The popular magazine PEOPLE wrote:

"If ever an Australian film producer decides to turn out a colossal, scintillating, technicolor, musical extravaganza of the struggling bright boy soars to fame variety, he has an ideal subject on tap, guaranteed to produce a tear in the eye, a pang of joy in the heart and rhythm in the feet – ace Melbourne square-dance caller Jim Vickers-Willis........." (July 1953)

Then followed the real life drama.

Having survived flying Spitfires in World War 2, Jim was at the epicentre of the brief but spectacular 1950's Australian Square Dancing boom - an entertainment boom that had the whole of Australia tapping its feet. At that time, Jim was one of Australia's highest paid entertainers, calling for thousands of dancers, night after night in Melbourne and Adelaide's largest Ballrooms, beamed by radio into homes throughout the nation - ironically, despite acute stage fright.

Then, "POW!" At the height of his entertainment fame, aged 36, Jim contracted a life threatening virus - polio. As he lay in an iron-lung life support system, gasping for his life, Jim's career was over - simultaneously Australia's square dancing BOOM died.

Doctors told Jim he would live another 5 to 10 years and gave him little hope of escaping the iron-lung. But Jim's fight back to confound this medical opinion, to go on to live a long, productive, and influential life - despite severe paralysis - is an inspiring story, rich in its clues on how we can all find great happiness and achievement by rebounding from our own life difficulties. Jim passed away peacefully on December 30th, 2008 - Aged 90 - having lived more than a half century longer than expected.

So how did Jim bounce back? Detailed information on Jim's life is available in the section titled JIM'S STORY. Historical audio, newspaper and magazine clippings help illustrate the very public highs and lows of Jim's life.

In the AUSTRALIAN SQUARE DANCING section is an archive of the 1950s Australian square dancing BOOM! It includes square dance teaching resources, so you too can learn to square dance - absolutely FREE. Its easy, and great fun.

Surviving polio had a profound effect on Jim's thinking - and a quality of life crusader was born. Thousands have since benefited from his great insight and wisdom. Jim's information resources are available in the QUALITY OF LIFE section of this site.

Be inspired also by the life stories of other survivors, which we are cataloguing in our TRIBUTES section.

Many resources are provided FREE. A few other can be purchased using credit cards via links through the site and at the SHOP.

I trust you enjoy your visit to Jim's site.

Cheers,

Tony Vickers-Willis
Keeping the story alive!

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