Sid James attack while performing on stage at the Sunderland Empire Theatre; he died in hospital an hour later. Some, including comedian Les Dawson, claim to have seen the ghost of James at the theatre, and subsequently refused to appear at the theatre again. James was born Solomon Joel Cohen on 8 May 1913, to Jewish parents in South Africa, later changing his name to Sidney Joel Cohen, and then Sidney James. His family lived on Hancock Street in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. Upon moving to the UK later in life, he claimed various previous occupations, including diamond cutter, dance tutor and boxer; in
Jim Jefferies (comedian) Jim Jefferies (comedian) Geoff James Nugent (born 14 February 1977), known professionally as Jim Jefferies (and previously Jim Jeffries), is an Australian stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, and writer. Alongside his stand-up comedy, Jefferies is best known for his work in American television, creating and starring in the FX sitcom "Legit" from 2013–2014 and Comedy Central's late-night comedy "The Jim Jefferies Show" since 2017. Born in Sydney, Australia, as Geoff James Nugent, he initially took the stage name Jim Jeffries but amended the last name to Jefferies to avoid confusion with a similarly named American performer. His father was a