Jools Holland, musician and tv host - may not be too familiar to people in the US but he’s quite well known in England, and he has played with people that you would know.
Not only that, he has a locomotive named after him at Pecorama.
This loco is fitted with a special dual control and is used for the driver experience where you get to run it. An instructor rides in a car behind with access to the override regulator and a brake, and also with a video display showing the water glasses in case you the trainee forget to operate the injector.
Now, just as soon as its safe to travel, I am making plans to head to England…
I really first heard of him playing on the video recording of Mark Knopfler’s Night in London concert. Then saw there are episodes of his Later—with Jools Holland show (at least the musical acts) on YouTube - been around a long time, and a lot fo well known acts have been on his show. And for this past New Year’s Eve bash, he did a piano duet with Rick Wakeman which I found on YouTube.
Jools is primarily known in the US for hosting “Later…with Jools Holland”, a long running music program something like the old NBC “Midnight Special”. It’s been around a long time on BBC Two, and airs here on BBC America. Given that the opening credits show him travelling to the BBC on an elaborate model railroad, I’m not surprised to learn he is a modeller.
I would question numbers 8-9-10. Two of them are fictional characters afterall.[swg]
Joe DiMaggio was hired by Lionel in the late 1930’s and appeared in their advertising at the time and I think hosted a Lionel radio or early TV show. I don’t know of any evidence he was himself a model railroader, or had a layout etc. He was just paid to do a celebrity endorsement, like he later was hired by Mr. Coffee.
You have to be a little careful with Lionel back then. They often had celebrities pose with Lionel trains who weren’t modellers.
NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller is a model railroader, I’ve seen him at train shows here in the Twin Cities a few times.
Although he’s kinda forgotten now, Vaughn Monroe was a major singing star from the late 1930’s into the 1950’s and was a model railroader. Much like Rod Stewart, he used to travel on the road with a toolbox and kits etc. to work on. (You might hear him on the radio singing “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” at Christmas time…or if you watch the original “Die Hard” movie.)
The TM DVDs on Mandy Patinkin, Frank Sinatra, and Tom Snyder’s layouts are all well worth checking out, even if you’re not a ‘toy train guy’. Snyder was also the host / narrator for their Lionel 100th anniversary DVD.
Jools Holland played the piano solo in the Fine Young Cannibals 1989 hit, “Good Thing.” Here he is playing the piano on the song with FYC lead singer Roland Gift on his TV show:
Recently discovered if you grew up in the San Diego area, or listen to 60’s on 6 on SiriusXM, “Shotgun” Tom Kelly also owns a model railroad. He admits to not having the time or skill to build his own.