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Russell Harty
Russell Harty Allan Warren.jpg
Portrait by Allan Warren
Born
Frederic Russell Harty

(1934-09-05)5 September 1934
Died 8 June 1988(1988-06-08) (aged 53)
Resting place St Alkelda Church, Giggleswick, North Yorkshire, England
Occupation Talk show host
Years active 1967-1988

Frederic Russell Harty (born September 5, 1934 – died June 8, 1988) was a famous English television presenter. He was known for hosting shows about art and for his popular chat shows where he interviewed many celebrities.

Early Life and Education

Russell Harty was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. His father, Fred Harty, was a greengrocer who sold fruits and vegetables. Russell went to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Blackburn.

He loved being in school plays there. At school, he met his English teacher, Ronald Eyre, who directed many of the plays. After school, Russell studied English literature at Exeter College, Oxford.

Teaching Career

After finishing university, Russell Harty taught for a short time. He taught at Blakey Moor Secondary Modern School in Blackburn. Later, he became an English and drama teacher at Giggleswick School in North Yorkshire.

Some of his students at Giggleswick School became famous. These included journalist Richard Whiteley and actor Anthony Daniels. In the mid-1960s, Russell also taught English literature. He lectured for a year at the City University of New York.

Broadcasting Career

Russell Harty started his career in television and radio in 1967. He became a radio producer for the BBC Third Programme. In this role, he reviewed art and literature.

First TV Shows

His big break came in 1970 when he started presenting Aquarius. This was an arts program for London Weekend Television. In 1974, he traveled to Italy for one episode. He arranged a meeting between singer Gracie Fields and composer William Walton.

Another show, "Hello Dalí," was about the artist Salvador Dalí. This documentary won an Emmy Award. He also made Finnan Games, a documentary about a Scottish community. It focused on the Highland Games in Glenfinnan.

Famous Interviews

In 1972, Russell interviewed Marc Bolan, a huge rock star at the time. Bolan was very famous as a teen idol and king of glam rock. Russell asked him what he thought he would be doing when he was older. Bolan replied that he didn't think he would live that long. Sadly, Bolan died in a car crash before his 30th birthday.

Later in 1972, Russell got his own show called Russell Harty Plus. It was later just called Russell Harty. On this show, he did long interviews with celebrities. It was shown on ITV and competed with the BBC's Parkinson show.

Memorable Moments

In 1973, parts of his interview with the band the Who were used in a film. It showed funny moments, like Pete Townshend and Keith Moon ripping each other's shirts. In 1975, he interviewed Alice Cooper and French singer Claude François. He was one of the first to point out that the song "My Way" was based on a French song.

His show lasted until 1981. He interviewed many famous people. These included Tony Curtis, Danny Kaye, Rita Hayworth, and John Gielgud. In 1973, Russell Harty won an award for being the Most Outstanding New Personality of the Year.

Moving to the BBC

Russell stayed with ITV until 1980, then his show moved to the BBC. In November 1980, he interviewed model Grace Jones. The interview became very famous. Grace Jones was nervous and hit Russell on the shoulder. This moment is still remembered in British television history.

His chat show was first on BBC2, then moved to BBC1 in 1983. It was simply called Harty. The show ended in late 1984. However, Russell continued to present other factual programs for the BBC. In 1985, he interviewed Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. This was the Prince's first interview since the death of Grace Kelly.

In 1986, he interviewed actor Dirk Bogarde at his home in France. Russell Harty began working on a new series in 1987. It was called Russell Harty's Grand Tour.

Death

In mid-1988, Russell Harty became ill. He was admitted to St James's University Hospital in Leeds. He passed away on June 8, 1988, at 53 years old. He died from liver failure. His body was buried at St Alkelda Church in Giggleswick.

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