Sir Jimmy Savile's full name was James Wilson Vincent Savile. He was born in Leeds in 1926, one of seven children in a devout Catholic family. He began working in coalmines during World War II, but later began working in dance halls and eventually became a DJ - in fact he may have been the first disc jockey, a term not then in use.
He began working as a DJ on Radio Luxemberg in 1958 and soon became well known in the music world - he was the first Top of the Pops presenter in 1964. In the 1970s he was better known as the presenter of a TV programme called Jim'll Fix It, in which viewers, mainly children, were invited to send in descriptions of something they'd always wanted to (eg, go up in a balloon) and he would arrange it. He also did a lot of charitable work for hospitals like Stoke Mandeville and mental institutions like Broadmoor.
Since Savile's death it has become clear that a lot of his work was a front to gain him access to vulnerable young people, mainly teenage girls. Stories of his behaviour, and the way it was covered up by those around him, are still emerging and it will be a while before the full truth is known.