Robert Norman Davis (born 14 March 1945), known by his stage name Jasper Carrott, is an English comedian, writer, actor, singer and television presenter. His credits include An Audience with Jasper Carrott (1978), The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1982), Carrott's Lib (1982–1983), Jane and the Lost City (1987), Carrott's Commercial Breakdown (1989–1996), Canned Carrott (1990–1995), The Detectives (1993–1997), All About Me (2002–2004), and Golden Balls (2007–2009).
Born Robert Norman Davis at 10.30am on 14 March 1945, in Birmingham, England, Carrott was educated at Acocks Green Primary School, and Moseley Grammar School. He worked as a trainee buyer at a city centre department store the Beehive, with schoolmate and ELO member Bev Bevan, who would remain a lifelong friend.
He acquired the nickname Jasper aged nine and added the surname Carrott when he was 17.
In February 1969, Carrott started his own folk club, "The Boggery", in nearby Solihull with his friend Les Ward. Carrott performed folk songs and as an MC. His banter overtook the songs and he became more a comedian than a singer. He also worked as a musical agent (with John Starkey, who was his manager from 1974 to 1992), as Fingimigig, managing among others Harvey Andrews. He toured UK rugby clubs. He recorded an album in 1973 called Jasper Carrott – In the Club, which he sold from his van. The album contained the original "Magic Roundabout", although mainly material used in his next three LPs (such as "Hare Krishna", "Car Insurance", "Bastity Chelt", and "Hava Nagila") plus the Fred Wedlock song "The Folker".
Carrott had a UK Top 5 chart hit in August 1975 for DJM Records, with the novelty double A-side record, "Funky Moped" / "Magic Roundabout", written by Chris Rohmann and produced by Jeff Lynne, with Bev Bevan on drums and backing vocals on the former track, recorded at Grosvenor Road Studios.
By the late 1970s, Carrott had developed anecdotal sketches which he still performs. Often they purport to be autobiographical; many celebrate the Birmingham accent and culture, including his support of Birmingham City.
His live performances were recorded as Jasper Carrott Rabbitts on and on and on... and Carrott in Notts. "The Football Match" describing a visit to Old Trafford, "The Nutter on the Bus" (including the cry "Has anybody seen my camel?"), "The Mole" ("There's only one way to get rid of a mole – blow its bloody head off!") and "Zits" – an explanation of American slang for spots that brought the word into use in Britain.
In 1979, he published A Little Zit on the Side, a humorous autobiography. The follow-up, Sweet and Sour Labrador, mixed sections of stand-up routines with similar autobiographical material, much of it related to his world travels.
Carrott was the compere for the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986, which featured local bands such as Electric Light Orchestra and the Moody Blues, with a finale that included George Harrison.
His first appearance on television was a half-hour show for BBC Midlands on 11 August 1975, in a programme about local football called "The Golden Game". In 1976, he appeared in A Half Hour Mislaid with Jasper Carrott. He followed in 1978 with LWT's An Audience with Jasper Carrott, This partnership with LWT continued with The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott (1979), and Beat the Carrott (1981).
In 1982, Carrott moved to the BBC for Carrott's Lib (1982-1983), Carrott's Commercial Breakdown (1989-1996), which broadcast weird adverts from around the world, and the sketch and stand-up shows Carrott Confidential (1987-1989), 24 Carrott Gold (1990), The Jasper Carrott Trial (1996-1997), and Canned Carrott (1990-1991). One popular sketch involved Carrott reading out genuine, but bizarre motor insurance claim statements, such as "I drove out of my drive at 7am and drove straight into a bus. The bus was ten minutes early."
Carrott played Heinrich in the 1987 British comedy film Jane and the Lost City.
Canned Carrott also featured a spoof police drama called The Detectives, co-starring Robert Powell, which later was made into a series. From 2002 to 2004, he starred in the sitcom All About Me. In a twelve-week run in the summer of 2002, he played the part of Ko-Ko in comic opera The Mikado, written by Gilbert and Sullivan at the Savoy Theatre in London.
Carrott performed in several of The Secret Policeman's Balls charity concerts for Amnesty International, and returned to the stage in 2004 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham featuring classic routines from his career. He returned to singing for the musical Go Play Up Your Own End (written by Malcolm Stent, songs by Harvey Andrews) in 2005.
In 2005, he staged and appeared in the first Jasper Carrott's Rock With Laughter Christmas concert at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham, supported live by Jimmy Carr, Jethro, Roy Wood, and Lenny Henry.
In summer 2007, Carrott hosted the Endemol-produced game show Golden Balls for ITV1.
On 15 September 2007, he was inducted into the Birmingham Walk of Stars at the Arts Fest 2007 celebrations. The award was presented by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. Carrott is the second inductee, following Ozzy Osbourne. Carrott was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Comedy Awards on 6 December 2008.
In August 2017, Carrott underwent an operation to clear a blocked artery, followed by a quadruple heart bypass. A 30-date tour was cancelled. He has since said the surgery gave him a new lease of life and he has no plans to retire, citing Ken Dodd's longevity as an example.