Pursuits: The Savile revelations demonstrate that at least some of the gossip was valid

I wonder if you know who Jimmy Savile was.

If you are British or lived in Britain for any length of time, then of course you will know all about him. From the 1960s till his death a few years ago, Jimmy Savile was a household name, one of the most famous people in Britain.

 

   To some extent, Savile was famous for being famous. In the late 60s when I first heard of him, he was a disc jockey with no great interest in pop music. Despite his lack of rock credentials, he would regularly host Top of the Pops, then BBC TV’s flagship chart programme. Somewhat bizarrely, he parlayed his celebrity status into a career as a minor wrestling star. Savile and Jackie Pallo, a top wrestler of the 60s, would form a tag team and take part in high-profile tournaments. Pallo would do the wrestling while Savile would clown around in the ring. But nobody denied that it was Savile’s name on the bill that ensured that the arena was full. By the 70s, Savile no longer pretended to have any interest in pop music. Instead, he became an all-round TV presenter, content to present any show that would include his name in the title. One of his biggest hits was a show called Jim’ll Fix It in which viewers wrote off to Savile with lists of seemingly-impossible requests. Jim made the impossible come true and the show was a big hit.

 

   The success of Jim’ll Fix It led to a new career for Savile. He soon became involved with many charities and his speciality was helping children, many of whom were fans of his Jim’ll Fix It persona.

 

   Though I was never part of any charmed journalistic or show biz circle in the UK, even I heard rumours to the effect that Savile would misbehave with or molest some of the children he was meant to be helping. Two decades ago, the famous British journalist and interviewer, Lynn Barber, asked him, on the record, if it was true that he liked very young girls. Savile laughed off the allegations and in the absence of any evidence, Barber had to let the matter drop.

 

   But the gossip did Savile’s reputation no damage at all. He became a pillar of a certain kind of British establishment, being invited to meet royalty and winning many honours from the state.

 

   A few weeks ago, it became clear that the gossip was founded on fact. Woman after woman has now come forward to say that she was indecently assaulted by Savile when she was under the age of consent. Some women have claimed that when they complained to the heads of institutions that regularly feted Savile and provided him access to children, they were punished for lying about such a great man.

 

   At last count, over 40 women had come forward with stories about Savile. Some people claimed to have seen him having sex with young girls in his BBC TV dressing room. They said nothing about it, they now explain, because Savile was a big star and it was believed that he had the right to have sex with underage girls.

 

"The prevailing ethos of the era when he started out was such that older men felt free to have sex with young girls without having too many moral compunctions."

   The only defence I have read of Savile’s behaviour seems to consist of that old chestnut: it was the 60s, man, and we had different standards. Except, of course, that it wasn’t just the 60s. Savile continued to behave in this manner for many more decades.

 

   Nevertheless, his defenders do draw attention to a valid concern. When you read stories of rock bands on tour during the 60s and the 70s, what comes through most clearly is that the tours were, essentially, orgies. Young girls would throw themselves at the bands and the musicians were more than happy to take advantage of them.

 

   Led Zeppelin, in particular, had such a reputation for debauchery that 40 years later the stories of their misbehaviour while on tour are still being told and re-told. The most famous groupie of that era, Miss Pamela, has written openly about the manner in which the band attracted young girls who were then whipped or assaulted with dead fish (don’t ask).

 

   There are similar stories about the Rolling Stones. During one particularly debauched tour of America, the Stones hired Robert Frank to make a film about their adventures. The film catalogued so much debauchery that when it was ready, Mick Jagger refused to allow Frank to release it. One measure of the tone of the documentary is its title, a phrase so obscene that it would not be printed in any family newspaper.

 

   I mention the Stones and Zeppelin but to some extent nearly every band that went out on tour during that era did the same sort of thing. David Cassidy, hardly anybody’s idea of a major stud, has talked about the groupies that came backstage after his shows. The roadies would corral off the most attractive girls and Cassidy and his band would have their pick. As Cassidy was a teen idol at the time, it is probably safe to say that few of these girls were very old.

 

   So, while Savile was definitely a disgusting old pervert, it is a little unfair to act as though he functioned in isolation. The prevailing ethos of the era when he started out was such that older men felt free to have sex with young girls without having too many moral compunctions. I do not dispute that Savile – at least in his later years – probably forced himself on girls, while the rock stars had no need to do so. But sex with a minor is still statutory rape even if the minor gives her consent.

 

   I sometimes wonder where all the groupies went. These days, when you hear of rock stars on tour, you get the same old stories about drugs and alcohol. But you hardly hear about debauchery. And being a groupie no longer seems like an attractive option for today’s women.

 

   Thank heaven for that. As much as we love rock music there was always a seamy and seedy underbelly to rock. The Savile revelations demonstrate that at least some of the gossip was valid. And who knows, perhaps in the weeks ahead, we will hear more stories about other famous men who took advantage of young girls.