D.J.S

[valerie davenport]

I'm going to talk about the D.J.S of the 70,s and 80,s even the 90,s here starting with Sir Jimmy Savile. and this interview is from Digital Spy.


The man, the legend that is Sir Jimmy Savile wowed the audience last weekend with his ageless brand of enthusiasm. Born in Leeds in 1926, he's been a coal miner, dance hall manager, Radio 1 DJ and Top of the Pops presenter. At the age of 81, Savile is still on TV, having pulled in the audiences with his recent series Jim'll Fix It Strikes Again on UKTV Gold. And the man who is known as much for his love of running as his TV work is as fit a as a fiddle, taking part in his 218th marathon just this weekend. A charmer to the last the broadcasting legend on the infamous Jim'll Fix It chair is here for a little chat about the state of TV, Globe Trekker and getting older.

So Jim, have you enjoyed today?
I feel very guilty, because I felt I was having a better time than all the audience, who were obviously having a great time. Not just because what was going on 'on screen' [the clips of the 'Fix-its'], but their reactions to it. I mean something like this, which has been a long time coming - it started about six months ago - it's such a single honour to have at the Edinburgh Television Festival. And you think 'Ooh, what if it bombs? What if it's no good?'

In the press room, more people where watching the live feed for your spot than any other session!
Really! Well that's it. I think from a television point of view I have a disarming way. You see, I own Jim'll Fix It.

You own the brand?
I own the logo, the name - everything about it. So for me it has to be a 'take it easy baby, chill chill' - television is about having a good time, so it's very important to give people that are on the show a good time as well. If they have a good time, then we have a good time, and one can put this head on the pillow and go to sleep, because you know you've done a good job.

How do you feel television has change since Jim'll Fix It first started?
It went through a bad period I thought about ten years ago because the terrestrial channels seemed to be getting a bit tired. And then they started to play 'follow the leader' - a gardening programme came on, and woh! - there were 94 gardening programmes. Same with DIY - which is of no interest to me; cooking - I've not even got an oven in any of my places as I go out to eat. And then along came satellite TV - you've got a 500 English-speaking channels. And with this silly no-smoking ban, I'm more than happy to stop in and get a take-away, a good cigar and a glass whisky - seeing as I'm over-aged - and watch UKTV Gold, Travel Channel programmes. Globe Trekker is one of my favourites. I'd love to meet the Globe Trekker team.

Maybe you could 'Fix It' for yourself?
Maybe, but I don't know any of them. There's a girl called Megan (McCormick) - I'd marry her tomorrow. Only for two hours though. I wouldn't interfere with her life at all. That Ian Wright - he can do anything! Climb up mountains, jump in cold water with no clothes on. I love today's TV - but only if you have a dish.

Because there's more choice?
Yes. I have this thing called Music Choice Extra, it means that in the morning I can switch it on, light a cigar, put the kettle on and have nice classical music - not because I am interested in classical music - I call it audible wallpaper. What it does, is it stops you remembering who 'she' was last night!

Really?
I'm a very bad man. I'm worse now because I am more experienced.

Did you think that when Jim'll Fix It started all those years ago you'd still be on TV now?
Do you know, that question was asked of me on Wednesday January 1, 1964, in Manchester in an old disused church when we did the first Top of the Pops. A journalist asked me that question, and I said: 'As long as people buy records, Top of the Pops will last.' Which it did. Now Jim'll Fix It - as long as people want a good time there's room for Jim'll Fix It. Because I own it, I was totally adamant that I would never, ever let the standards drop. You can watch Jim'll Fix It with your eight-year-old daughter or your eighty-year-old grandmother and you won't be embarrassed, they'll be no questions asked and you'll have had a good time. When it first started thirty years ago [in 1975] the BBC prophesied 'doom and gloom' because it was too pure. An executive said to me: 'My children have always wanted to throw a custard pie at their teacher,' and I said 'That's out.' And he said 'Surely you're not going to draw the line at custard pies,' and I said 'I'm going to draw the line a long way before custard pies.' So they were all 'Ooh, Jim, you're standards are too high!' and it lasted twenty years [until 1994], and it got between 19 and 20 million viewers every week.

What would you like to be doing now?
I'd like to go back to doing nothing. I started off down the pits, I got blown up, I was walking with two sticks and a steel jacket for nearly three years, and I did nothing and I couldn't do nothing. It was one of the happiest times of me life. I had no money, I had no nothing, so obviously life doesn't stay the same forever, but if I could turn the clock back - I'd do nothing. Especially now that I'm loaded.

Do you think there will ever be a point where you'll completely retire?
First of all, I like that tonight. In fact, when I finished the show I said: 'What a marvellous fitting for the first day of retirement tomorrow'. But I've got as much chance of retiring as I have of flying to the moon, because these people [TV types] are even now ganging up and looking for any weak spots I might have. Oh they're buggers - they don't send fellas to talk to me, they send ladies to talk to me, because they know I'm a pushover! With ladies I always say yes.

Do you still run?
Yes. Last year I did the Glasgow Marathon and that was my 217th marathon. When I've finished speaking to you, I have got to go back down to Yorkshire, then back up to Glasgow for a marathon next weekend.

I think it's fantastic you're still running.
I think it's stupid.

Has a doctor ever told you not to run?
I am a doctor. I'm a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, a Doctor of Law, so I diagnose myself. I look in the mirror every day and say 'You're stupid son' - and then I carrying on doing it!

[valerie davenport]

Tony Blackburn (born 29 January 1943 in Guildford, Surrey) is an award winning English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first presenter to appear on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!.

He was born Antony Kenneth Blackburn and educated at Millfield School. He began his career as a singer, then worked as a DJ for the offshore pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London, before joining the BBC in the mid-1960s.He was the first DJ to be heard on BBC Radio 1 when it was launched in 1967, and presented the breakfast show until 1973. The first words spoken on BBC Radio 1 were ""... And, good morning everyone. Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1". As his singing career failed to take off, despite 14 singles released (two of which, "So Much Love" and "It's Only Love" made the UK Top 40), he stopped singing and concentrated on radio presenting. His cheery style and corny jokes ensured his household reputation and made him a popular figure with some, though his dislike of heavy and progressive rock and punk/new wave made him a hate figure with others. His fellow Radio 1 DJ John Peel would often derisively refer to him as "Timmy Bannockburn".

At first he was associated mainly with bubblegum and mainstream pop, but he later championed soul music. It was largely due to him that "I'm Still Waiting" by Diana Ross, which was initially just an album track, was released as a single in the UK in 1971 and reached No. 1. He was a regular host of Top of the Pops and in 1968 he fronted his own show Time For Blackburn, produced by Southern Television for the ITV network.

In 1973 he released a Northern soul single under the name Lenny Gamble, and was allegedly furious when Noel Edmonds, who had recently been given Blackburn's Radio 1 Breakfast Show slot, revealed the alias on air. Nevertheless both broadcasters later became close friends.

In June 1973, he took over the weekday mid-morning slot, where he introduced 'The Golden Hour'. Simon Bates later carried this feature.

In November 1977 he took over the weekday afternoon show. During this period, he was going through divorce with his first wife, actress Tessa Wyatt.

In September 1979 he was taken off his afternoon show after criticising on air an article about him, David Jensen & Peter Powell. He was then demoted to a Saturday morning show & the Sunday Chart rundown.
In early 1980, he took over Junior Choice on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8-10am while continuing to present the Sunday chart show until the end of 1981 being succeeded by Tommy Vance. During 1982 Radio 1 dropped the name Junior Choice and the show became the Weekend Breakfast Show which Tony continued to host until his final show on 23 September 1984. In addition to his Radio 1 weekend show, Tony joined BBC Radio London in 1982, where he presented the weekday afternoon show. It was here he showed his love for soul music.

Having left Radio 1 after 17 years he took over BBC Radio London's weekday mid-morning show in 1984, mixing soul music with guests & phone ins until 1988 when he joined Capital Gold presenting the Breakfast show for many years, later moving to the Drivetime slot until early 2002 when he took over the Weekday Evening Show from 8-10pm, playing soul music.

Tony left Capital Gold in late 2002; he joined London's Jazz FM following the station's acquisition by GMG Radio in March 2003 as host of Real Soul every weeknight from 10pm until midnight, initially a live programme before a contract to host the Classic Gold breakfast show that May meant the show became voicetracked - Real Soul ended in March 2004. Tony was awarded the prestigious "Oldie Of The Year" in 2003. In addition, Tony presented a pre-recorded, uptempo-soul show entitled the Real Party Night, broadcast across the GMG Radio network and later by CN Radio stations every Saturday evening, prior to its conclusion in mid-2005.

In March 2004, Tony returned to BBC London 94.9, presenting a Monday evening soul show, and in addition to that, in April of the same year, he also took on the Saturday lunchtime show

Tony also hosted the breakfast show on Classic Gold(see Classic Gold Digital Network), with co-hosts Erika North and Sandy Warr. Although his Monday evening show on BBC London 94.9 ended in July 2004, he still continued to present the Saturday lunchtime show for the station.

In June 2004 he was temporarily suspended from his show on Classic Gold for playing songs by Cliff Richard, in defiance of a ruling by the head of programmes that Richard's music did not match the station's 'brand values'. The dispute made national headlines and was even referred to in Parliament, with Leader of the House Peter Hain voicing his support for Blackburn. He was reinstated, amid rumours that the episode was merely a publicity stunt. The station started adding Richard's songs to their playlist after public reaction to this.

He performed in a science fiction audio play based on the Doctor Who television series by Big Finish Productions - The Rapture. He played himself as a DJ, in an Ibiza nightclub where sinister forces are brainwashing the patrons.

In 2002, he appeared in the first series of the British reality TV series, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here!, eventually emerging as the winner.

Blackburn also occasionally fronts competitions on GMTV, including "The Clues Brothers" (a parody of The Blues Brothers) with fellow DJ Keith Chegwin.



In 2007, Tony collaborated with The Wurzels to re-release I am a cider drinker in aid of a Bristol Prostate Cancer charity.

He's recently left the Classic Gold Breakfast show, upon the merger with Capital Gold.

He can still be heard on BBC London 94.9 on Saturdays from 12-2pm & from August 2007 can be heard on Kmfm stations in Kent on Sundays from 4-7pm, playing 3 hours of Classic soul.

His autobiography, "Poptastic; My Life in Radio" is published in September 2007 by Cassell Illustrated

[valerie davenport]

Alan Leslie "Fluff" Freeman MBE (6 July 1927 – 27 November 2006), was a well-known disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years.Born and educated in Melbourne, Australia, Freeman worked as an assistant paymaster/accountant for one of Australia's largest timber companies after leaving school.

Freeman originally wanted to be an opera singer, but decided his voice was not strong enough. In 1952 he was invited to audition as a radio announcer and commenced working for 7LA in Tasmania, known as the teenager's station. Freeman's varied duties included that of continuity announcer; presenter of musical programmes incorporating opera, ballet and classical music; DJ for the top 100; news reader; quiz master and commercials reader.

After moving to radio station 3KZ in Melbourne, in 1957 he took an agreed nine-month trip around the world with the verbal promise to return to Melbourne by January 1958. He got to London, and on deciding to stay wrote numerous letters of delay, and later apology, to his former Melbourne employer[1]

Freeman started his British career as a summer relief disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg, and continued to present late-evening programmes on the station until the early 1970s.

In 1961 he moved to the BBC Light Programme as presenter of the Records Around Five show, which was introduced by his signature tune At The Sign Of The Swinging Cymbal written by Brian Fahey. In September 1961 he introduced Pick of the Pops as part of a Saturday evening show Trad Tavern. Pick Of The Pops became a permanent show in its own right in 1962, with Freeman fronting it until 1972. At the same time, he was one of the original team of presenters of BBC TV's Top of the Pops and a regular member of the Juke Box Jury panel.

In April 1972 Freeman joined the ranks of daily presenters on Radio 1, taking over the afternoon (3-5 pm) show from Terry Wogan. This continued until June 1, 1973. During this time he spotlighted youth clubs and young people, and became Vice-President of the London Association of Youth Clubs. During the 1970s he also presented the Radio 1 series Quiz Kid on Sunday evenings, which was recorded at Youth and Boys Clubs all over the country; while on Saturday afternoons he presented his iconic Rock Show, featuring heavy and progressive rock and a regular rundown of the current album chart, from 1973 until 1978.

He left the BBC to work for Capital Radio from 1979 to 1988, reviving both Pick of the Pops (now called Pick of the Pops Take Two and combining the then-current Top 15 with an earlier chart) and The Rock Show. He returned to the BBC and Radio 1 in January 1989 to revive both The Rock Show and Pick of the Pops. This run of Pick of the Pops ended on 27 December 1992, but he continued to host The Rock Show until 23 October 1993, when he, along with other long-serving DJs, left the station as it was revamped by controller Matthew Bannister.

In December 1993 he presented the Alternative Chart Show on a trial one-off RSL broadcast by XFM in London. He then hosted Pick of the Pops Take Three on Capital Gold from April 1994 until late 1996. In 1996 and 1997 he also hosted The Rock Show on Virgin Radio, and he was heard presenting one-off shows on Classic FM.

He returned to the BBC on BBC Radio 2, taking Pick of the Pops back to its home from 1997 until 2000. A lifetime love of classical music and particularly opera was developed in the show Their Greatest Bits. But as arthritis got the better of his hands he eventually handed Pick of the Pops over to ex-Radio Trent DJ Dale Winton.

He was awarded the MBE in 1998. In May 2000 he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.

He died in Twickenham, England.

His funeral took place on December 7th 2006 at South West Middlesex Crematorium and was attended by DJs Paul Gambaccini, Dave Lee Travis, Nicky Campbell, and his Radio One Top 40 successors Wes Butters, Simon Bates and Richard Skinner.

[valerie davenport]

Paedophile ex-DJ faces extradition to Slovakia
A former Radio 1 DJ faces extradition to Slovakia where he is wanted for allegedly making child porn films.
Chris Denning, 66, who has been serving a four-year jail sentence for child sex abuse, was rearrested last month on new allegations.
The paedophile, who was one of the first Radio 1 DJs when it launched in 1967, worked alongside Kenny Everett, John Peel, Alan Freeman, Tony Blackburn and Jimmy Savile.
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Well-spoken Denning, formerly of Weybridge, was the first presenter’s voice to be heard on BBC 2.
He worked as a music producer with The Beatles and helped launch the careers of, among others, the Bay City Rollers and Gary Glitter.
In 1997 he was jailed for three-and-a- half years in Prague, Czech Republic, on child sex charges.
Returning to England in February 2006, he admitted five charges of indecent assault on boys under 16 in the 1970s and 1980s and was jailed for four years.
The Slovak authorities claim he committed the new extradition offences shortly after his release from the Czech sentence.
He was looking forward to early release on licence from Wandsworth prison on January 22, but was remanded in custody at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court until a hearing on Monday.
Amy Manyon, prosecuting, told the court: “It is an accusation case in respect of offences of producing child pornography including films of persons under 18 and possessing digital camera cassettes and VHS cassettes.”
At a January hearing Denning refused to consent to his extradition, but on Monday he changed his mind.
District Judge Anthony Evans made an extradition order to Slovakia saying: “That will take place within the next ten days and you will be remanded in custody pending your return.”
At an earlier hearing, an application for bail was refused with Judge Daphne Wickham saying there was a risk Denning would commit further offences.
She added: “This defendant has a record which shows abuse of young men over some 33 years.
“Bail is refused due to the likely commission of further offences.”
Denning was investigated in the same Surrey Police inquiry that saw music producer Jonathan King convicted and jailed for child abuse.
He, King and former Bay City Rollers manager Tam Patton were involved with the famous Walton Hop in Walton in the 1970s and 1980s