
Francis Rossi
Actor · b. 1949 · Forest Hill, London, England, UK
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE (born 29 May 1949) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer, lead guitarist and the sole continuous member of the rock band Status Quo. Rossi was born on 29 May 1949 in Forest Hill, London. His father's side of the family were Italian ice cream merchants and had an ice cream business in South London, and his mother was a Northern Irish Roman Catholic from Liverpool. He grew up in a household with his parents, grandmother, and "lots of aunts and uncles" and was given a Roman Catholic upbringing, having been named after Saint Francis of Assisi. He spent his summer holidays as a child with an aunt in Waterloo, Merseyside. He attended Our Lady and St Philip Neri Roman Catholic Primary School in Sydenham, and then Sedgehill Comprehensive School, from which he was expelled on his last day for having allowed his classmates to deface his school uniform. His desire to become a musician began after seeing The Everly Brothers live on television at a young age, after which he asked his parents to buy him a guitar for Christmas. In 1962, while attending Sedgehill Comprehensive School, Rossi became close friends with future Status Quo bassist Alan Lancaster while playing trumpet in the school orchestra. The two, along with other classmates Alan Key (drums) and Jess Jaworski (keyboards), formed a band called the Scorpions, who played their first gig at the Samuel Jones Sports Club in Dulwich. Key was later replaced by Air Cadets drummer and future Quo member John Coghlan, and the band was renamed the Spectres. The Spectres wrote their own material and played live shows; the line-up soon included Redhill-based keyboard player Roy Lynes, whom they had seen performing with a band called the Echoes who were also based in Redhill. In 1965, the Spectres played at a Butlins holiday camp in Minehead. There Rossi met his future long-time Status Quo partner Rick Parfitt, who was playing as part of another band, the Highlights. The two became close friends and agreed to continue working together. In 1966, the Spectres signed a five-year deal with Piccadilly Records, releasing three singles that failed to chart. The group again changed their name, this time to Traffic Jam, after embracing psychedelia. In 1967, Traffic Jam changed its name to The Status Quo, but eventually dropped the definite article. Shortly afterward Parfitt joined the band, completing the original line-up, and beginning an almost 50-year partnership with Rossi until Parfitt's death in 2016. Rossi had written a song called "Pictures of Matchstick Men", which hit the charts in both the UK and the US in 1968, launching their hit-making career. After some years of minor success, the band reached #5 in the album charts in 1972 with Piledriver. Released on Vertigo Records, it included "Paper Plane", a song penned by Rossi and Bob Young, which was released as a single. Status Quo continued to enjoy major success in the UK, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand through the 1970s and 1980s. They were the opening act of 1985's Live Aid, and Rossi wrote and co-wrote some of their biggest hits, including "Caroline" and the band's only number one single, "Down Down". ... Source: Article "Francis Rossi" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Movies12
Movie7.9MusicDocumentaryLive Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: watched live by an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations. "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid...!"
Live Aid
1985 · 54 votes
Movie5.8DocumentaryMusicCollecting hours of previously unseen footage and classic live material with full exclusive access to all band members this is the definitive story of a band that has done and seen it all. As well as full access to the band, Hello Quo! Also features input from a host of the biggest names in rock including: Brian May of Queen, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy, Buzzcocks, Slade, Paul Weller, Sir Cliff Richard and Midge Ure. The documentary also exclusively features the moment when the original line up of the band met again for the first time in over 30 years. A truly poignant reunion, after years of legal wrangling, saw the band clear the air but also plug in and play together once again... This Access All Areas Collector s Edition includes 3 hours of astonishing never seen before Quo footage!
Hello Quo
2012 · 20 votes
Movie4.1ComedyAdventureStatus Quo play a series of shows in Fiji and become embroiled in a secret Russian Roulette ring lorded over by Jon Lovitz.
Bula Quo!
2013 · 13 votes
Movie8.3DocumentaryThis documentary on the music group Queen includes performance and rehearsal footage, and exclusive interviews from backstage at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
Queen: Champions of the World
1995 · 3 votes
MovieDocumentaryBBC documentary on the long-running British TV show, Top of the Pops.
Movie8.4ComedyBilly Connolly delivers his special brand of stand-up comedy and abrasive humour in front of a celebrity audience.
An Audience with Billy Connolly
1985 · 22 votes
Movie7.0DocumentaryMusicDespite his brief 21 years, Cochran’s musical legacy resonates across generations and genres, influencing icons from David Bowie to The Sex Pistols. His timeless hits like “C’mon Everybody” and “Summertime Blues” continue to shape the soundtracks of countless lives. This landmark documentary explores Cochran’s journey from country roots to rock & roll pioneer, showcasing his profound impact on music history, including his influence on legends ranging from The Beatles to Rod Stewart to Yungblud.
Eddie Cochran: Don't Forget Me
2026 · 1 votes
Movie8.0DramaComedySpandau Ballet global superstars Gary and Martin Kemp, their lives, and their careers.
The Kemps: All True
2020 · 2 votes
Movie8.0DocumentaryJohn Peel's Record Box is a documentary film made by Elaine Shepherd, released on 14 November 2005 on Channel 4. It was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award. It is about a small private collection of the British radio DJ John Peel who died in 2004 at the age of 65. Peel's main archive contained more than 100,000 vinyl records and CDs. This smaller private collection, however, contains 143 singles - some of them doublettes - stored in a private wooden box representing some of his personal favourites. According to the documentary, there are no singles by Peel's favorite group, The Fall, because he kept them in a separate box. The film features interviews with John's wife Sheila Ravenscroft, radio DJs and artists like Mary Anne Hobbs, Sir Elton John, Ronnie Wood, Roger Daltrey, Fergal Sharkey, Jack White, Michael Palin and Miki Berenyi.
John Peel's Record Box
2005 · 1 votes
Movie8.0MusicDocumentaryThe Prince's Trust celebrates it's 10th anniversary in 1986 with a concert at Wembley Arena featuring a variety of rock stars and attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Prince's Trust Rock Gala - Volume 1
1986 · 1 votes
Movie7.6MusicDocumentaryConcert for Diana was a benefit concert held at the then newly built Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday. 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death. The concert was hosted by Diana's sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who helped to organise many of the world's most famous entertainers and singers to perform. Proceeds from the concert went to Diana's charities, as well as to charities of which William and Harry are patrons. The concert was broadcast in 140 countries with an estimated potential audience of 500 million. In December 2006, 22.500 tickets were made available for purchase for the concert, selling out in just 17 minutes. 63.000 people turned out to Wembley Stadium to watch the performances to commemorate Diana.
Concert for Diana
2007 · 5 votes
Movie8.3MusicStatus Quo's album "Pictures" (released in November 2008) celebrated 40 years of Status Quo filling the UK charts with hit after hit. The album was an instant success, charting at No.8 and selling over a quarter of a million copies in the UK alone. In July 2009 the Pictures live tour landed at Montreux in Switzerland as part of the world famous festival.
Status Quo - Pictures Live at Montreux 2009
2009 · 3 votes
Series12
- TV4.4News
Volle Kanne
1999 · 7 votes
TV6.6RealityThe biggest stars, the most iconic performances, the most outrageous outfits – it’s Britain’s number one pop show.
Top of the Pops
1964 · 44 votes
TV5.7Talk ShowSacrée soirée
1987 · 5 votes
TV6.8Talk ShowChamps-Elysées
1982 · 9 votes
TV2.8Talk ShowZDF-Fernsehgarten
1986 · 5 votes
TV5.3Talk ShowAn Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend Television, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.
An Audience with...
1978 · 3 votes
TV6.0Talk ShowAntiques experts accompany celebrities on a road trip around the UK searching for treasures and competing to make the most money at auction
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011 · 5 votes
TV8.6ComedyTalk ShowLes Nuls, l'émission
1990 · 6 votes
TV8.0Going Live! was a Saturday morning magazine show, broadcast on BBC1 between 1987 and 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene. Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Peter Simon, Emma Forbes, and puppet Gordon the Gopher. The show was broadcast during the autumn to spring seasons, with other shows such as the 8:15 from Manchester and Parallel 9 taking over during the summer months. It was preceded by Saturday Superstore, and succeeded by Live & Kicking. In 1988, when the second series started, Greene was hurt in a helicopter crash with her then boyfriend, Mike Smith. Guest presenters stood in for her including T'Pau's Carol Decker. Similarly, in 1992-93 during the final series, Schofield was starring in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was unable to present the show. A third presenter took his place. Originally, Neighbours actor Kristian Schmid took the role but soon left after problems with his work permit. Various other celebrities to stand in included Shane Richie and Robbie Williams during his Take That days.
Going Live!
1987 · 2 votes
TV5.7RealitySurprise, Surprise is a British television programme originally hosted by Cilla Black and produced by London Weekend Television for ITV. It ran for 14 series from 6 May 1984 to 5 September 1997, after which four annual specials were produced between 1998 to 2001. In 2012, the show returned after a 11-year hiatus. The revived version is produced by ITV Studios and presented by Holly Willoughby. The show is currently in its second series.
Surprise, Surprise
1984 · 6 votes
TV10.0The biggest night in the British music calendar, the BRIT Awards celebrate the biggest successes in music & promote new talent.
The BRIT Awards
1977 · 1 votes
- TVReality