James Young (comedian) facts for kids

James Alexander Young (born May 23, 1918 – died July 5, 1974) was a famous Irish actor and comedian. Most people knew him as Jimmy Young or even Our Jimmy. He was born in Ballymoney and grew up in Belfast.

Jimmy Young was a talented performer on both stage and television. His funny comedy records sold over 250,000 copies! His stage shows were very popular, especially at the Group Theatre. One of his one man shows even made it into the Guinness Book of Records for being the longest-running show of its kind in the world. He also traveled a lot, performing across Ireland, Canada, and the United States.

People remember him best for the funny characters he created in his sketches. These characters perfectly captured the spirit of people from Belfast. Some of his most famous characters included "Orange Lily", "The Lady from Cherryvalley", and "Derek the Window Cleaner" from the BBC Radio Ulster show The McCooeys. Jimmy Young was also one of the first comedians to talk about the difficult times in Northern Ireland, but he did it in a way that made everyone laugh together.

Today, you can find special blue plaques honoring him. One is at his birthplace in Union Street, Ballymoney. Another is at his family's home in Fernwood Street, Ormeau Road, Belfast.

Early Life and Comedy Beginnings

26 Fernwood Street, Belfast, where Young lived.

James Alexander Young was born on May 23, 1918, in Ballymoney. He was the fourth child of Alexander Young, who delivered bread, and Grace Woodrow. After World War I, his family moved to Belfast because of money problems. His father found work taking care of horses for a local bakery.

Jimmy went to Cooke Church School until he was 14. Even when he was young, everyone could see he had a natural talent for making people laugh. His mother often told him, "Stop pretending to be our visitors. Because after you do, I can't take them seriously!"

When he was a boy, Jimmy's mother often took him to the theaters in Belfast. At age six, he saw a show starring Jimmy O'Dea. O'Dea became a huge inspiration for Young. Like Young, O'Dea was a very skilled comic and often dressed up as female characters for laughs. Jimmy was also influenced by many English performers who visited the music halls.

Finding His Comedy Voice

At 14, Jimmy left school and started working as a rent collector for a local company. He collected rent from some of the toughest areas in Belfast, like the Falls Road, Shankill Road, and Crumlin Road. It was during these visits that he found ideas for many of his future comedy characters. He learned a lot about the people he would later make famous in his acts.

After two years, Jimmy got tired of collecting rent. He joined the Savoy Players, an English theater group based at the Grand Opera House during World War II. Jimmy did small jobs backstage, but he really wanted to be on stage. In 1943, he joined the Youth Hostel Association Drama Group. In his first year, he won an award for best actor in a play called A Story For Today.

Because of his great performance, Jimmy was offered a role in the Ulster Group Theatre's play Right Again, Barnum. He acted in more plays for the Group Theatre and other companies in Belfast. But in 1944, Jimmy left Northern Ireland to try and find bigger success in England.

Rise to Fame

In England, Jimmy worked for a repertory company near Manchester. He appeared in over a hundred different plays. Later, he joined a West End show called Red Roses for Me. This play was very successful and ran for seven months. After this, Jimmy even got to work with his hero, Jimmy O'Dea.

Jimmy then joined a show that was touring the Middle East. On this tour, he met Jack Hudson. Jack became a very important person in Jimmy's life, both personally and professionally.

After the tour, Jimmy missed Northern Ireland. He and Jack returned to Belfast and moved into a flat. Jimmy went back to the Ulster Group Theatre. For a while, success was hard to find, and they even thought about moving to Australia.

But Jimmy's luck changed when he was cast in the BBC Radio Ulster series The McCooeys. He played a character named Derek, a funny window cleaner. Derek only appeared in five episodes, but he was a huge hit with the public. This role made Jimmy Young a household name.

Soon, Jimmy started getting many offers for shows that paid much more than his theater work. Because of this success, Jimmy and Jack Hudson started their own company, James Young Productions. They began performing across the country. Their shows featured Jimmy and Jack in sketches, along with music and dance.

In 1951, Jimmy got his own BBC Radio series called The Young Idea. This show was also a success and led to several more series. It made Jimmy even more famous. In 1954, he achieved his dream of performing his own show at the Grand Opera House.

Jimmy developed a successful routine: spring and autumn shows in the Empire Theatre, Belfast, summer shows in Bangor, a radio series, and shows in London. However, the Empire Theatre was sold and became a store.

The Group Theatre Years

After a play was pulled from the Ulster Group Theatre, Jimmy was invited to bring his comedy there. He asked one of his popular writers, Sam Cree, to adapt a play called The Love Match for an Ulster audience. The play opened on March 8, 1960, and ran for ten weeks. It was a big success. In the autumn of 1960, Jimmy and Jack Hudson were invited to become joint managing directors of the Group Theatre.

The Group Theatre became Jimmy's main theater for the next ten years. He put on many hit plays there. Jimmy directed and starred in these plays, and he also performed many successful one man shows. Recordings of these shows became a series of popular comedy records. He was even listed in the Guinness Book of Records for having the longest-running one-man show ever. It was also said that he sold more albums in Northern Ireland than The Beatles!

Jimmy also took his one-man shows on tour to Canada and America, performing in places like the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

Television and Legacy

In 1972, Jimmy Young was at the peak of his career. BBC Northern Ireland offered him his own television series. The first episode of his show, Saturday Night, aired on October 14, 1972.

In 1974, Jimmy found out that he was going to be awarded an MBE at the start of 1975. This was a special honor from the Queen.

However, Jimmy never received his award. On July 5, 1974, while driving home, he sadly passed away suddenly from a heart attack. He was a beloved comedian who brought laughter to many.

Theatre Work

Jimmy Young was a very busy actor and director in many plays. He often starred in the plays he directed, especially those adapted for a Northern Irish audience. He performed in plays like The Love Match, Wedding Fever, and All the King's Horses. He also acted in other popular productions such as Right Again, Barnum and Arty.

Comedy Albums and Singles

Jimmy Young released many popular comedy albums and singles throughout his career. His albums included Young at Heart, Young and Foolish, and It's Great to be Young. He also released singles like I Protest and Gerry's Walls, which were very well-known.