Rolf Harris in the Midlands

Artist and entertainer Rolf Harris is in the Midlands today to launch a new exhibition of his artwork.

Here's a fact file of his life:

Rolf, AO, CBE was born on the 30th March 1930 in Perth, Australia.

As a child he owned a dog called Buster Fleabags, which he later wrote a book about.

In 1952, aged 22, he moved to the United Kingdom as an art student.

He met his wife, the sculptress and jeweller, Alwen Hughes, while they were both studying. They married on 1st March 1958.

They have one daughter, Bindi Harris, who studied art in Bristol and is now a painter.

In 1953, Rolf made his first television appearance on a children’s show called 'Jigsaw'. He then became a regular on Whirligig, with a character called 'Willoughby', who sprang to life on a drawing board.

Harris then turned his hand to music, and became famous for using unusual instruments in his performances, including the didgeridoo, the wobble board, and the Stylophone.

In 1957, Harris wrote "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", which later became a Top 10 hit in Australia, the UK and the United States. (When he re-recorded it five years later, the song went to number two in the UK charts, losing the number one spot to Elvis Presley. He met and worked with The Beatles when they started recording, and compèred their Christmas show in Finsbury Park Empire in 1963.)

By the 1960s, he was already a well-known face on television. He took centre stage on The Rolf Harris Show from 1967–1974.

On many of his television appearances he painted pictures in a slapdash way, before asking "Can you tell what is it yet?".

Other television series based on his artistic talents included Rolf Harris's Cartoon Time in the 1980s and Rolf's Cartoon Club between 1989–1993.

From 1994–2004 he was the host of the Animal Hospital, which followed the work of vets. Harris went on to adopt an English Bull Terrier that had been abandoned at the vet's, and called it Dolly.

Harris has had a majestic life in the public eye and has even had a few brushes with royalty.

In 2006, Rolf painted the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which was exhibited at Buckingham Palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and on a tour of public galleries in the UK.

On Monday 4 June 2012, Harris was also one of the comperes at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace.

But today, Rolf Harris is in the Midlands to show off some of his paintings of American and Australian landscapes.

He'll also be getting his paintbrushes out to demonstrate his unique painting techniques.

So at 82-years-young, it looks like there's still no stopping him.