Jimmy Nail

James Michael Aloysius Bradford (born 16 March 1954), known as Jimmy Nail, is an English singer-songwriter, actor, film producer, and television writer.

He played the role of Leonard "Oz" Osborne in the television show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and the title role in Spender.

His sister Val McLane is an actress who co-founded the Live Theatre Company in Newcastle in 1973 and later became Head of Drama at Sunderland University.

In 1982 Nail's partner, Miriam, encouraged him to audition for a television show, and although he had no experience as an actor, he won the role of Leonard Jeffrey "Oz" Osborne in the BAFTA-nominated Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, an ITV comedy drama about construction workers on the job, first in Germany, then other countries.

Nail has enjoyed a wide and varied career since his big break in 1983, not only has he appeared in multiple television shows, he has appeared in several movies, released a number of albums and also acted on stage in various theatre productions.

After a slow beginning in 1983, ratings reached 17 million.

In 1985, he recorded the album, Take It Or Leave It, which included the single, Love Don't Live Here Anymore, a cover of the Rose Royce hit.

It was a hit for Nail, peaking at No.3 in the charts and leading to his first appearance on Top of the Pops.

After that success, his music career took a back seat.

He also appeared in the second series, which aired for 13 weeks in 1986.

In 1989 Nail and Ian La Frenais began work on an idea which became the BAFTA-nominated BBC television drama series Spender.

It was the first British television series shot entirely in the North-East of England.

Running to 22 hours in total, 'Spender' ran for three seasons, 1990-92 as well as a 1993 2-hour Christmas special.

Ratings stayed around 14 million throughout the series' run.

He also recorded a 1992 number one single, "Ain't No Doubt".

In 1994 Nail created, executive produced, wrote and starred in the BAFTA-nominated BBC television drama series Crocodile Shoes.

Originally conceived as a single film for BBC2, the series ran on BBC1 for two seasons over 13 hours.

'Crocodile Shoes' was the first UK television drama series to successfully integrate bespoke compositions, commissioned, written and recorded solely for the production, throughout its storylines.

The series averaged around 9 million viewers per episode.

The show's eponymous album went on to sell over one million copies.

His role as Agustín Magaldi, the oily crooner in the 1996 film Evita, gave him international recognition.

James Michael Aloysius Bradford was born in Newcastle upon Tyne to father Jimmy and mother Laura.

His father was an Irish Catholic shipyard worker, amateur boxer, and professional footballer.

Nail describes himself as an angry child who was expelled from secondary school for setting fire to curtains.

When he was 13, his sister, Shelagh, died at the age of 20.

He later spent time drinking, fighting, and generally rebelling against authority.

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.

Also at that time he sang in a rock band called the King Crabs.

In 2000, he began work on reviving the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet series, this time for the BBC.

It was filmed in Middlesbrough and Arizona in 2001 and aired in 2002, with audience figures of 12.9 million.

The series was BAFTA-nominated.

Another series saw the brickies holed up in Havana, and the final two-hour instalment, set in Laos, broadcast over Christmas 2004 attracting over seven million viewers.

In 2008, Nail created and starred as Phil Parker in Parents of the Band, a 6 × 30 mins series on BBC1, broadcast between November 2008 and January 2009.

The series revolved around a group of teenagers who formed a band just for their own enjoyment, and their parents, who fully expected them to be the next Led Zeppelin.

Ratings were disappointing, around three million.

Before becoming an actor, Nail had been a musician for many years on the local scene in Newcastle and was most notably the lead singer in the King Crabs, known locally as The Crabs.

He was renowned for performing in his girlfriend's dress and a pair of Doc Marten boots.

Following his success in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, record companies became interested in Nail releasing a record.