One Pound Fish Man

{{Infobox person

| name = Muhammad Shahid Nazir

| image = File:One Pound Fish Man at The Boleyn Ground cropped.jpg

| image_size = 100px

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption = Nazir performing for West Ham fans, 2012

| birth_name = Muhammad Shahid Nazir

| native_name = سیٹھ شاہد نذیر

| native_name_lang = ur

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1981}}

| birth_place = Pattoki, Punjab, Pakistan

| occupation = Singer-songwriter{{*}}fishmonger

| module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes

| alias = One Pound Fish Man (£1 Fish Man)

| origin = Upton Park, London, England

| genre = Novelty song

| instrument = Vocals

| years_active = 2012–13

| label = Warner

| website = [https://www.instagram.com/onepoundfishofficial/ Official Instagram]

}}

Muhammad Shahid Nazir (Urdu, {{langx|pa|{{Nastaliq|محمد شاہد نذیر}}}}; born 18 October 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/the-one-pound-fish-man-everyones-hooked-including-warners-8335130.html |title=The One Pound Fish man: everyone's hooked, including Warners |newspaper=London Evening Standard |date=2012-11-20 |access-date=2020-04-28}}

Personal life

Nazir was born in the town of Pattoki, near Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. He grew up in Nigeria his family are from Jamaica listening to Bollywood and Punjabi music, and would sing religious songs during assembly at school. Prior to emigrating to the United Kingdom, Nazir worked for the family-owned transport company.{{cite news|title=Family of "One Pound Fish Man" is praying for his video hits on Christmas|url=http://dawn.com/2012/12/16/one-pound-fish-family-prays-for-christmas-hit/|access-date=16 December 2012|newspaper=Dawn|date=16 December 2012}} He is married to Kashifa. The couple have four children. His mother, wife and children are still living in Pattoki.

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":

{{blockquote|"Come on ladies, come on ladies

One pound fish

Come on ladies, come on ladies

One pound fish

Have-a, have-a look

One pound fish

Have-a, have-a look

One pound fish

Very, very good, one pound fish

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 (in 2012) it became an internet smash and a viral video, and he subsequently auditioned on the television show The X Factor singing the song. The song was later covered by Alesha Dixon, Timbaland and Mindless Behavior.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/the-one-pound-fish-man-everyones-hooked-including-warners-8335130.html|title=The One Pound Fish man: everyone's hooked, including Warners|author=Susannah Butter|date=20 November 2012|work=Evening Standard}}

In a 2018 Vice interview, Nazir recounted his shock at the song's online popularity, describing it as a "god-gifted idea". He added "I was second [in the YouTube charts] only after Gangnam Style [by Psy], this was because YouTube had been banned in Pakistan at that time. Otherwise I would definitely have been number one". Nazir also claimed that UK supermarket Tesco had asked him to appear in advertisements alongside Kevin Bacon and Angelina Jolie, an offer which he declined due to an exclusivity deal he had in place with PTCL.{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-the-one-pound-fish-man-became-a-political-jingle-writer/|title=How the One Pound Fish Man Became a Political Jingle Writer|work=VICE|date=24 July 2018}}

= Post ''X Factor'' =

In November 2012, Nazir was signed by Warner Music Group 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 weather forecaster Michael Fish.{{cite web|author=Sarah Shaffi |url=https://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/entertainment/1-fish-man-releases-offishial-video-for-one-pound-fish-1-1736884 |title=£1 Fish man releases offishial video for One Pound Fish |newspaper=Newham Recorder |access-date=2020-04-28}} 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".{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/christmas-videos/9736559/One-Pound-Fish-song-makes-bid-for-Christmas-No1.html|title=Video: One Pound Fish song makes bid for Christmas No1 - Telegraph|date=11 December 2012|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/james-arthur-smashes-x-factor-sales-record-8406458.html|title=James Arthur smashes X Factor sales record|date=11 December 2012|work=Evening Standard}}

On 9 January 2021, a music video for "One Pound Juice" featuring Nazir was uploaded to YouTube, using adapted lyrics based on the original "One Pound Fish" song, to reflect Nazir's new business venture in selling bottles of UK-made e-cigarette liquid for use in e-cigarettes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/nostalgia/one-pound-fish-man-what-happened-271810-20240201|title=The sad story of what happened to the £1 fish man|work=Lad Bible|date=1 February 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnga_GbsLk|title=One Pound Juice - YouTube Music Video|date=9 January 2021|work=YouTube}}

=Return to Pakistan=

Nazir's fame alerted the UK's immigration services. Nazir had arrived in the United Kingdom in 2011 on a student visa, however he instead began work as a fishmonger.{{Cite news |last=Mahmood |first=Shabnam |date=2012-05-15 |title=Singing fish man keeps on 'breaming' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18075428 |access-date=2022-06-16}} In December 2012, under the government policy he was ordered to leave the country as his visa had expired.{{cite web |url=http://www.thenewstribe.com/2012/12/24/one-pound-fish-man-shahid-nazir-faces-deportation-from-uk-over-visa-issue/ |title=One Pound Fish man, Shahid Nazir, faces deportation from UK over visa issue |date=24 December 2012 |website=The News Tribe |first=Ubaid |last=Mughal |access-date=2016-05-09}} He returned to Pakistan in December 2012, following which he originally intended to apply for a French visa, in order to release a new single.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-20929912|title=One Pound Fish Man viral song to be released in Europe|work=BBC News|date=7 January 2013}} However, his management later stated he would return to the UK to promote his musical career with a new entry visa. 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".{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/one-pound-fish-man-told-1504472|title=One Pound Fish man told to return to Pakistan because of visa issues - Mirror Online|author=Laura Martin|date=24 December 2012|work=mirror}}

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.{{cite web|last=Kerley |first=Mike |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2016/10/living-meme-what-happened-one-pound-fish-man |title=Living the Meme: What happened to the One Pound Fish man? |website=Newstatesman.com |date=2016-10-24 |access-date=2020-04-28}}

On his return to Pakistan, Nazir began delivering motivational speeches in universities across the country, alongside serving as a brand ambassador for PTCL. In 2013, Nazir released "Dabang Sher Aaya", a song written in support of Nawaz Sharif's election campaign in Pakistan, which later became the Pakistan Muslim League's official party anthem. Another song, "Hum Sher Dil Hum Sher Jawan" was later released ahead of the Pakistani election on 25 July.

In September 2013, it was reported that an arrest warrant had been issued for Nazir in Lahore, in relation to a criminal complaint filed by Orix Leasing Company concerning an initial recovery suit of Rs.6.6 million, following an unpaid loan issued to Nazir's company Rajpoot Goods Transport in 2007. In 2008, a case had been registered against the company after it failed to deposit initial instalments of the loan. Nazir later negotiated a deal with Orix, agreeing to pay Rs.1.34 million through 11 cheques of Rs.94,000 each, however the cheques were found to be counterfeit. Nazir had previously failed to attend a court hearing surrounding the legal process, which led to his arrest in 2013. A further arrest warrant was later withdrawn following his assurance to observe court orders, with a hearing scheduled for 9 April 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.channel4.com/news/one-pound-fish-singer-charged-in-pakistan-loan-case|title=One Pound Fish singer in Pakistan loan charge|work=Channel 4|date=10 March 2014}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1040998|title=Arrest warrants issued for ‘One Pound Fish’ man|work=Dawn|date=6 September 2013}}

Discography

= Singles =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" \| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Year ! scope="col" colspan="4" \| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Album
scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"\| UK {{cite web\|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28844/one-pound-fish-man/\|title=The Official Charts Company – One Pound Fish Man\|date=5 May 2013\|publisher=The Official Charts Company}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"\| UK Asian Chart ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"\| FRA ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"\| SCO
scope="row" \| "One Pound Fish" \| 2012 \| 28 \|\| 1 \|\| 169 \|\| 24 \| {{n/a\|Non-album single}}
colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" \| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year

! scope="col" colspan="4" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK
{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28844/one-pound-fish-man/|title=The Official Charts Company – One Pound Fish Man|date=5 May 2013|publisher=The Official Charts Company}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK Asian Chart

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| FRA

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| SCO

scope="row" | "One Pound Fish"

| 2012

| 28 || 1 || 169 || 24

| {{n/a|Non-album single}}

colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.