BIOGRAPHY
National Service put John in the Royal Army Pay Corps and, being an entertainer, soon brought him benefits. Consequently, he was earmarked for the Army Concert Party and spent his time performing at all types of military venues.
1953 saw the Queen's Coronation. Celebration parties were taking place everywhere and, although still in the Army, John managed to arrange some of his leave entitlement to accept party engagements.
Punch & Judy was now a feature in his act and after one street party show an attractive girl, about his own age, approached him, asking questions about the puppets and offering to help carry the cases to the bus stop. A few years later he was carrying her over the threshold. "I carried his cases then and 50 years later, I'm still doing it"! says his wife, Barbara.
He was accepted as a member of the Concert Artists' Association and his career began to move forward full steam - celebrity concerts - cruises - cabaret and television appearances on programmes such as "The Avengers","Crackerjack", "Play School", "Playaway", "Randall & Hopkirk Deceased.", "Rainbow" and "It's Marty Feldman". These, together with prestigious private engagements found him performing for celebrities such as Alma Cogan, Lionel Bart and The Beatles.
His list of past clients include many Lords and Ladies, the Saatchi, Forte, Tesco, Marks and Spencer, and Delfont families, Bruce Forsyth, David Bailey, Michael Aspel, Roy Hudd, Honor Blackman, Ronnie Corbett, Judith Chalmers, Trevor Nunn & Imogene Stubbs, Mrs Al Fayed, Jane Asher & Gerald Scarfe, Giles Brandreth, Clive Dunn, Harry Hill, Sir John Mills and more.
His first overseas engagement was to present his Punch & Judy show at an International Puppet Festival in Germany, which led to him being invited to perform in Belgium, Finland, Holland, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Canada... Through the years he has had the honour to represent his country in British promotions all around the world including, Singapore, Qatar, Vancouver and many times in the U.S.A.
He journeyed repeatedly to Jordan to entertain King Hussein and all the Royal Family and, on more than one occasion has entertained the children of the Sultan of Brunei, also King Constantine of Greece and his family and the late Diana, The Princess of Wales , together with young Prince's William and Harry.
"Smollensky's" the famed London West End restaurant called John in to spice up attendances for their Saturday lunchtime trade. Being a versatile magician he created a special close-up show that brought immediate and dramatic improvements in the restaurant bookings. Thousands of visitors to London will have enjoyed John's skills because he has performed there for over 20 years.
After lecturing at the Royal Society of Arts he was unanimously elected a Fellow and he has had the distinction of lecturing at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, he has also received the degree of Member of the INNER Magic Circle with Gold Star and the Carlton Award for Comedy in Magic.
He is a founding member of The Punch and Judy Fellowship and the Punch & Judy College of Professors which he hopes will continue to encourage the highest standards of performance in this ancient art - whose image he has undoubtedly elevated in an illustrious career.
In 2004 John was included in the Queen's New Year Honours List and at Buckingham Palace received an MBE As well as magic and Punch and Judy John is a great children’s entertainer, ventriloquist and also performs a comedy act as a Chelsea Pensioner.
He has also been President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians - British Ring, The largest magical society in the country with close to 2000 members.
John has been honoured with the “Freedom of the city of London”, presented to him by the Rt Hon Lord Mayor of London Alderman Dr. Andrew Parmey.
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Biography taken from "Rats in the Spotlight" - Written by Brother Tommy J
