ''Jasper Carrott's Rock with Laughter'', alongside other performers including Bonnie Tyler, Lenny Henry, Bobby Davro and the Lord of the Dance troupe

Returned to Radio 4's ''Just a Minute'' for a third show as a panellist

2006

15 March: Interviewed by Lenny Henry for BBC Radio 4 show ''Chain Reaction''

22 March: Returned to ''Chain Reaction'' to interview Simon Pegg

2007

A minor part in Simon Pegg's and Edgar Wright's film ''Hot Fuzz'', as a pair of desk sergeant twins. (Bailey had originally meant to also appear in Pegg and Wright's earlier film, ''Shaun of the Dead''. but the commentary included with the DVD of that movie explains that he was busy with other commitments at the time.)

February: Organised, produced, and starred in West End show ''Pinter's People'', a collection of sketches by playwright Harold Pinter. The show also starred Kevin Eldon, Sally Phillips and Geraldine McNulty

March: Appeared at the International Human Beatbox Convention at the Southbank Centre in London, introducing Shlomo to the stage for the climax of the concert, as well as showing off his own beatboxing

4 May: Guest presenter for an episode of BBC One's ''Have I Got News for You'' (a role he returned to on 9 May 2008)

July: Narrator for ''Nessy Tales'', a series of animated reading books for dyslexic children

2008

Guest on BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs''

February: Co-host of the first series of BBC Radio 4's panel show ''The Museum of Curiosity''

9 May: Guest presenter for an episode of BBC One's ''Have I Got News for You''

9 June: Guest on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Later that day, appeared as Rushton in the first episode of an adaptation of ''The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists'' on the same station 7 September: Guest on live Australian TV show ''Rove''. In a questionnaire to win in 20 seconds, host Rove McManus asked his usual question, "Who would you turn gay for?". Bailey replied, "The pope" September: One of the hosts of the ''So You Think You're Funny'' comedy gala at the ''Edinburgh Festival Fringe''

11 October: Guest on BBC Radio 4's ''Loose Ends''

12 November: Performed for ''We Are Most Amused'', a special comedy performance to celebrate the 60th birthday of Prince Charles

2010

30 March: took part in ''Channel 4's Comedy Gala'', a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London.

27 June: appeared on ''Top Gear'''s ''Star in a Reasonably Priced Car'', while impersonating Angelina Jolie. He finished with a time of 1:50.8 in the Kia Cee'd.

28 September: the first guest on new ABC TV conversation program ''A Quiet Word With ...''.

Music

Bailey is a talented pianist and guitarist, and has perfect pitch; of this he has said }} His stand-up routines often feature music from genres such as jazz, rock (most notably prog rock from the early seventies), drum'n'bass, rave, classical, and even theme songs, usually for comic value. Favourite instruments include the keyboard, guitar, theremin, kazoo and bongos. He also mentioned in an interview that he has achieved Grade 6 Clarinet. He was part of punk band Beergut 100, which he founded in 1995 with comedy writer Jim Miller and also featured Martin Trenaman and Phil Whelans, with Kevin Eldon as lead singer. The band performed at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Trenaman and Welans had previously appeared in ''Cosmic Jam'' under the name "The Stan Ellis Experiment", and Trenaman and Eldon later featured with John Moloney in the Kraftwerk homage "Das Hokey Kokey" on the ''Part Troll'' tour. Bailey claims that he and the three other performers are a Kraftwerk tribute band called ''Augenblick''. To mark the final gig of the ''Part Troll'' tour on 1 January 2005 the band reappeared on stage after the "Das Hokey Kokey" joke to play an hour-long encore of music.

In February 2007, Bailey appeared on two occasions with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Anne Dudley in a show entitled ''Cosmic Shindig''. Performed in the Colosseum in Watford on 24 February and in the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 26 February, the show contained orchestrally accompanied versions of many of Bailey's previously performed songs, an exploration of the instruments of the orchestra and a number of new pieces of music. The Queen Elizabeth Hall performance was aired on BBC Radio 3 on 16 March 2007 as a part of Comic Relief 2007.

Bailey had planned to put himself forward as Britain's Eurovision entry in 2008, as a result of several fan petitions encouraging him to do so.

In October 2008 he performed ''Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra'' at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Anne Dudley.

In 2009, Bailey presented a project about the explorer and naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, in the form of an Indonesian travelogue. Bailey said in an interview that Wallace had been "airbrushed out of history", and that he feels a "real affinity" with him.

In November 2009 he was a guest on ''Private Passions'', the biographical music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3.

In July 2011, Bailey performed at the Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth, headlining the Saturn Stage. He released an album, ''In Metal'', using songs played at Sonisphere, later that year.

Tours

''Cosmic Jam'' (1995)

''Bewilderness'' (2001)

''Part Troll'' (2004)

''Steampunk'' (2006) (Edinburgh Festival)

''Tinselworm'' (2008)

''Bill Bailey Live'' (2008–09) (Theatre tour with some material from ''Tinselworm'', but mostly new material)

''Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra'' (2009)

''Dandelion Mind'' (2010)

''Dandelion Mind – Gently Modified'' (2011)

DVD releases

!Title	!Released	!Notes
''Bewilderness''	12 November 2001
''Part Troll''	22 November 2004	Live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo
''Cosmic Jam''	7 November 1995	Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
''Tinselworm''	10 November 2008	Live at London's Wembley Arena
''Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra''	23 November 2009	Live at London's Royal Albert Hall
''Dandelion Mind''	22 November 2010

Filmography

''The James Whale Radio Show (TV series)'' (circa 1990) (Guest)

''Blue Heaven (Channel 4 TV series)'' (1994)

''Asylum'' (1996)

''Space Cadets'' (1997) (Regular team captain)

''Is It Bill Bailey?'' (1998)

''Spaced'' (1999–2001)

''Have I Got News for You'' (guest 1999, 2001, 2005; guest presenter 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)

''Saving Grace'' (2000)

''Maid Marian and her Merry Men (1992). Cameo court jester to King John

''Black Books'' (2000–2004)

''Jonathan Creek''

* "Satan's Chimney" (2001)

* "The Tailor's Dummy" (2003)

''Wild West'' (2002–2004)

''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' (2002–2008) (Regular team captain)

''QI'' (2003–present) (Frequent guest)

"15 Storeys High" – "The Holiday" (2004)

''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (2005) (Voice of the Sperm Whale)

''The Libertine'' (Small cameo role as advisor to Charles II of England).

''Wild Thing I Love You'' (2006) (Presenter)

''Top Gear (A Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car)

''Hot Fuzz'' (2007)

''Run Fatboy Run'' (2007) (Cameo)

''Skins'' (2008)

''Love Soup'' (2008)

''We Are Most Amused'' (2008) (''One-off special'')

''Hustle'' (as 'Cyclops')

* "Return of the Prodigal" (2009)

* "Diamond Seeker" (2009)

* "Picasso Finger Painting" (2012)

''Steve's World'' (2009)

''Burke and Hare'' (2010)

''Bill Bailey's Bird Watching Bonanza'' (2010)

''Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang'' (2010)

''Talkin' 'bout Your Generation'' (2010); one episode

''Jo Brand's Big Splash'' (2011); one episode

''Chalet Girl'' (2011) ''Doctor Who'' – ''The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe'' (2011)

References

External links

Bill Bailey at the Internet Movie Database

.

Bill Bailey on Chortle.

Category:1965 births Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:20th-century writers Category:21st-century writers Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Category:Alumni of Westfield College Category:English buskers Category:English comedians Category:English comedy musicians Category:English composers Category:English film actors Category:English guitarists Category:English stand-up comedians Category:English television actors Category:English television writers Category:Living people Category:Never Mind the Buzzcocks Category:People from Bath, Somerset Category:People from Keynsham Category:People educated at King Edward's School, Bath

cy:Bill Bailey es:Bill Bailey (cómico) fr:Bill Bailey ga:Bill Bailey it:Bill Bailey nl:Bill Bailey no:Bill Bailey ru:Бэйли, Билл (комедиант) simple:Bill Bailey fi:Bill Bailey sv:Bill Bailey

name	James Blunt
background	solo_singer
birth name	James Hillier Blount
birth date	February 22, 1974
Birth place	Tidworth, Wiltshire, England
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, violin, percusion
genre	Pop rock, soft rock, folk rock
occupation	Musician, Songwriter
years active	2004-present
label	Warner Bros. Records, Atlantic, Custard
notable instruments	Seagull acoustic guitars
website	}}

James Hillier Blount (born 22 February 1974), better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and former army officer, whose debut album, ''Back to Bedlam'' and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005. His repertoire can be best described as a mix of acoustic-tinged pop, rock and folk. After recording on the independent American label Custard Records, Blunt won two Brit Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards, and by 2006 was nominated for five Grammy Awards. The following year, he released his second album ''All the Lost Souls'' (2007). Blunt's third studio album, ''Some Kind of Trouble'', was released in November 2010. Worldwide, Blunt has sold over 18 million albums, and his debut album, ''Back to Bedlam'', is the best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK.

Blunt was an officer in the Life Guards, a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and served under NATO in Kosovo during the conflict there in 1999. While posted to Kosovo, Blunt was introduced to the work of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF or "Doctors Without Borders"). Since then, Blunt has supported MSF by holding meet-and-greet auctions at many of his concerts.

Early life

James Blunt was born at an army hospital in Tidworth, Wiltshire, England; the first child born to Jane A.F. ( Amos) and Charles Blount. James spent his early childhood living in England, Cyprus, and Germany, where his father, a colonel in the British Army Air Corps, and military helicopter pilot, was posted at various times.

James Blunt has two younger siblings. The Blount family has a long history of military service, dating from the 10th century. His father inculcated in him a love of flying, and he earned his pilot's licence at age 16. He has a keen interest in motorcycles after learning to ride when he was 16.

Education

Blunt was enrolled at Elstree School in Woolhampton in Berkshire, before continuing to Harrow School in Harrow on the Hill in north-west London (Elmfield House) on an army bursary. From Harrow School he gained an army-sponsored place at the University of Bristol, where he first studied aerospace manufacturing engineering and then subsequently moved on to the study of sociology. He graduated with a BSc in sociology in 1996.

Military service

Because the British Army sponsored his university education, Blunt was obliged to serve a minimum of four years in the armed forces. He stated on an interview in his ''Back to Bedlam'' sessions that he chose to join the military as "his father was pushing for it, so that Blunt could obtain a secure work placement and income". Blunt trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Life Guards, a unit of the Household Cavalry, where he rose to the rank of captain. One of his first assignments was to British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta, Canada, where his battalion was posted for six months in 1998 to act as the opposing army in combat training exercises.

In 1999, he served as an armoured reconnaissance officer in the NATO deployment in Kosovo. Initially assigned to reconnaissance of the Macedonia-Yugoslavia border, Blunt and his unit worked ahead of the front lines directing forces and targeting Serb positions for the NATO bombing campaign. His unit was given the assignment of securing the Pristina International Airport in advance of the 30,000-strong peacekeeping force; the Russian army had moved in and taken control of the airport before his unit's arrival. According to Blunt's own account of the incident he refused to follow orders from NATO command to attack the Russians. There were less intense moments during Blunt's Kosovo assignment. Blunt had brought along his guitar, strapped to the outside of his tank. At some places, the peacekeepers would share a meal with hospitable locals, and Blunt would perform. It was while on duty there that he wrote the song "No Bravery".

A keen skier, Blunt captained the Household Cavalry alpine ski team in Verbier, Switzerland, eventually becoming champion skier of the entire Royal Armoured Corps. He had extended his military service in November 2000, and after an intensive six-month army riding course was posted to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London, England. During this posting, Blunt was interviewed about his responsibilities on the television programme "Girls on Top", a series highlighting unusual career choices. He stood guard at the coffin of the Queen Mother during the days of her lying in State and was part of the funeral procession on 9 April 2002. Blunt left the army on 1 October 2002 having served six years.

Music career

Early career

Blunt took piano and violin lessons as a child, but his first significant exposure to popular music was at Harrow School. There, he was introduced to the guitar by a fellow student, and started playing the instrument and writing songs at age 14. At University of Bristol, his undergraduate thesis was ''The Commodification of Image – Production of a Pop Idol''; one of his main references for the thesis was Simon Frith, a sociologist and rock critic, and current chair of the Mercury Music Prize.

Blunt left the British Army in 2002 so that he could pursue his musical career. It was at that period that he started using the stage name "Blunt", in part to make it easier for others to spell; "Blount" is pronounced the same way, and remains his legal surname. Shortly after leaving the army, he was signed to EMI music publishers, and to Twenty-First Artists management. A record contract remained elusive, with recording label executives pointing to Blunt's posh speaking voice as a barrier in class-divided Britain. Linda Perry, who was just launching her own Custard Records label in early 2003, heard Blunt's promotional tape when visiting London, and soon after heard him perform live at the South by Southwest Music Festival. She made an offer to him the same night and within a few days, Blunt signed a recording contract with Perry, and one month later he was in Los Angeles working with producer Tom Rothrock.

''Back to Bedlam'' (2003–2006)

Blunt recorded ''Back to Bedlam'' in 2003 with producer Tom Rothrock at Rothrock's home studio, using session musicians and performing on many different instruments himself. While in Los Angeles, he lodged with actress Carrie Fisher, whom he had met through the family of a former girlfriend. Fisher was very supportive of Blunt's aspirations, suggesting the name of the album and providing use of a bathroom in her home for Blunt to record the song "Goodbye My Lover". ''Back to Bedlam'' was finally released in the UK in October 2004. Blunt's debut single in the UK was "High" (co-written with Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue). This song initially peaked below the Top 100 of the UK Singles Chart, however after the subsequent success of "You're Beautiful" it finally made the Top 75 before eventually being re-released. However, the song was chosen to appear in a Vodafone commercial in Italy, and was a Top 10 hit in that country.

The debut album from the unknown Blunt initially attracted little critical attention, and there were no published reviews from major UK music journals. His live performances, mainly in support of better known musicians, received somewhat mixed but generally favourable reviews. Blunt's lack of performing experience and inconsistent approach with audiences was commented upon, while his music was likened to that of Damien Rice and David Gray. In March 2004, with Blunt performing in the support role for Katie Melua in Manchester, Alex McCann of ''Designer Magazine'' wrote, "Blunt's ascendance is a dead cert and this time next year it isn't that far removed from reality to suggest that a number 1 album, Brit Award and countless accolade's [sic] will be his for the taking." After release of the album, concert support slots for Elton John and Lloyd Cole and the Commotions in late 2004 and early 2005 followed, as did a band residency at London club 93 Feet East. In March 2005, his second single, "Wisemen," was released.

Blunt's third single "You're Beautiful" was his break-out hit. The song debuted at number 12 in the UK, and rose all the way to the number one position six weeks after its debut. The song also received massive airplay in the UK, which helped propel ''Back to Bedlam'' to number one on the UK Albums Chart. The extensive airplay ultimately led to Blunt and his co-writers being awarded the Ivor Novello Award for Most Performed Work. After the success of "You're Beautiful" in the UK, the song crossed over to mainland Europe, becoming one of the biggest hits of summer 2005 across the continent. In the US, "You're Beautiful" made its debut in the summer of 2005 on WPLJ, a prominent radio station in New York City, despite not having been released to radio yet. Once the song was released to radio stations in the fall of 2005, the song climbed into the Top 10 in three radio formats: Adult Contemporary Music, Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks, and Adult album alternative. Blunt became the first British artist to top the American singles chart in nearly a decade when his song "You're Beautiful" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006; the last British artist to do so had been Elton John in 1997 with the song "Candle in the Wind 1997". "Goodbye My Lover" was released as the fourth UK single from the album in December 2005, and was later the second US single. The songs "High" and "Wisemen" were subsequently re-released in 2006. Blunt started off 2006 celebrating five Brit Award nominations, going on to win Best British male solo artist and Best pop act categories, having already started an 11-month tour that would take him around the world. On 31 August, Blunt won two awards at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, with "You're Beautiful" winning the award for Best Male Video.

There was extensive promotion in the United States starting in late 2005, with Blunt making appearances on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' and as a musical guest on ''Saturday Night Live''. Eight of the songs on the album were featured in television shows (''The O.C.'', ''Grey's Anatomy'' and many more), films (''Undiscovered''), and advertising campaigns (Hilton Hotels, Sprint telecommunications) throughout 2005 and 2006. Blunt performed "You're Beautiful" at the 49th Grammy Awards in February 2007, dedicating the song to the late Ahmet Ertegün of Atlantic Records, but he did not win in any of the five categories for which he had received nominations (includes one for Best New Artist Grammy, but lost to Carrie Underwood).

The album eventually sold 11 million copies and topped the album charts in 16 territories worldwide. It sold 2.6 million in the U.S. and was certified 2x platinum. In Britain the album was certified 10× platinum, sold over three million copies, and entered the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' for the fastest selling album in one year.

In 2005, Blunt performed in 90 live shows, mainly across the UK and Europe, ending the year supporting Jason Mraz in a North American tour. The "Back to Bedlam World Tour" started off in January 2006, covering cities in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, as well as three separate headline tours in North America, ending in November of that year. Not including promotional appearances, Blunt performed over 140 live shows in 2006. He enjoys the touring experience, saying in July 2006 that he and his band were having the time of their lives going to new places every day. The videos for all of Blunt's singles from ''Back To Bedlam'' feature symbolism and dark imagery. In the first video for "High", he is buried in a desert. In the first video for "Wisemen", he is kidnapped and taken hostage. In the video for "You're Beautiful", he alludes to suicide by jumping off a cliff into the sea. In the "Goodbye My Lover" video, he is the outsider in a love triangle, imagining the couple, a man and woman (played by Matt Dallas of ''Kyle XY'' and Mischa Barton of ''The O.C.'') together. The re-release video for "High" features Blunt running in a forest. The re-release video for "Wisemen" has Blunt burning identification papers, and then walking through a forest while he is on fire.

Blunt appeared on an episode of ''Sesame Street'' which aired on 14 November 2007, singing about triangles to the tune of "You're Beautiful".

A parody of "You're Beautiful" titled "You're Pitiful" was recorded by Weird Al Yankovic. Blunt gave personal permission for this parody to be included on a Weird Al album, but Atlantic Records, Blunt's label, stepped in to forbid the commercial release of the song. Weird Al has since made the song available as a free MP3 download on his website. In a request by Yankovic to include the song on an upcoming compilation CD, Blunt's manager replied via email, "Thanks for your email, but both James and I will never approve this parody to be released on any label."

On 28 December 2009, BBC Radio 1 announced that ''Back to Bedlam'' was the biggest selling album of the noughties decade in the United Kingdom.

''All the Lost Souls'' (2007–2008)

Blunt's second studio album, ''All the Lost Souls'', was released on 17 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and one day later in North America. It sold 65,000 units in its first week, and was certified gold in the UK after only four days. By the end of January 2008, the album had sold 600,000 copies in the UK, and 4.5 million copies internationally. Blunt completed the album's songs at his home in Ibiza in the winter of 2006–2007. He performed five of the ten album tracks during his 2005–2006 tours; lyrics, melodies, and harmonies were refined for the studio recording, on which his touring band played and Tom Rothrock worked as producer.

While Blunt’s first album received little critical attention, critics from every major music publication, and newspapers around the world, weighed in on ''All the Lost Souls''. The album was met with generally mixed to positive reviews, and maintains a 53/100 rating at Metacritic." Eric Danton, of the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' and ''The Hartford Courant'' wrote that the album is "a collection so bland, it makes hardtack seem sumptuous". Yet, in her review of the album, Kerri Mason of ''Billboard'' said Blunt "shows the abandon and confidence of a long-term artist, not just a one-hit wonder". And of the album, Mason wrote, "there is not a misstep throughout". Equally effusive, Liz Hoggard of ''The Observer'' wrote that "it’s impossible to resist Blunt’s troubadour yearning."

The first single from ''All the Lost Souls'', "1973", was inspired by Blunt's nights out at Pacha, an Ibiza club, which opened in that year. The song became another hit for Blunt reaching number one the Billboard European Hot 100 Singles chart. D.J. Pete Tong remixed "1973" and played the track during his set at Pacha over the summer of 2007. The second single, "Same Mistake", was released in early December 2007 but did not fare well in the UK charts, peaking at number 57. It was Number 1 in Brazil and a hit in many South American countries. The third single from the album was "Carry You Home", released in March 2008, peaking at number 20 in the U.K charts and bringing the album back into the Top 10, six months after its release. The fourth and final single from the original "All The Lost Souls" album was "I Really Want You".

Blunt collaborated twice during this album cycle. In late 2007, he worked with French rapper Sinik. They released "Je Réalise", which took elements of Blunt's song "I'll Take Everything", which hit the top 3 in France. On 14 November 2008, "Primavera in anticipo", Laura Pausini new album, was released. The title track is a duet with Blunt. The album reached the Number 1 in Italy.

Throughout 2007 and 2008, Blunt went on his second world tour, including a performance in London's O2 Arena.

On 24 November 2008, ''All The Lost Souls'' was re-released as a deluxe edition, with new album artwork, new single "Love, Love, Love" and the documentary ''James Blunt: Return to Kosovo''.

''Some Kind of Trouble'' (2010)

James Blunt's third studio album titled ''Some Kind of Trouble'', was released on 8 November 2010. The album debuted at number 4 in the UK with over 100,000 copies sold in the first week. The album's first single "Stay the Night" was released on 27 October 2010. The single charted in the UK top 40 at number 37, and sat at number 2 on the European Airplay Chart for five consecutive weeks. The second single from the album, "So Far Gone" was for released on the UK on 3 January 2011. Overall critical reception has been mixed, with Allmusic saying, in a positive review, that "Some Kind of Trouble is a step in the right direction for Blunt, a move toward love songs free of pretension" whilst BBC felt "When all's said, Some Kind of Trouble is not a terrible record by any means, but there's little sense that Blunt has advanced--and equally little sense that it'll make any difference to his bottom line.

As of February 2011, worldwide sales stood at over one million copies. The third single from the album, "If Time Is All I Have" was released in the UK on 4 April 2011.

Personal life

Blunt says that he has become closer to his family since his musical success. His father manages his finances and his mother arranged the purchase of his principal residence in Ibiza, where Blunt has holidayed since he was a teenager. Blunt also owns a châlet in the Swiss town of Verbier, which he purchased in February 2007, and he was named "godfather" of one of the town's new ski lifts.

Blunt was instrumental in introducing his sister to her eventual husband after offering her for "sale" on eBay. She was having difficulty obtaining transport to a funeral in Ireland, and Blunt listed her as a "damsel in distress". A person responded saying his friend had a helicopter his sister could charter, but it turned out he was in Sweden and she did not attend the funeral. The respondent suggested she still meet up with the helicopter owner, Guy Harrison, and they began a relationship and eventually married.

The musician's private life has been the subject of significant commentary, particularly in the tabloid press. Blunt himself has found the degree of interest in his personal life to be bizarre, stating that "fame and celebrity is something that other people have constructed that I'm not really party to".

On 8 February 2012, Hugh Tomlinson QC, representing a number of victims of the News International phone hacking affair, informed the High Court that Blunt was one of six alleged victims who had filed for damages in new civil cases.

Charitable and environmental causes

Blunt has raised funds for the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières through benefit concerts and by auctioning opportunities to meet him at his own shows. He first encountered MSF medical care workers during his tour of duty in Kosovo, and was impressed with the work they did under conditions of minimal support and limited security.

He also supports environmental causes. He screened the trailer for ''An Inconvenient Truth'' at his concerts, and for each advance sales concert ticket purchased through his designated website a tree is planted. On 7 July 2007, Blunt performed at the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium, London, and is the owner of one of two prototype electric cars made by Hybrid Technologies under a Space Act partnership with NASA.

Blunt is a patron of Help for Heroes, a charity aiming to raise money to provide better facilities for wounded British servicemen, and has also held benefit concerts for this charity.

Blunt has also contributed with his vocals for the charity single, "Everybody Hurts" in aid of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

Discography

''Back to Bedlam'' (2004)

''All the Lost Souls'' (2007)

''Some Kind of Trouble'' (2010)

Awards

Grammy Awards

|- | rowspan=5 | 2007 || James Blunt || Best New Artist || |- | rowspan=3 | "You're Beautiful" || Record of the Year|| |- | Song of the Year || |- | Best Male Pop Vocal Performance || |- | ''Back to Bedlam ''|| Best Pop Vocal Album ||

2005

MTV Europe Music Awards – Best New Act

Q Awards – Best New Act

Digital Music Awards – Best Pop Act

2006

NRJ Music Awards (France) – Best International Newcomer

BRIT Awards – Best pop act and Best Male Vocalist

ECHO Awards (Germany) – Best International Newcomer

NME Awards – Worst Album

MTV Australia Video Music Awards – Song of the Year for ''You're Beautiful''

Ivor Novello Awards – Most Performed Work and International Hit of the Year

MTV Video Music Awards – Best Male Video and Best Cinematography

World Music Awards – Best New Artist in the World and Biggest Selling British Artist in the World

Teen Choice Awards (United States) – Choice Music Male Artist

2008

ECHO Awards (Germany) – Best International Male Artist

2010

Virgin Media Music Awards – The Hottest Male

2011

Regenbogen Awards (Germany) – Best International Male Artist

References

Further reading

TV interview with ''The Hour'' on CBC

James Blunt interview and video on and ''POP''

External links

JamesBlunt.com Official James Blunt website

Category:1974 births Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol Category:British Life Guards officers Category:Custard Records artists Category:English folk singers Category:English guitarists Category:English keyboardists Category:English male singers Category:English multi-instrumentalists Category:English pianists Category:English singer-songwriters Category:Brit Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Living people Category:Military brats Category:Musicians from Wiltshire Category:Old Harrovians Category:People from Tidworth Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Category:Warner Music Group artists Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:British expatriates in Spain

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