John Bird dies aged 86 founder of the Big Issue, has died aged 86. He hailed from a wealthy family and at Oxford became president of the Bullingdon Club, known more for its boorish tradition of trashing restaurants than social justice. Find out more about John Bird’s charity work in this blog.
The founder of the Big Issue magazine has died aged 86. John Bird was an ex-cocaine addict who used his own experiences to help the homeless community. He sold the Big Issue on the streets of London to help fund the charity he set up. This blog looks at what he did for the homeless and what his legacy is for the Big Issue magazine.
John Bird who was known as the Man on the Telly died aged 86. As the name suggests he appeared on television early in its history. He was also a songwriter, comedy actor, and children’s author.
History of John Bird
John Bird was born in England in 1706. He was orphaned at an early age and sent to live with his grandparents. When his grandfather died, John was sent to live with an aunt and uncle. He was not happy there and ran away several times. Finally, he was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker. He did not like that either and ran away again. He then worked as a gardener and a stable boy.
In 1728, John Bird came to America. He worked as a farm laborer and then as a carpenter. He also fought in the French and Indian War. After the war, he settled in New York City. He married and had two children. He opened a successful cabinetmaking business.
John Bird was a gifted cabinetmaker. He designed and built many pieces of furniture that are now in museums. He also wrote a book on cabinetmaking. He died in 1776.
Conclusion
The comedian, writer, and actor John Bird died at the age of 86. Bird is best known for his roles on Spitting Image and Not The Nine O’Clock News. The writer and actor John Bird, best known for his roles on Spitting Image and Not The Nine O’Clock News, has died at the age of 86, his family has announced. The cause of death was not given, but Bird had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
The bird was born in Oldham, Lancashire, and studied drama and theatre arts at Manchester University. He began his career as a teacher, teaching at independent schools in south London, and also worked as a director at the Royal Court theatre in Liverpool. He was married to the actor and comedian Eleanor Bron, with whom he regularly appeared on stage and television, until her death in 2015. He is survived by his son, the actor Jack Bird. The bird was the inspiration behind the character of Clive the interviewer in the long-running Radio 4.
We are very sorry to announce that John Bird died at home on Wednesday 28th June 20222. John was 86 years old and had been suffering from a long-term illness. The funeral will be a private family funeral. Details of a memorial service will be announced when they are confirmed.
The first time I heard a John Bird phone-in was in the mid-eighties when I was a student in Leeds, and I can still remember the thrill of hearing a real, live, warm, funny, human voice on the radio, talking about things that mattered to real, live, warm, funny, human people – not a professional broadcaster, pretending to be interested in things they had to feign an interest in, in order to read out a script. John was a great broadcaster, and a great champion of the sort of people most of us are – and he was also a great champion of the sort of things most of us want our lives to be about – participating in the world, trying to make it better, loving our families, our friends and our communities. May he rest in peace.