Jasper Carrott gets his star on Broad Street

Comedian Jasper Carrott has become the second person to be honoured with a star on Birmingham's Walk of Stars on Broad Street.

The star was presented to him by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham on 15 September, in front of a crowd of around 10,000 people at the city's annual ArtsFest weekend.

Following Ozzy

Carrott follows Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath singer, who became the first star on the walk in July. The Walk of Stars was set up this year to honour people from Birmingham, or with strong links to the city, who have made a major contribution in their field.

The stars are set into the pavement along Broad Street, the city's busy entertainment district, in a similar way to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Organisers hope the walk will become an attraction in its own right, drawing visitors to the area.

A Brummie institution

Jasper Carrott, whose real name is Robert Davis, was born in Acocks Green in 1945 and has been one of Britain's best loved comedians for more than 30 years.

He began his career in the 1960s running a folk club in Solihull called the Boggery, where he would tell stories between songs. His routines soon became more popular than the music, and he went on to become a full-time comedian.

His big break came in 1975 with the novelty record Funky Moped, which reached the top five in the singles chart. He went on to star in his own television shows, including An Audience with Jasper Carrott, Carrott's Lib and Canned Carrott, which made him a household name.

In the 1990s he co-starred with Robert Powell in the BBC police comedy The Detectives, which ran for five series. He has continued to tour, and his live shows still sell out across the country.

Throughout his career, Carrott has never hidden his Birmingham roots. Much of his humour draws on everyday life in the city, and his accent has been a big part of his appeal. He is also known as a keen supporter of Birmingham City Football Club.

ArtsFest

The presentation was one of the highlights of this year's ArtsFest, which has become one of the largest free arts festivals in the country. Over the weekend, hundreds of performers take part in music, dance, theatre and comedy events at venues across the city centre.

The festival is organised by Birmingham City Council and aims to showcase the city's cultural life and encourage people to try something new.

More stars to come

The organisers of the Walk of Stars, the Broad Street business partnership, say more names will be added over the coming months. They will be chosen from a range of fields, including music, comedy, acting and sport.

There has already been plenty of speculation about who will be next, with fans suggesting musicians, actors and sports stars from across the city.