Jimmy Nail
- Born James Michael in Newcastle on 16 March 1954
- He is an English singer-songwriter, actor, film producer, and television writer
- He describes himself as an angry kid who was expelled from secondary school for setting fire to curtains.
- He was involved in a fight after a football match and was sent to prison
- After being released he worked in a glass factory. While opening a crate of glass he stood on a six-inch spike that went through his foot and thereafter was called “Nail“, a name he later adopted professionally
- Whilst at the glass factory he played guitar in a rock band called the King Crabs
- Although he had no experience as an actor, he won the role of Leonard “Oz” Osborne on Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and the title role in Spender
- In 1992 he recorded a number one single, “Ain’t No Doubt”
- His single “Crocodile Shoes” was based on the TV series of the same name, in which he played an English country songwriter.
- He has been involved with the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund, in memory of his friend and colleague, established to help young talent in North East England
- His role as Agustín Magaldi, the oily crooner in the 1996 film Evita, gave him international recognition.
- His hits include: “Ain’t No Doubt”, “Cowboy Dreams”, “Crocodile Shoes”, and “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”.