Johnnie Walker retiring

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L100NYY

Original Poster:

35,496 posts

250 months

Sunday 6th October
quotequote all
Johnnie has just announced on R2 that due to his declining health that his last broadcast will be 28th October.

A legend of brodcasting, take it easy chap 💪

ninepoint2

3,510 posts

167 months

Sunday 6th October
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L100NYY said:
Johnnie has just announced on R2 that due to his declining health that his last broadcast will be 28th October.

A legend of brodcasting, take it easy chap ??
Indeed he is, been part of my life for a long time, remember it being very dusty when he did his last drive time show. I share the sentiment "take it easy"

Oh and it's the 27th for his last show

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/radio-2-joh...

Edited by ninepoint2 on Sunday 6th October 16:59

Skyedriver

18,904 posts

289 months

Sunday 6th October
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Used to listen to Johnnie in the old pirate radio days and on through his R2 career although not much recently, Sounds of the 70's doesn't really float my boat (Mi Amigo).
A genuine music guy unlike most of the current crop of presenters.
Note Bob Harris is taking over the Sunday slot. Another genuine music guy, I could listen to Bob playing his music choice all day and night, he's got me interested in many an artist/group/band/genre over the years.

ninepoint2

3,510 posts

167 months

Monday 28th October
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Skyedriver said:
Used to listen to Johnnie in the old pirate radio days and on through his R2 career although not much recently, Sounds of the 70's doesn't really float my boat (Mi Amigo).
A genuine music guy unlike most of the current crop of presenters.
Note Bob Harris is taking over the Sunday slot. Another genuine music guy, I could listen to Bob playing his music choice all day and night, he's got me interested in many an artist/group/band/genre over the years.
Yesterday was hard for me, been a part of my life for a long time, he introduced me to a lot of artists/music over the years, his show often sounded like one of my playlists.

Skyedriver...I think we have similar tastes in music, I recall you posting about concerts in Edinburgh before, Joanne Shaw Taylor perhaps?

coppice

8,909 posts

151 months

Tuesday 29th October
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I listened to his show for the first time in years - although I remember JW from pirate days R6 is more my thing .But he had always seemed a decent man, who genuinely loved music and lacked the monstrous ego of some of his erstwhile R1/R2 colleagues . His voice has become reedy and the poor man is obviously in declining health, I believe terminally so ?

It was a more emotional listen than I expected , as it will have been for many baby boomer listeners. I guess it served as a reminder that although the 20 -something JW must have felt immortal, and life was once full of limitless potential , the passage of time catches up with all of us .

I can't comment on current R2 presenters, but have no complaints about their colleagues on R6.

ninepoint2

3,510 posts

167 months

Tuesday 29th October
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001xnld

worth a listen if you are a fan

Skyedriver

18,904 posts

289 months

Wednesday 30th October
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ninepoint2 said:
Yesterday was hard for me, been a part of my life for a long time, he introduced me to a lot of artists/music over the years, his show often sounded like one of my playlists.

Skyedriver...I think we have similar tastes in music, I recall you posting about concerts in Edinburgh before, Joanne Shaw Taylor perhaps?
Have to admit to not listening to him more recently or in fact R2 at all but he and the rest of the pirate stations of the 60's were a huge influence. Caroline, London, 270 (off the Yorkshire coast IIRC), 242, Scotland (with Stuart Henry ma friends).

My musical tastes have varied over the years, from Pat Boone to the Beatles, Otis R and 60/70s soul, Beefheart, 30's Blues, Jazz, Classical, Prog and modern blues such a JST, Tommy Castro, Bonamassa etc. Over the last ten years or so it's been a lot of Big Big Train who I've seen a number of times, superb. Got into them via Bob Harris, another music presenter of immense talent and knowledge unlike the R1/2 gabblers of today. Don't get to many live gigs anymore, I'm too far north of Glasgow & Edinburgh. Driving back two and a half or three and a half hours on our country roads...... Has to be an overnight stop over which adds cost.

coppice

8,909 posts

151 months

Wednesday 30th October
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Radio 270 -at 14 they were the soundtrack to my life . Listened to its close down moments at midnight , some time in 1967 and felt I'd lost a friend .

Skyedriver

18,904 posts

289 months

Wednesday 30th October
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coppice said:
Radio 270 -at 14 they were the soundtrack to my life . Listened to its close down moments at midnight , some time in 1967 and felt I'd lost a friend .
Me and you about the same age then. Yes 270 was the soundtrack to my teenage years along with the others I mentioned above.
270 was more local to me living in NE England.

jet_noise

5,800 posts

189 months

Thursday 31st October
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Skyedriver said:
coppice said:
Radio 270 -at 14 they were the soundtrack to my life . Listened to its close down moments at midnight , some time in 1967 and felt I'd lost a friend .
Me and you about the same age then. Yes 270 was the soundtrack to my teenage years along with the others I mentioned above.
270 was more local to me living in NE England.
Wonderful Radio London for me as I was a teenager in Kent, sometimes Caroline.
Major Walker-times were Radio 1. At its start and later on Saturday afternoons. My memory is that he was a consistent feature but the Walker-wiki documents several comings and goings.

Skyedriver

18,904 posts

289 months

Thursday 31st October
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jet_noise said:
Skyedriver said:
coppice said:
Radio 270 -at 14 they were the soundtrack to my life . Listened to its close down moments at midnight , some time in 1967 and felt I'd lost a friend .
Me and you about the same age then. Yes 270 was the soundtrack to my teenage years along with the others I mentioned above.
270 was more local to me living in NE England.
Wonderful Radio London for me as I was a teenager in Kent, sometimes Caroline.
Major Walker-times were Radio 1. At its start and later on Saturday afternoons. My memory is that he was a consistent feature but the Walker-wiki documents several comings and goings.
Yes, I remember the Saturday afternoons, started about 1.00, I'd be working away on some project or other, then there'd be a live concert on about 5.00?