The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Birmingham, West Midlands*

Birmingham, West Midlands Famous Residents

Cringing Cult of Celebrity (Famous residents and ex-residents.)

• Ozzy Osbourne!!!(came from Aston)
• ALASTAIR YATES, presenter at BBC NEWS 24, began is TV career on MIDLANDS TODAY in Birmingham. He was also a presenter at RADIO WM in the lates 70's. He has family throughout the Midlands. See more @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_news_24/presenters/1879136.stm
• Jamelia?
• PWEI - turn it on and turn it up high!
• Ainsley Harriet of 'Can't Cook, Won't Cook' fame. And that woman from Midlands Today with the baggy eyes.
• Beverley Hills of Brookside and children's TV fame was brought up in Birmingham.
• Jamelia is from Birmingham. She lives somewhere near the centre I think.
• 62pennies - coleshill
• Soni-Quella and 62Pennies
• Simon from Blue
• sid fields (comedian)
• ozzy osbourne jasper carrott cat deeley toyah willcox duran duran ub40 richie from 5ive
• Stevie Windwood/Traffic,The Move and although Robert Plant and John Bonham are technichally from the Black country area (Wolverhampton/West Bromwich),Robert Plant can sometimes be seen shopping in Birmingham city centre, not John Bonham of course as he is dead.
• Cat Deeley , Frank Skinner ... loads more but can't think!
• Ozzy. Carrott.
• TOYAH WILLCOX- THE BEST THING TO COME OUT OF BRUM EVER AND MY ULTIMATE IDOL AND ROLE MODEL. TOYAH ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!1
• JRR Tolkien Lived in a house that was where my house is now!!! (in Ladywood) that is my claim to fame!
• GBH, legendary Punk band. Mike Skinner A.K.A THE STREETS.
• Ali Campbell lead singer of Birmingham based reggae group UB40 lives on the Scott Road. Duran Duran, Lenny Henry (Dudley to be precise)Ruby Turner, and Crossroads of course!
• Napalm Death - the best speed/death metal group when Mick Harris was the drummer, he now does experimental/ambient music and is very well respected in those circles, he's tattooed all over.
• UB40 - what else can you say?
• Toyah Willcox lived in Edgbaston, Birmingham, when she was growing up, and went to Edgbaston Girls School
• Lenny Henry! Sir James Watt! (What?)
• The Muppet Show was filmed in ATV studios on Broad Street Also, so was Gerry Anderson stuff such as Joe90,Thunderbirds etc. Might even have been filmed in cannon Hill Park
• Slade?!
• Anne jones Wimbledon Tennis player and Jeremy Bates' mum (also wimbledon tennis player)British!!
• Members of Pram,Broadcast,Plone
• Ocean Colour Scene. Noddy Holder of Slade. Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath shops at Tesco in Shirley near Solihull, as does football commentator Gary Newbon. UB40's studio is called DEP International and that's here somewhere. Bentley Rhythm Ace can often be seen around. Lots of footballers live in the posher villages nearby. "Posh and Becks" eat at the Bull's Head in Hampton in Arden - their agent lives nearby.
• Joseph Chamberlain was the father of Neville and Austin, Neville was responsible for the "peace in our time" remark. Austin also achieved leadership of the Tory Party, but never became Prime Minister...
• Dorian Yates, six time Mr. Olympia(1992-1997), trains at Temple Gym on Temple street
• What about Richard (Ritchie, Rich) Neville, one of the gorgeous lads of 5ive? Born in Solihull, he should be included in the Cringing Cult of Celebrity. Don't forget that mum's pub, the Crabmill Inn, is located in Bromsgrove.
• Charles Darwin (Anyone remember him?) came from Birmingham. His grandfather Ermistrum (I think) also came from round here.
• Nigel Mansell former Formula 1 and Indy car World Champion.
• Roy Wood - he of Wizzard fame - you know the song " Well I wish it could be Christmas everyday ....."
• Lord Brisbane ; Baron Kelvin
• Ozzy Osbourne (Cool),
• Only know of Jasper Carrot and Don MacClean - how sad is that.
• Black Sabbath
• UB40, jasper carrott, malcolm stent - who?
• jasper carrot, frank skinner, the great ozzy, wonderstuff.
• robert plant,napalm death,dexy's midnight runners,roy wood,tiswas,the archers
• Joseph (Peace in our time) Chamberlain
• Ocean Colour Scene, Dodgy, UB40, the Moody Blues and the vastly underrated Duran Duran all hail from here as does J.R. Tolkien, Cadbury's chocolate, ex-TV soap 'Crossroads' and Pebble Mill (with everything that entails). Tony Hancock.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• that guy with the bongo drum
• Oh yes!!!! The two you've got to be on the look out for in Birmingham - the WORST trannie in the world and the little guy with the white shirt. The little guy with the white shirt is almost mythical. He's about 5'4", has a PERMED MULLET (no lie), and wears an open white shirt, tight black trousers that are too short, white socks and black, heeled shoes. He walks around smiling and swaggering, and never seems to actually be going anywhere. The worst trannie in the world is also incredible. He/she is fat, has eternal 5'o'clock shadow, is asian and walks around giggling and wiggling his/her fat arse. wow.
• Theres this guy - Lee Bourne also known as the Singing Cowboy, Lee dosent sing he wails, His cover versions of songs will make you cry tears of joy and I hear he has cut a record. He appears at local pubs and clubs. Man - he is seriously wicked.
• there's a steel band that plays most days on New Street, complete with little old man who dances for hours on end with no apparent loss of enthusiasm!
• Always some loonies at the bottom of the ramp to new street
• the man outside sainsburys kings heath
• all the mick smack heads that hang out in paradise forum.cunts.
• There's this guy thats on broad stree most friday and saturday night always playing the guitar and singing...he is usually accompanied by a druncan chourus.
• why did no one put ANI DIFRANCO in this list? she used to live in Birmingham, even has a song called "hello Birmingham"! i`ve been in this city for about a month now, and this is still the only good thing to say about it... maybe im in the wrong places at the wrong time... okay, ozzy too
• ...Busking outside Touchwood - now that takes me back...
• Too many 'annoyances' on Broad Street, Ive just finished work, do I look like I want to give you any money, why do you pick on me every time? Please dont mug me!
• the locals(ben,wally,tom) yeah were up town every sat and sunday. usually by the libary. look out for us man. sweet
• the taxi drivers are better than any old busker...look out for the one who spends the whole journey saying 'never drink drive ladies, you might die. i never drink drive ladies, you are in safe hands with me. my son never drink drives, he needs a wife. he will be a good husband. goodbye ladies. and don't drink drive!'
• that bloke with the bus stop sign - always there..
• Er... The evangellical Christians preaching in the street (New St/Corporation St), I find it entertaining.
• the best sax busker in the world does a set most days by paradise forum. he a class act ( the one with the cap and wraparound shades)
• Look out for 'the charlies' usually on the main high street, they do some kick ass music!
• normally a steel band by HSBC on new street.
• the buskers are great. i remember occasions when bhangra dancers have danced down the street of steel pans! WITH HILARIOUS CONSEQUENCES!!! If youre lucky you may catch the mimers (give them dosh, they really are ace) and even morris dancers! v scary!
• anywhere along new street on saturday afternoons normally
• cool saxophonist just before the entrance to paradise forum from broad street!!
• The wicked steel band guys. Most of th big issue guys. the holy chrishna! (!!!!!). The guitar guys. (weekdays usually). Parades. (???)
• the saxofonist next to centenary sq. he knows slipknot
• hahaha, have u seen the busker stop outside oasis (opposite GAP)? its so funny. there is this lil' hairy man who sings. this 'busker stop' has got a sign and everything, its sponsered by the council i think!
• A woman is sometimes seen on the library steps singing one song - mountain greenery over and over again.
• Mickey plays guitar (usually 'Knocking On Heaven's Door') on New Street. He's good and has a lot of good rock and roll stories about Mick Jagger, Steve Marriott etc. There's also a saxophonist just past the Flame of Hope off Broad Street, and lots of crappy harmonica players. Also the Bible bashing, crazy-eyed, turps drinking tramps are my idea of street entertainment, ha ha!
• The mad religious nutters at the end of new street are always good for a laugh. Or am I going to go to hell for that?
• Peterhead is also known as "God's Own Town": most Saturdays, one of Peterheads many religious groups invite the bemused inhabitiants of Peterhead to embrace Jesus just outside John Menzies (not literally,of course). Some call it Street Entertainment.
• Always on the Pallasades ramp, some funny old guy with a harmonica. New Street for the juggler types and religious nutters, they always entertain me, I haven't laughed so much in a long time when they shout their crap at me.
• Looney buskers: They seem to only grant busking licenses to disturbed/derranged people. Well, that's not quite true. There is a good sax/bongos duo that (sometimes) operate in the New St area (Town Hall end), and there is sometimes a good blues duo outside Dillons on New St. Other than that there is a one-legged whistle player who operates on the New St. ramp outside McDonalds. There is a singing 'Big Issue' seller who is usually in the Martineau Square area who never fails to raise a smile, and a strange man near him who plays a nylon-strung guitar and sits on the floor doing Phil Collins or Elton John numbers.

The Knowhere Guide started out as a list of places to skateboard in the UK. It is a compilation of (unedited) information and views supplied by users like yourself. It is not a conventional tourist guide!

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Credits

Last updated: 2008-01-15