Veteran British broadcaster Jimmy Savile, a famously eccentric culture figure, has died at his home in northern England. He was 84. Savile, known for his garish tracksuits, chunky gold jewelry and boundless enthusiasm for pop music and charity work, was the host of two long-running British television programs and claimed to have been a longtime confidant to Prince Charles and ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Rarely seen without his trademark large cigar, Savile had initially worked in a coal mine as a teenager before embracing music and built a national profile as a disc jockey — first in Britain's dance halls and later on radio, including the renowned Radio Luxembourg.
