One Pound Fish Man

Muhammad Shahid Nazir (Urdu, Punjabi: محمد شاہد نذیر; born 1981), also known as the One Pound Fish Man (sometimes stylised as £1 Fish Man), is a Pakistani trader and singer-songwriter who found Internet fame with his viral video, "One Pound Fish". His subsequent appearance on The X Factor led to a record deal with Warner Music.[1]

Muhammad Shahid Nazir
(One Pound Fish Man)
Saith Shahid Nazir
Muhammad Shahid Nazir performing for West Ham fans
Background information
Birth nameMuhammad Shahid Nazir
Also known asOne Pound Fish Man
Born1981 (age 38–39)
Pattoki, Punjab, Pakistan
OriginLondon, England
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Fishmonger, singer and songwriter
Years active2012–present
LabelsWarner Music Group

Personal life

Nazir was born in the town of Pattoki, near Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan.[2] He grew up listening to Bollywood and Punjabi music, and would sing religious songs during assembly at school. Prior to emigrating to the United Kingdom for a better life, Nazir worked for the family-owned transport company.[3] He is married to Kashifa. The couple has four children. His mother, wife and children are still living in Pattoki.[3]

Career

"One Pound Fish"

Following brief employment at a pound shop, Nazir, who had since settled in East London, began work at a fish stall at Queen's Market, Upton Park, where his employer instructed him to use a trader's call to attract customers. He soon composed the song "One Pound Fish":

Come on ladies, come on ladies
One pound fish
Have-a, have-a look
One pound fish
Very, very good, very, very cheap
One pound fish
Six for five pound
One pound each

After passing customers uploaded videos of him performing his song onto YouTube, it became an internet smash and a viral video, and he was invited to perform the song on the television show The X Factor. The song was later covered by Alesha Dixon, Timbaland and Mindless Behavior.[4]

In 2018, Nazir confirmed via Twitter that the low-cost fish to which he was referring were mackerel.[5]

Post X Factor

In November 2012, Nazir was signed by Warner Music as a recording artist, and released a dance version of his market sales pitch. A video was also filmed which featured Bollywood-style dancers and an appearance from former weatherman Michael Fish.[6] The song was in the running for securing the Christmas Number One for 2012 alongside X Factor winner James Arthur's release of his winning song "Impossible".[2][7]

Return to Pakistan

Nazir had arrived in the United Kingdom on a student visa, but soon left his studies to work, contrary to the terms of his student visa, as a fishmonger.[8] In December 2012, it was revealed that he had been ordered by the Home Office to leave the country as his visa had expired.[9] He returned to Pakistan in December 2012. His management said he would return to the UK to promote his musical career with a new entry visa. It added that his departure to Pakistan was in part to appear on Pakistani national television as he had gained huge popularity in his own country after the song and that he would be able to see his family before returning to the United Kingdom. His agent, Samir Ahmed, said: "He will be returning to Pakistan and will be celebrating New Year with his family. His return to the UK is pending approval of a working visa. We fully expect him to return in the coming weeks".[10] According to a 2016 article in the New Statesman, Nazir was declined a new visa to enter the UK because he violated the terms of his last visa by singing as a professional entertainer. A year after that he applied for another visa to try and appear in a film about his life, however it was also denied.[11]

Discography

Singles
List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[12]		 UK Asian Chart FRA SCO
"One Pound Fish" 2012 28116924 Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

References
  1. "The One Pound Fish man: everyone's hooked, including Warners". London Evening Standard. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  2. "Video: One Pound Fish song makes bid for Christmas No1 - Telegraph". Telegraph.co.uk. 11 December 2012.
  3. "Family of "One Pound Fish Man" is praying for his video hits on Christmas". Dawn. 16 December 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  4. Susannah Butter (20 November 2012). "The One Pound Fish man: everyone's hooked, including Warners". Evening Standard.
  5. "One Pound Fish on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  6. Sarah Shaffi. "£1 Fish man releases offishial video for One Pound Fish". Newham Recorder. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. "James Arthur smashes X Factor sales record". Evening Standard. 11 December 2012.
  8. "BBC News - One pound fish song an internet smash". BBC News.
  9. Mughal, Ubaid (24 December 2012). "One Pound Fish man, Shahid Nazir, faces deportation from UK over visa issue". The News Tribe. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  10. Laura Martin (24 December 2012). "One Pound Fish man told to return to Pakistan because of visa issues - Mirror Online". mirror.
  11. Kerley, Mike (24 October 2016). "Living the Meme: What happened to the One Pound Fish man?". Newstatesman.com. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  12. "The Official Charts Company – One Pound Fish Man". The Official Charts Company. 5 May 2013.
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