OWEN MONEY

A BIT ABOUT OWEN

I was born in Merthyr Tydfil, home of the best football team in the world The Martyrs, and grew up in the South Wales valleys. I started my career in show business as a bass guitarist and lead singer with the pop group 'The Bystanders' who had hits in the 60s on the Pye label - which was fortunate because if you didn't like the music you could always eat the record ! But I have been told that we were one of the best harmony bands in Britain at the time.

My latest band is what I would call a reincarnation of The Bystanders. The Travelling Wrinklies, this 5 piece band with me as lead singer! revives the sounds of the 60s and simply embrasses the music of bands like the Four Seasons, the Beach Boys, The Hollies just to name a few.

Going back to the 70s I formed the comedy band 'Tomfoolery' which rapidly became one of the UK's most successful comedy show bands, often topping the bill at Blackpool South Pier. In 1980 I decided to go it alone and launched my solo career, soon winning the Club Land 'Comedian of the Year' award, performing alongside Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones!

1987 saw another big turning point in my career - I made my debut on BBC Radio Wales with my weekly programme 'Money for Nothing'. The programme's popularity steadily increased and by 1997 I'd won two prestigious Sony Gold Awards, one for 'Regional Broadcaster of the Year', and the other for 'Best Music Sequence Programme of Year.

To this day I continue to entertain Radio Wales listeners on my current shows, "Money For Nothing" broadcast at 9:00am every Saturday morning. 2013 saw RAJAR quarterly listening figures top the class with 20,000 more listeners than last figures. Tune in to BBC Radio Wales on 93-96 &104FM / 882 & 657MW.

In 2000, after appearing in many pantomimes at the Grand Theatre Swansea and the New Theatre Cardiff, and alongside some of the greats in British Show Business; I decided to set up my own pantomime company, with the aim of taking first class, affordable family friendly pantomimes to the smaller theatres of Wales.

The first production Aladdin was later filmed by BBC 1 Wales, achieving an astonishing audience figure of 45% when it was broadcast on New Years Day 2002. Since then many popular family pantomimes such as Cinderella, Jack & the Beanstalk, Robinson Crusoe, Dick Wittington, Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs, Aladdin and Peter Pan featuring celebrity actors and Welsh talent have been staged at many South Wales theatre venues. ‘Babes in the Wood’ which was our 2012-2013 tour was featured in my ‘Owen Money & Friends’ St Davids Day Special which was aired on BBC 1 Wales March 1st this year.

I still do and will always, as long as I can, take the "Owen Money Laughter Show" to venues around Wales and the UK; and even beyond! Yes hello Sailor! I hope that my after dinner speeches also puts a smile of my audiences faces.

Ever since my BBC 1 Wales TV Series ‘Just Up Your Street’ which the likes of X Factor and BGT followed… I have always had a policy of giving talented newcomers a chance to shine, and so my 'live' tours invariably include up and coming performers on the bill, as do my Pantomimes and TV Shows! Not to mention my yearly ‘Search for a Star’ competition held in my local town of Porthcawl – Tax Reasons!

And last but not least I was so proud that in 2007 I was recognised in the New Years Honours List and awarded an MBE, this boy from Merthyr an MBE!!!