Wed, 25 Nov 2009 1:08a.m.
Billy T James
Billy T James was a comedian and actor and one of the first Maori entertainers to gain broad appeal.
He starred in Radio Times on TV in 1980 and in the feature film Came A Hot Friday. In 1981 he was named New Zealand entertainer of the year and in 1985 won the entertainer of the decade award.
In 1988 the star had a heart transplant but returned to the stage in 1990 in the variety special Billy T James, Alive And Giggling.
Unfortunately, his health deteriorated soon after the stage show and he died from a heart attack on August 7 1991.
He was known for many famous jokes but here is one of NZ’s favourites:
"I'm half Scot, half Maori. One half wants to get pissed (drunk) and the other doesn't want to pay for it".