I was recently chatting online with fellow blogger Max who runs the excellent ‘PowerPop – an Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture’ site. I happened to mention one of my favourite vocalists was, and still is Graham Parker – he of Graham Parker & The Rumour.

Not only did I appreciate his soulful, ‘pub rock’ style of delivery, but the fact he is, like me, a bit of a short-arse.

Actually, when I later checked, I discovered the bandit is in fact one whole inch taller than me at five feet five inches! Seems ‘wee Graham’ is, in fact, ‘big Graham.’

But it got me thinking … how many vertically challenged personalities made their mark in popular culture back in the 1970s? Remember, appearances could be deceptive back then, what with the trend to wearing fashionable platform shoes.

Perhaps it’s a indication of my harbouring ‘wee-man syndrome’ but I always looked up to my music, sporting and television heroes, imagining, indeed simply assuming them being way taller than me.

Not so!

Here’s a selection of some iconic stars from my 1970s  youth that I could certainly go head-to-head with.

MUSIC.

Marc Bolan (5’ 4”)

I know he’d been described as ‘elfin like’ but his personality and extrovert stage persona always had me regard him as some tall, god-like untouchable. Not a curly-haired wee short-arse with a penchant for platform boots!
(Still love him, mind.)

Suzi Quatro (5’ 0”)

About the same size as the bass guitar she played, Suzi was a true powerhouse. Had the nickname not previously been allocated to Brenda Lee, Suzi would have perfectly fitted the ‘Little Miss Dynamite’ moniker.

Linda Ronstadt (5’ 2”)

I had never considered Linda’s height. I suppose that was the last thing on my mind as a hormonal fifteen-year-old lad! That said, I was very surprised she is two inches shorter than me. (Sigh! We’d have made the perfect couple.)

Debbie Harry (5’ 3”)

ah, yes … see I know* Debbie was on the tiny side, from when we met** & danced together *** at the Ramones gig @ Strathclyde University in 1977.
*thought
**were in the same crowd
*** she danced. I danced. We may have danced together. Unlikely, of course, but it’s my story and I’ll forever promote it!

Angus Young (5’ 2”) Malcolm Young (5’ 3)

AC/DC were making a big name for themselves in the mid to late 1970s.  Indeed, they recorded their stellar 1978 ‘If You Want Blood You’ve Got It!’ Live LP at Glasgow’s Apollo. Who’d have thought two wee boys originally from the city could make so much noise!

Steve Marriott (5’ 4”)

vocalist with The Small Faces and the brilliant Humble Pie, Steve packed such a powerful voice in that wee frame of his.

(I could go on: Ronnie James Dio at 5’ 4”; Stevie Nicks at 5’ 1”; Dolly Parton even smaller at 5’ 0”. And scraping into the ‘70s, but only just, there was Prince, who stood around 5’ 3” in his stocking soles.)

FOOTBALL.

Willie Henderson (5’ 4”)

played for the team I supported growing up – Glasgow Rangers. He was a fast and tricky winger in the old-school sense, his low centre of gravity enabling him to runs rings around many substantially taller and bulkier defenders. Willie had a bit of a cheeky attitude about him and was often seen smoking a large cigar. (Changed days, eh?)

Jimmy Johnstone (5’4”)

played for my team’s city rivals, Glasgow Celtic! It’s quite extraordinary that both the big Glasgow clubs should have such fabulously entertaining small players at the same time. Wee Jinky, as he was nicknamed, may have given the Rangers defenders a tough time on many occasions, but even the most diehard of Bluenoses would concede he was an amazing (if annoying!) talent.

Billy Bremner (5’ 3”)

the feisty and pugnacious, red-headed, iconic captain of Leeds United and Scotland. Height, or lack of it, meant nothing to Billy.

OTHER SPORT.

Willie Carson (5’ 0”)

is regarded as one the greatest flat racing champions in British history. He was never going to be a basketball player, mind.
(Like Billy Bremner, Willie was born in Stirling. In fact, they were born within 23 days of each other, in November / December 1942, Willie being the elder by a short neck.

Billie Jean King (5’4”)

will forever be remembered as a tennis great. In the days before  the majority of top ladies tennis players took on Amazonian stature, Billie Jean King won 39 Grand Slam titles, and would be the instigator and driving force behind gender equality in sports.

Olga Korbut (4’ 11”); Ludmilla Tourischeva (5’ 3”); Nadia Comanechi (4’11”); Nellie Kim (5’ 0”):

of course, there are (still) unconfirmed and unproven accusations of state doping, height and weight repression surrounding the gymnasts from the Eastern Bloc. But, goodness, how we all marvelled at the agility and courage of these young women at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics.

TELEVISION / VARIETY STARS.

Bill Oddie (5’ 3.5”)

was one of The Goodies, whose zany television series spanned eleven years and seventy-six episodes. (He was the small, hairy one!) Bill was also a renowned ornithologist and wildlife conservation campaigner.
(Sadly, Bill passed away on 27^th July 2026, aged 85.)

Ronnie Corbett (5’ 1”)

as one of The Two Ronnies (alongside Ronnie Barker),  the Scots-born comedian was, for half of The Seventies, an integral part of Saturday evening television here in the UK. His comedic timing was incredible, and his cheeky chappie demeanour endeared him to millions. Who can forget the now infamous ‘Four Candles’ sketch, or the image of him sitting in the outsize chair, reciting some long, shaggy dog tale, from which he would frequently ‘digress.’

Lulu (5’ 1”)

was, and thankfully still is Glasgow’s own Pocket Rocket Throughout the Sixties and Seventies in particular, her fun, gallus personality offset a hard, Glaswegian firebrand attitude (at least, that’s the way it seemed to me) and wee Marie became a household name, hosting her own Saturday night prime-time variety show.

Lulu also recorded one of the few covers of a song that, in my book, even bettered the original – Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World.’
(Oooh! Controversial, or what …?!) 😉

I have to concede, I was pleasantly surprised by how many ‘little ‘uns’ left an indelible mark on the decade and beyond.

It just goes to show that whether we be referred to as ‘diminutive,’ ‘elfin-like,’ ‘tiny,’ ‘short-arse,’ or ‘midge’** – as we say here in Scotland … ‘good gear goes into wee bulk.’

** Yeah, I know what Ure thinking. He is actually 5’ 8” tall – a veritable giant. His nickname bears nothing to do with his height – it’s simply a phonetic slang reversing of his real name ‘Jim.’

(Post by Colin ‘Jackie’ Jackson from Glasgow – July 2026)