Rolf is named for 19th century Australian novelist Rolf Boldrewood, pseudonym of Thomas Browne. He is noted most for his frequently-played 1957 novelty song, Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport, and also a notorious 1993 cover of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven played on a "wobble board", an instrument invented by Harris[1]. He became a staple of variety shows, often playing music in unusual manners. The 1990s and 2000s saw him working as a television presenter on shows such as Animal Hospital.
In 2013, Harris was arrested in Berkshire for suspicion of unspecified sexual offenses as part of Operation Yewtree, the fallout from Jimmy Savile's long history of bad behavior.
[1] During his performance of Stairway on Top of the Pops, about 2 minutes into the song a woman hands him the digeridoo to play. In recent decades, disinformation has widely spread that women are not allowed to play, or even touch, the instrument. Aboriginal peoples dismiss these claims as false.
Father: Cromwell Harris
Mother: Agnes Margaret Robbins
Brother: Bruce Harris
Wife: Alwen Hughes (m. 1-Mar-1958, one daughter)
Daughter: Bindi Harris (b. 10-Mar-1964)
High School: Perth Modern School, Subiaco, Western Australia
University: University of Western Australia
Member of the British Empire 1968
Officer of the British Empire 1977
Commander of the British Empire 2006
Order of Australia 1989
Child Abuse [indecent assault] convicted, 12 counts (4-Jul-2014)
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
The Little Convict (20-Dec-1979)
Official Website:
http://www.rolfharris.com/
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