Billy T: The Life and Times of Billy T. James
Matt Elliott
Year: 2009
Pages: 256
He was born William James Te Wehi Taitoko, but we knew and loved him as comedian and entertainer Billy T. James. For the first time since his death in 1991, comes a biography on the man famed for his cheeky giggle, black singlet and yellow towel: Billy T: The Life and Times of Billy T. James by Matt Elliott.
Starting life in Cambridge before moving to Whangarei, the young Billy (or Te Wehi as he was originally known) was not obviously a comedic talent in the making. Musically however, he was clearly gifted and was never far from a guitar. It was through music he first began performing, eventually touring the globe with the Maori Volcanics cabaret act where he began honing his on stage skills and his unique sense of humour and timing began to emerge.
The book explores his career as it flourished. Billy toured extensively throughout New Zealand with his stand up comedy routine fused with music and singing (the later a career many believed he could have successfully pursued professionally also) before creating a string of popular television shows and appearing in an award winning, film stealing cameo in the film “Came A Hot Friday.”
But Elliot’s book also shows the lesser known, darker side of the funny man’s life; bad financial dealings, tax investigations, a sinister series of threats on his life (including gun shots fired through his living room window) and the health problems that claimed him at just 42 years of age. The events around his death and the subsequent “body snatching” to lie in state on Waahi Marae in Huntley – an event which polarised opinions - are also covered.
It’s a comprehensive and deep delving biography, with not just the chronology of Billy T’s life covered, but lots of background information about the man who almost single handedly developed a New Zealand stand up comedy scene. It is the first time many of Billy’s close friends, including his wife Lynn, have spoken about our greatest comedian and with their help the book reveals the man behind the laughter and accolades as someone who, while always ready with a joke, was almost shy in nature and never seeking of the limelight and praise which naturally flowed to him. I particularly enjoyed the insights into the creations of some of his best known skits including Marae Network News, Turangi Vice and the Captain Cook landings.
However, the book does suffer at times from a deluge of over information, particularly about other people connected to Billy. Sections ranging in length from paragraphs to at times, whole pages are devoted to the back story of people Billy met or comedians that influenced him. These at times bogged the story down and I found myself beginning to skim over these unnecessary detours.
But don’t let that one niggle put you off. Billy T: The Life and Times of Billy T. James by Matt Elliott, the first ever biography on Billy, is a great read about the man who taught us to laugh not only at each other but at ourselves. Thorough and detailed and liberally sprinkled with Billy’s trademark jokes, it’s a must read for all Kiwis.
- Kelly