Famous Gingers |

Famous Gingers

Redheads have bestrode the pages of history for the benefit of all mankind over the millenia – there are many more than you think. Four more famous Gingers have been added to this glorious roster – find out who below.

1. Bruce Forsyth

The legendary light entertainer who cannot sing, dance or play the piano properly but that doesn’t stop him. We at gingerfightback though honour Brucie for his bravery in sporting the most famous ginger syrup in the land and want to know whether he “gives it a twirl” at night. Things about La Forsyth that also will be of interest to gingerfightback readers;

He is a keen cyclist
He has outsourced his catchphrase development to a barber’s in Quanding province in China
He is allergic to dishwashers
He invented the conveyor belt specifically for The Generation Game

Didn’t he do well!

2. Winston Churchill

Keeper of the flame haired dream for all the world in the dark days of the rise of Nazism and Hitler’s jackbooted trampling of Europe from 1939 to 1945. What is less well known about Winston is that post war after his famous ”Iron Curtain” speech in 1946 he set about doing things to bring the peoples of Europe closer together. Specifically he invented;

The European Union
The Eurovision Song Contest (and would have been the UK’s first entry were it not for a dose of phlebitis the night before transmission)
It’s a Knockout’s pan European brother, “Jeux Sans Frontiere”.
Sacha Distel
The Internet

So through politics, music and the Fil Rouge – Churchill’s feats live on and here at gingerfightback we think that is quite an achievement.

3. Vincent Van Gogh

Great painter, intense brushstrokes and the use of colour that would make a northerner smile. Mad as a box of Cox’s pippins on a day trip to the cider farm, but who cares? Lesser known facts about Vincent include;

As the name suggests, he invented a light goods vehicle – The Van
He did a very good impression of Queen Victoria
He was allergic to irony
He wrote all of Shakespeare’s plays

So as we can see old Vince’s legacy will live on and here at gingerfightback we are seeking to establish if there is any truth in the rumour that he is not dead and lives in a roadside café with Elvis, Shergar and Princess Diana in southern Alabama. Vincent does the washing up apparently.

4. Jesus

The picture below proves Jesus was ginger. Further proof, if required can be seen in Jesus of Nazareth, the seminal biopic of his life, where old Robert Powell sports a fine ginger disposition. Great bloke, sadly misunderstood by a few and a couple of lesser known facts about him are;

He once had a trial with Leicester City Football Club
He invented the question mark before the exclamation mark!
His loves avocado
He charges five pounds for a signed photo

So Jesus, a great all round entertainer (rumoured to be in the frame to take over from Brucie on Strictly Come Dancing) is perhaps the most important famous ginger for us to consider. There is a book to be published entitled ”Was Jesus a Ginger?” written by Herman Souk, astrologer and soothsayer to the court of Bhutan. Should be a good read as Herman’s previous epic tome “Whatever happened to Darius Danesh?” was a right page turner.

5. Marilyn Monroe

Screen siren and hero of the Bobsleigh, Marilyn captured the world’s hearts with a series of outstanding medical discoveries in the late nineteenth century. Forced to hide her gingerness to achieve fame as a movie legend, Marilyn also inspired the invention of Kleenex in 1954. Lesser known facts about Marilyn include;

She loved apple crumble with loads of cinnamon
She was the first person to become fluent in Esperanto
She had an affection for water bowsers and had a collection of over sixty at the time of her death
Her nickname for JFK was “ich been ein philanderer”

6. Gina G

Oooh err just a little bit, so goes the words of the classic europop song that propelled Gina to obscurity a few years ago. She is in fact a quantum physicist who discovered quarks and the twenty seventh moon of Jupiter. So surprising really that she should sing the little ditty that nearly gave Britain back its rightful place at the top of the Eurovision pile only to be cruelly denied by ballot rigging amongst those pesky ex-commies in eastern Europe. Lesser known fact about Gina are;

There are none

7. Queen Elizabeth the First

Good Queen Bess, scourge of the Spanish, lover of liquorice and a right good laugh by all accounts. Daughter of Henry “Big Fella” the Eighth but we won’t hold that against her here at fightback, oh boy no. Did much to cement the place of the orange in British society and laid the foundations four hundred years in advance of the nation’s motorway system. Lesser known facts about QE1 include;

She liked a bit of ruff
She cheated at cards but woe betide anyone who…..
She invented the ocean liner and had the gall to name one after herself
She smoked twenty roll ups a day and invented the first government health warning on her packet of shag

8. Elton John

Genius songwriter, tunesmith and all round good egg. Not quite in the Brucie league when it comes to syrups, but we at fightback think that Elton has a firm grip on second place. Although be careful with that candle in the wind Elt me old mucker. Lesser known facts about Elton include;

He likes shredded wheat for breakfast, dinner and tea
He remains undefeated world champion at Kerplunk
He can ululate for three hours non stop (on a good day)
He has all of Daniel O’Donnell’s albums signed by the great man himself

9. Lassie

Not just a dog folks but a screen legend right up there with Steven Seagal in fightback’s opinion. Fluent in several languages and played a central part in brokering peace between Israel and Egypt in 1977. Barked herself horse to warn people of the dangers of drink and who listened? That’s right gingerfightback did and look where it got us, tired, lonely, hungry….enough,enough of self pity – here are some more facts about Lassie.

She Directed Aliens 2
She is a follower of Zen Buddhism
She has no fear of heights
She prefers cat food to dog food

Capturing the Essence of Gingerness a Ginger Dog and a Ginger Boy

10. The Cigarette Butt

We at gingerfightback are controversial if nothing. Perhaps the most ubiquitous ginger item in the world. Litter, cancer, olfactory displeasure and that horrible taste when you swig a can of cheap lager at a party to realise that somebody has dropped a butt in. But we have thought long and hard about this and consider the butt deserves a place at the top table of gingerness. Inanimate most certainly but lesser known facts include;

Butts have been involved in more post coitus conversations than anything else on the planet
Butts have caused more children to gag involuntarily after their first one than even the first illicit can of cider in the park
Butts have been at the centre of the search for happiness in France
You cannot beat a pint and a fag

A cigarette butt meeting its solitary end

70 Comments »

70 Responses

on June 18, 2011 at 6:11 am | Reply Leopoldo Hutti

You could definitely see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe. Always follow your heart.
- on June 18, 2011 at 9:10 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thank you (I think)
on September 23, 2011 at 2:00 am | Reply polarflares

oh, very good. It’s too bad William Shatner doesn’t have ginger hair. He did a whole movie in esperanto. It was pretty good too, if you like those sort of things.
- on September 23, 2011 at 12:31 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks
  
  I did have an article with Simon Cowell speaking esperanto a few months ago – what a small world!
on September 25, 2011 at 5:03 pm | Reply The Hook

You’re in good company, right?
on September 27, 2011 at 11:21 am | Reply BrainRants

This is funny. No idea what the British hang up over redheads is, but looks like you’ve turned it to your favor.
on September 30, 2011 at 12:39 am | Reply David Halliday

I am a red head (orange) turned white. i sometimes think that redheads are really not homo sapiens at all. that we are the martians…
- on September 30, 2011 at 1:41 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Funnily enough we have discovered evidence to suggest you may be onto something there….
on September 30, 2011 at 8:51 pm | Reply mooselicker

This list has completely turned around my opinion on Gingers. I will remove the one I have burning in the kettle and set him free.
on October 17, 2011 at 2:06 pm | Reply The Edmonton Tourist

I enjoy and appreciate how you validate your findings. Especially with proof of Jesus being a Ginger. Well Done!
- on October 18, 2011 at 7:46 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks very much – as you can tell we are fastidious in fact checking.
on October 18, 2011 at 3:13 pm | Reply deegeesbb

Coming from a long line of gingers, it skipped me, but my boys have red beards. Part ginger is better than none. And freckles, don’t forget the most important addition to gingerness.
- on October 18, 2011 at 3:48 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks – our research department is hard at work on a “Freckle Special” – never understood the whole thing about dominant and recessive genes as well.
  
  Best wishes
on October 28, 2011 at 5:32 pm | Reply afrankangle

Had a moment, thus thought I’d come back for more. Although I love those little known facts above, the eyes of quantum physicist GIna G may be the most captivating I’ve ever seen from the Jupiter community. If she has good communications skills, I would want to see her on CNN’s 1-3 om (Eastern) shift.
on October 29, 2011 at 3:16 am | Reply kat

Great blog! My mom’s a ginger . . . but I’m not. Somehow I escaped.

Didn’t know Winston Churchill was a redhead. Knowledge!
- on October 29, 2011 at 6:37 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks for the encouraging words – yep old Winston was a ginger in his youth. More revelations to come (about gingers that is not Winston Churchill).
  
  Best wishes
on November 5, 2011 at 10:48 am | Reply Old Jules

Those Ginger smokes have also provide escape routes from motel rooms enough to have kept them alive in times of bad PR. “I’m going out for smokes. I’ll be right back,” saved me a lot of burdensome conversation in my younger years. Nice blog. Old Jules
- on November 5, 2011 at 1:55 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Wise words and thanks for the kind words.
on November 5, 2011 at 5:14 pm | Reply kathryningrid

I’m developing ginger envy.
on November 5, 2011 at 5:15 pm | Reply kathryningrid

Does it help that I’ve always been fond of ginger as a flavour??
on November 12, 2011 at 11:19 pm | Reply Aurora, HSP

I am ginger and you are funny LMBO
- on November 13, 2011 at 7:41 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks very much – gingers are famous in many many ways.
on November 23, 2011 at 1:53 am | Reply jwms1

When my oldest were little I tried to go dark blonde. I realized that I was a ginger when my first grader drew a picture of Mom. I was red all the way. Go Gingers!
- on November 23, 2011 at 1:14 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks! Have you any suggestions for more famous gingers?
on December 2, 2011 at 4:16 pm | Reply Amberr Meadows

I love controversy. Woo hoo!
- on December 2, 2011 at 4:40 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Glad you are enjoying it!
  
  Best wishes
on December 11, 2011 at 12:37 pm | Reply dawnie

WHAT ABOUT RUPERT GRINT???!!! sexy ginger ever to have born (male anyway) and he doesnt appear on any of these lists?! WHY?
- on December 12, 2011 at 9:38 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Good idea – I will get round to it honest!
on December 12, 2011 at 3:49 pm | Reply dawnie

Super, i shall expect an appropriately sexy pic to go accompany him
on December 12, 2011 at 3:51 pm | Reply dawnie

there shoulndn’t be a go in there, *sigh* i hate having to correct myself! :/
on December 29, 2011 at 3:18 pm | Reply The T

Learning about you red heads one amazing blog at a time! ! This was a post I actually learned facts about red heads I didn’t know!

T.
- on December 30, 2011 at 9:49 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Good. Thanks for visiting – I hope you will enjoy the nonsense.
on February 3, 2012 at 7:05 am | Reply butimbeautiful

Brilliant! And I’m not even a ginger. No, wait, maybe I COULD be a ginger underneath all that woolly brown stuff..
- on February 3, 2012 at 11:44 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks very much – glad you enjoyed it – the world needs gingering up a bit in my opinion.
on May 1, 2012 at 2:30 pm | Reply A Gripping Life

I have plenty of Gingers in my family tree and plenty I’m proud to call my friends. I definitely have red in my hair. Dolly Parton sings about, “Jolene” Auburn hair and eyes of emerald green… I don’t think there’s a more striking combination, do you? Nice post!!
- on May 1, 2012 at 2:50 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  You are spot on! nothing more beautiful in my book – Sigh – Glad you enjoyed the post!
on May 5, 2012 at 1:05 pm | Reply lorddavidprosser

I may have missed an earlier episode where you named many more but just in case, may I remind you that Napoleon was ginger and then there was that girl, you know, the one from the famous group. I’m sure she played Ginger Spice, was it All Saints perhaps?
Great, fun site.Enjoyed very much.
- on May 5, 2012 at 1:17 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Cheers – glad you enjoyed your visit. I’m in the throes of doing some more Famous Gingers – so thanks for the ideas. Best wishes.
on May 8, 2012 at 11:19 am | Reply kymlucas

Enjoyed your post. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
- on May 8, 2012 at 11:41 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Cheers Kym – glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes.
  - on May 8, 2012 at 6:19 pm kymlucas
    
    Same to you from someone who always wished they were red.
on June 9, 2012 at 12:28 pm | Reply champagnewithrosie

I aspire to be a famous ginger. More Queen Elizabeth I rather than Elton…
Hats off to you gingerfightback.com, glad to see someone else celebrating the power of the redhead. You made me laugh and have inspired me to write something gingery…
Rosie x
- on June 9, 2012 at 12:53 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks Rosie – I’m working on a new batch of famous gingers at the moment – actually when you think about it we do seem to have had our share of the great and (not so) good. Glad you enjoyed it and best wishes. Jim
on June 18, 2012 at 3:01 am | Reply eof737

✿♡✿Happy Father’s Day!
on June 18, 2012 at 11:34 am | Reply Lady Marilyn Kay Dennis

I suppose that my brief excursion into bright red hair doesn’t count as ginger? Didn’t think so. I was experimenting with my blues/rock persona at the time. I have a few photos that make me look as if I have ginger hair but it’s not really. It’s just the film. I’m one of the ash blondes – darkish – with about half-a-dozen ginger hairs scattered through it from my Scottish heritage (mother’s side). That’s probably not enough to qualify, is it? Plus, these days, there are more white ones than ginger ones. Am I allowed to subscribe to your blog, or am I disqualified?
- on June 18, 2012 at 11:38 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Please join! – you will see that a lot of the nonsense is not ginger related at all! Nice to hear frm you.
  - on June 18, 2012 at 11:47 am Lady Marilyn Kay Dennis
    
    Done! I thought it best to ask first. I couldn’t have born the humiliation of being shunned because of my hair. I do have an auburn wig (synthetic – not my best look) and could wear it when I read your blog, if you think that I should, so as to fit in. It’s somewhere in the garage with my stage stuff. Probably squashed at the bottom of the box. I don’t know why I brought it back to Australia with me but it’s here, so it could be useful. And it’s Winter here at the moment, so it would be warm, too.
on June 24, 2012 at 3:58 pm | Reply justwilliam1959

I have a celtic family line, my Dad was a Scot. But neither me or him were ginger. However my son Luke is a ginger. Incidentally so is Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day.

This is a great post, keep up the good work, both for amusing writing and in support of gingers everywhere!
- on June 24, 2012 at 5:03 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Cheers – glad you enjoyed it!
on June 24, 2012 at 6:50 pm | Reply lorddavidprosser

Just re-reading your blog and now have to point out an error and Lordy what a big one !! Vincent van Goch did NOT write all of Shakespeare’s plays. That was a gent called Roger Bacon who I happen to know is a butcher just down the road but he is a redhead too so I can understand the mistake.
- on April 1, 2013 at 11:42 am | Reply Lottie Freckle May
  
  sir, may i comment that this is a page of witty banter for ginger appreciation. please do not spoil it by being factual with us.
on June 30, 2012 at 12:00 am | Reply WordsFallFromMyEyes

I didn’t realise Elton John is a ginger. Had no idea. And that early photo of Marilyn. My gosh, my gosh, she glows.

This was great reading – v interesting!

Red is white is green is blue, really…
on July 10, 2012 at 5:38 pm | Reply lightningpen

Hi, this is a great blog! I am a proud Ginger with obviously a mountain to live up to! Thank you for the likes and the follow! You can be different, the same way as many, but never feel the difference in your dreams! Keep writing! I have heard the pen gets lighter with every stroke! Nice to meet you!
- on July 10, 2012 at 5:43 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  cheers – glad you enjoyed it and hope you will continue to enjoy the nonsense in the future. Best wishes.
on July 24, 2012 at 4:41 pm | Reply jmsabbagh

very interesting post. l enjoyed it.Thank you for visiting my site.Wishing you success. Jalal Michael
on August 28, 2012 at 5:16 pm | Reply appletonavenue

I never expected when I began reading that I would get so much previously unknown information. Thank you for stating these things for the public record!
- on August 29, 2012 at 12:16 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  You are welcome – we like to think of ourselves as a public service!
on September 24, 2012 at 9:59 am | Reply Missus Tribble

Hi, i’m nominating you for the Silver Quill Blogger Award, my fellow ‘Nammer
- on September 24, 2012 at 10:05 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Most kind!
on September 24, 2012 at 10:06 am | Reply The Silver Quill Blogger Award | Wine And Roses From Outer Space

[...] Last, but by no means least, gingerfightback – fellow ‘Nammer and loveable lunatic! Like me? Share me! Pin ItEmailPrintLike [...]
on December 8, 2012 at 2:29 pm | Reply Barbara Blackcinder

Great! I think you should all have a single place for your silliness. and I thought William Shatner was a ginger? Oh well, what do I know, I only have a red tinge in my hair. Have you seen Car Johnson’s page: http://www.carjohnson.com/. I suspect him also…
- on December 8, 2012 at 2:57 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Cheers – I will go and have a look!
on January 5, 2013 at 1:56 pm | Reply Rutabaga the Mercenary Researcher

I’m a sucker for a redhead
- on January 5, 2013 at 2:31 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Good!
on January 10, 2013 at 5:15 am | Reply http://tinyurl.com/theplee33187

I personally was initially hunting for points for my own site and stumbled
upon your own article, “Famous Gingers �”, will
you mind in the event that I really apply some of your suggestions?
I am grateful ,Boris
- on January 10, 2013 at 4:31 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  No worries as long as you credit the source!
on January 11, 2013 at 8:13 pm | Reply Jack Curtis

I must protest your unforgivable omission of Olaf the Red from you list. (I am his exclusive agent in this age).
- on January 14, 2013 at 7:06 am | Reply gingerfightback
  
  We will put him in
on January 22, 2013 at 2:06 pm | Reply David Halliday

I too am a ginger though my hair has long ago turned white. I tried to start a Red Headed League at the school I work but gingers are notoriously shy.
- on January 22, 2013 at 2:16 pm | Reply gingerfightback
  
  Thanks David – Ginger is a way of life as well as a tint. Think David Carradine and his flute in Kung Fu and you will understand the deep mysticism of it all! Best wishes