Rod Burton
Freddy Marks (left), Jane Tucker (centre), and Rod Burton (right)
Born (1948-09-10) 10 September 1948
Occupation(s)Actor, singer, entertainer
Spouse
(m. 1979)

Rod Burton (born 10 September 1948) is a British singer, songwriter, actor, musician and entertainer. He is best known for being part of the trio Rod, Jane and Freddy along with their appearances on the children's TV series Rainbow and their own series "Rod, Jane and Freddy" between 1980 and 1991.

Early life

Burton studied graphic design at the London College of Printing and started his career illustrating books. He left this field to pursue music. He spent several years 'busking' in the south of France and playing in pubs and bars until an audition with his then wife Jane got him a job on children's TV show Rainbow.[1]

Career

Rainbow

Burton formed part of Rod, Matt and Jane; a trio with Matthew Corbett and Jane Tucker. Their contribution to the show was to sing a song everyday invoking the theme of the day. Burton played banjo and guitar, Corbett played guitar and bass and Tucker played keyboards. When Corbett left in 1976, he was replaced by Roger Walker (the group became Rod, Jane and Roger). Walker was later replaced by Freddy Marks (making the group's name Rod, Jane and Freddy).

In 1979, Burton divorced Tucker,[1] who entered a relationship with Marks in 1985 and married him in 2016.[2][3]

Rod, Jane and Freddy Show

Towards the end of 1980, the trio were approached by ITV to do their own show. Plans went through, and The Rod, Jane and Freddy Show aired its first episode on 15 January 1981. Rod, Jane and Freddy appeared in both their own show and Rainbow until 1989, when they left Rainbow to focus solely on The Rod, Jane and Freddy Show.

Touring

In 1990, Burton toured with Jane and Freddy in their stage shows all across the country until 1996. In 1996, he won a Gold Badge Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

Burton currently lives in London and is semi-retired, although he still writes songs.

References

  1. 1 2 Merriman, Rebecca (30 May 2016). "Jane and Freddy from Rainbow marry 30 years after love triangle". mirror. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  2. Rod, Jane and Freddy on 50 Ways To Leave Your TV Lover, archived from the original on 10 March 2016, retrieved 31 August 2019
  3. "Children's TV Stars Tie The Knot After 30 Years". HuffPost UK. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
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