Ernie Sigley (born September 2, 1938, in Footscray, Victoria, Australia) is an enduring Australian entertainment personality known for his square-rimmed spectacles, the gap between his front teeth and his slapstick approach to comedy. September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Footscray is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place to Be Motto(s): Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Constitutional monarchy Governor David de Kretser Premier Steve Bracks (resigning effective 30th July 2007) (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 37  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05... Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated physical violence. ...

Radio career

Sigley's radio career began in 1952 as turntable operator on Danny Webb's breakfast program at radio station 3DB Melbourne. Television arrived in Australia in 1956, and Sigley made his TV debut as host of Teenage Mailbag on HSV-7 in 1957. Shortly after this, he decided to try his luck in London, gaining some work experience at the BBC. But a bigger break was to come with a two year contract at Radio Luxembourg. Ernie has been host of the afternoon program on Melbourne's 3AW since 2000. Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Danny Webb is a young British actor who plays Aaron Livesy in the British TV show Emmerdale. ... The term 3DB may refer to In signal processing applications, the cutoff frequency in filters, above or below which the output signal is attenuated by more than 3dB A commercial radio station called Mix 101. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... HSV-7, commonly known as Seven Melbourne, is a television station in Melbourne, Australia. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Radio Luxembourg (1933-1992, 2005-)was an important forerunner of pirate radio and modern commercial radio in Europe. ...

Beatles

Sigley is especially remembered for his 1964 association with the Adelaide leg of The Beatles tour of Australia. His intelligent questioning of The Beatles during media meetings, was a relief for the group after the banal media probing. The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ...

In one famous press conference, Sigley's questioning of The Beatles about their rock influences, and being able to discuss them (e.g. Buddy Holly), bought about an enthusiastic response from John Lennon, which contrasted strongly from all the questions asked by other interviewers during the conference. Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959),[1] better known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and a pioneer of rock and roll. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ...

It is clear that Sigley knew what his fellow media associates didn't - The Beatles weren't a passing fad, and chose to treat them accordingly. Sigley's questioning allowed The Beatles, in 1964 at the height of their fame, to put on record, a rarely honest response to questions that are now historically more important than any of the questions being asked of them during their breakthrough period.

Television career

Prime time

Sigley would later have prime time success as host of Adelaide Tonight on NWS-9 in the 1960s and early 1970s and The Ernie Sigley Show from 1974 - starring notable Australian media personalities such as Denise Drysdale, Noni Hazlehurst, Pete Smith and Joy Westmore - winning him a TV Week Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 1975. Adelaide Tonight was a nightly variety show, running four days a week at 9. ... NWS-9 is the Nine Network station in Adelaide, South Australia. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Denise Drysdale, publicity photograph Denise Drysdale is an Australian television personality and comedian. ... Noni Hazelhurst is an Australian actress. ... Peter Philip Smith OAM (born 29 May 1939, Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian radio and television voice-over artist. ... Joy Westmore as Joyce Barry in Prisoner. ... TV WEEK is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in 1957 (as TV-Radio WEEK) and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV-9. ... The Gold Logie Award The Gold Logie Award has been awarded annually to the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at the TV Week Logie Awards since 1960. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The program came to an abrupt axing after an off-air outburst by Sigley, following the first show for 1976, directed at station owner Kerry Packer and producer Peter Faiman. Packer inevitably heard about the incident the next day, then flew down from Sydney to Melbourne with Don Lane. He dismissed Sigley in person, effective immediately, and replaced him with Lane. Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer AC (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian publishing, media and gaming tycoon. ... Peter Pete Faiman is an Australian television producer. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Don Lane (born Morton Donald Isaacson c. ...

After the dismissal from Packer, the early evening variety show Ernie followed in 1976 on ATV-0, and in 1979, Saturday Night Live on HSV-7 co-hosting with Mary Hardy. He was involved in an infamous stoush with fellow TV star Don Lane at a Logies Ceremony in the 1990's. Lane claims that he taunted Sigley about his weight, then punched at Sigley, intending to miss but accidentally connecting. Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... ATV-10 is a television station in Melbourne. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The Penthouse Club was a weekly variety program produced live to air from the studios of HSV-7 Melbourne from 1970. ... HSV-7, commonly known as Seven Melbourne, is a television station in Melbourne, Australia. ... Mary Hardy (1931 - 7 January 1985) was an Australian actor and comedian. ... The Gold Logie Award The Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. ...

Game show host

Sigley was also host of the popular Australian game show, Wheel Of Fortune from 1981 to 1984, the regional variety program Six Tonight from BTV-6 Ballarat in 1982, and the daytime talent show Pot Luck in 1987, and also worked again in radio at 3DB in 1981 and later at 3AK and is now afternoon presenter at 3AW. Sigley returned to television in 1989 with Denise Drysdale, hosting GTV-9's morning program In Melbourne Today. The current Australian version of Wheel of Fortune (W.O.F.) began on the Seven Network on July 21, 1981, being produced from ADS-7. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, Australia. ... Ballarat is a city in regional Victoria, Australia, approximately 120 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, with a population of 84,000 people. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... The term 3DB may refer to In signal processing applications, the cutoff frequency in filters, above or below which the output signal is attenuated by more than 3dB A commercial radio station called Mix 101. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... 3AK is a former Melbourne talk-back radio and music station, which, in 2003, leased its licence to sports network SEN 1116. ... 3AW is a radio station in Melbourne, Australia on 693KHz AM. It began transmission in February 1932 as Melbournes fifth commercial radio station. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Denise Drysdale, publicity photograph Denise Drysdale is an Australian television personality and comedian. ... GTV-9 is the Melbourne, Australia station in the Nine television network and was one of the first two commercial TV stations in Melbourne. ...

He is also a passionate supporter of the Western Bulldogs (formerly known as the Footscray Football Club). The Western Bulldogs, formerly known, and occasionally still referred to, as the Footscray Football Club, is an Australian Football League (AFL) club based at the Whitten Oval in Footscray, an inner western suburb of Melbourne. ... The Western Bulldogs, formerly known as the Footscray Football Club or The Bulldogs is an Australian Football League (AFL) club based at the Whitten Oval in western suburban Melbourne, Australia, drawing its supporter base from this traditionally poor, industrial, and less leafy part of Melbourne. ...

References